Air Combat Command will kick off its third annual Angel Thunder personnel recovery and combat search and rescue exercise Dec. 1 at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz. This year’s exercise is DOD’s largest and most complex event of its type, ACC said in a release Nov. 12. In addition to airmen, personnel will participate from the Army, Joint Forces Command, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, National Reconnaissance Office, Justice Department, and State Department. Chile, Colombia, and Germany are also sending participants, and Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and Pakistan will have observers present, ACC said. Air Force A-10, C-130E, C-17, E-3, EC-130H, HC-130P, HH-60G, KC-135, MC-130P, and UH-1N aircraft will take part as will Army AH-64D and German Tornado ECR platforms. About 250 personnel will undertake ground recovery drills. Angel Thunder 08 runs through Dec. 12. The exercise has grown in scope since its first year in 2006 when it was simply a base-level exercise at Davis-Monthan.
The Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness revised the Defense Department’s COVID-19 guidelines. The new rules clarify what’s meant by being “up to date” on vaccinations and when personnel must wear masks in vehicles, among other changes.