Gen. Gary North, commander of Pacific Air Forces, was inducted into the command’s Order of the Sword during a ceremony at JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. “Your dedicated service, your trust, your faith and your confidence in me, and the privileges I have had, specifically to be afforded to serve along side of you, is the greatest privilege that an officer could ever have,” said North following his induction on Aug. 26. The order is the highest honor USAF’s enlisted cadre may bestow upon an individual. “His concern for people and his ability to put people at ease is remarkable. We hope that all airmen would care for people this way,” said CMSAF James Roy, during the ceremony. (Hickam report by SSgt. Gustavo Gonzalez)
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.