KC-10s bring fuel to fight

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Chris Whynott, a flight engineer with the 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, performs pre-flight checks on a KC-10 Extender at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia, Feb. 24, 2012. The 908th EARS provides critical air refueling to aircraft in the area of responsibility, delivering more than one million gallons of fuel to the fight every day. In 2011, the 908th EARS offloaded more than 390 million pounds of fuel to more than 28,000 aircraft, and flew more than 36,700 hours in almost 4,600 missions. The average sortie length for a KC-10 mission in Southwest Asia is about eight hours.(U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Greg C. Biondo)

Arresting Eagle

SOUTHWEST ASIA - An F-15 Eagle tests a new arresting barrier system for the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Feb. 25, 2012. The system consists of a cable stretched across a flightline and hooked up to motorized retractors on either side. If a fighter has some type of malfunction that affects its brakes, pilots can use the arresting cable to stop safely. This was the certification test for a new system, which has to be replaced every 10 years. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. J.G. Buzanowski)

Arresting Eagle

SOUTHWEST ASIA - Airmen install a new arresting barrier system for the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Feb. 25, 2012. The system consists of a cable stretched across a flightline and hooked up to motorized retractors on either side. If a fighter has some type of malfunction that affects its brakes, pilots can use the arresting cable to stop safely. This was the certification test for a new system, which has to be replaced every 10 years. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. J.G. Buzanowski)

493rd EFS pilot reaches F-15 1,000-hour flying milestone in Southwest Asia

Capt. John Delion, a 493rd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron pilot, steps down after completes his 1,000th-hour milestone in the F-15C Eagle April 27, 2011, in Southwest Asia. Captain Delion completed this milestone participating in a regional training exercise. The 493rd EFS is deployed from Lakenheath AB, U.K. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Maynelinne De La Cruz)

380th OSS weather team predicts for successful missions

Tech. Sgt. Shannon Byers, 380th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron, pours water over AN/TMQ-53 Tactical Maintenance System (TMOS) solar panel to clear dust and debris during a preventative maintenance inspection Mar. 11, 2011. For combat weather teams, the TMOS provides current weather data to planners and field commanders in support of their missions around the world faster, easier and safer. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Maynelinne De La Cruz)

380th OSS weather team predicts for successful missions

Tech. Sgt. Shannon Byers, 380th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron, checks the transient/surge protector sacrifice indicators on an AN/TMQ-53 Tactical Meteorological Observing System during a preventative maintenance inspection Mar. 11, 2011. The basic system configuration measures surface pressure, temperature, dew point, wind direction and speed, and liquid precipitation. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Maynelinne De La Cruz)