Five A-10 attack jets, three HH-60G rescue helicopters, one MC-130H, and about 200 airmen will stay on an extended deployment in the Philippines following the annual Balikatan exercise to help patrol the South China Sea, Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced Thursday. The airmen and USAF aircraft will remain in the country for the rest of the month and will operate out of Clark Air Base on Luzon Island, where they will continue joint training, conduct flight operations in the South China Sea, and “lay the foundation” for joint air patrols, said Carter during a joint news conference with his Filipino counterpart in Manila. Carter also announced that a “command and control node made up of American personnel” will remain behind and continue exercising with the Filipinos. “With these steps we’re making a strong alliance even stronger. Our efforts to do more together demonstrate America’s unbreakable commitment to the defense of this nation, the stability and security of the Asia-Pacific, and the principles that have helped so many in the region to rise and prosper,” Carter said.
The World War I Centennial Commission officially raised the flag at the new National World War I Memorial in Washington, D.C., with a unique salute to the early days of air power. During the April 16 ceremony, two F-22s from the 94th Fighter Squadron at Joint Base Langley, Va., performed…