The first three Singaporean weapons instructors graduated from the Singaporean Fighter Weapons Instructor Course at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, earlier this month. F-15SG pilot Maj. Wang Kee Yong and weapons systems officers Capt. Alex Ong and Capt. Chia Chi Yu of the Republic of Singapore Air Force learned combat maneuvers and tactics during the course, which is modeled after the USAF Fighter Weapons School, according to a 366th Fighter Wing release. The head of the Singaporean air service, Maj. Gen. Mervyn Tan, and its Air Combat Command commander, Brig. Gen. Tommy Tan Ah Han, visited Mountain Home Aug. 17-20 to recognize the graduates. “They say ‘It takes a village to raise an Olympic champion’ but in this instance it took two air forces to graduate these three airmen,” said Lt. Col. Tham Yeow Min, the 428th FS senior ranking officer.
Walking the flight line occupied by Blackhawk attack helicopters and American troops on rotation at the “MK” air base in Romania, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III highlighted the important strategic value of one of NATO’s newest members Oct. 20 ahead of NATO defense ministerial meetings in Brussels Oct. 21-22.…