Six airmen from the New Jersey Air National Guard’s 177th Fighter Wing were sent to the hospital Aug. 25 after being exposed to chemicals from an F-16’s emergency power system. The airmen were working on the aircraft at about 2:30 p.m. at the Atlantic City International Airport when a line ruptured, according to the Press of Atlantic City. The airmen were taken to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center as a precaution because of possible exposure to a hydrazine byproduct, the Press reported.
U.S. Air Force F-35s and F-22s regularly deploy deep into the Pacific region from Alaska, Utah, and Hawaii. In the future, though, the head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command would like to see the Air Force permanently station fifth-generation aircraft west of the international date line—closer to China.