Rescue airmen from the 23rd Wing at Moody AFB, Ga., recently completed a weeklong visit to Palanquero AB, Colombia, to share their knowledge with Colombian air force C-130 crews. This visit is one of US Southern Command’s partnership-capacity-building initiatives. During the visit, the Moody airmen observed and advised the Colombians on how to be more effective in their rescue operations, including in their country’s rough terrains, and other activities such as air drops and personnel infiltration and exfiltration. Although the USAF airmen were invited to advise the Colombians, the information exchange went both ways. “In the US Air Force, we seem to get typecast into certain roles where they don’t have those restrictions here. They have more flexibility on learning new tactics and procedures,” said Lt. Col. Peter Dominicis, 347th Operations Support Squadron director of operations. (Palanquero report by SSgt. Andrea Thacker)
The U.S. supports “a stronger and more capable” European defense, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said during an Oct. 22 press conference in Brussels—but that defense should not duplicate the functions and capabilities of the NATO alliance.