June 20, 2003
By 1st Lt. Skylar Hester
510th Fighter Squadron

The 510th and 555th Fighter Squadrons held an annual spring Turkey Shoot contest during their Spain deployments.

The contest involved all the pilots in the 510th FS (Buzzards) and 555th (The Nickel) in a competition to drop the most accurate bombs on a practice range.

by Maj. Dave Honchul
U.S. Central Command Air Forces-Forward Public Affairs

2/27/2004 - AL ASAD AIR FIELD, Iraq (AFPN) -- Airpower was put on display as a part of a show of force demonstration here during a joint capabilities exercise Feb. 24.

Operation All-American Lightning, a joint Army-Air Force operation, was designed to demonstrate joint U.S. capabilities for rapid deployment and employment of forces worldwide to support the war on terrorism, said 82nd Airborne Division officials

12/29/2003 - AR RAMADI, Iraq (AFPN) -- F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 510th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron dropped two Joint Direct Attack Munition bombs on an enemy safe house near here Dec. 27.

OPERATION STOCKING STUFFER was launched to destroy an abandoned two-story house known to be a launching pad for attacks against coalition forces, according to a U.S. Central Command release. The house had been used on six different occasions to attack coalition forces and is located about two miles northwest of Khalidiyah.

by Senior Airman Shaun Emery
332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

7/15/2005 - BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN) -- In an instant they are gone, but the 510th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron’s F-16 Fighting Falcons can be found in the Iraqi sky providing air support for servicemembers fighting against insurgents on the ground.

by Senior Airman Shaun Emery
332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

7/5/2005 - BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN)  -- Like a Broadway show, the stars get all the attention. But behind the scenes, key roles must be performed for the show to go on.

by Senior Airman Shaun Emery
332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

8/19/2005 - BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN)  -- Maintaining and flying F-16 Fighting Falcons in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom is what Air National Guard units from Minnesota, Texas and Arkansas do to provide ground support to Soldiers and Marines.

Airman Jacob E. Briggs was born in Springfield, Oregon. He attended Mingus Union High School where he lettered in Band and was active with the Emmanuel Fellowship Church. Jacob was active with the "No Compromise" Drama Club.

After graduation from high school in 1995, Airman Briggs enlisted in the Air Force on 20 July 1995. Upon completing basic training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, Airman Briggs began training as an Avionics Flight Control and Instrument Systems Specialist. He completed phase I of his training at Lackland and was transferred to the 365th Training Squadron at Sheppard AFB, Texas, to enhance his technical skills.

Capt Mark P. McCarthy, 31, was performing a training mission over the Adriatic Sea when his F16C crashed at 8:40 a.m. Jan. 26, 1995 approximately 60 miles east of the Italian city of Comacchio.

An international rescue effort to recover the pilot and search the crash site continue. Base officials changed McCarthy's duty status from whereabouts unknown to deceased Saturday.

A board of qualified officers has convened and continues its investigation into the accident.

Members of the 510th Tactical Fighter Squadron and their families dedicated this monument to the memory of Capt. Donald Roberts who died in April when his A-10 crashed in Cambridgeshire. Capt Roberts, widow, Lisa, attended the ceremony. It is also dedicated to the memory of all 510th pilots who have died.

Maj Elwin Rox Shain was born on Aug 27, 1931 in Iowa City, Iowa. He entered the Air Force and was assigned to Vietnam on Aug 30, 1967. As a Fixed-Wing pilot, he crash landed while flying over the hostile territory of Phuoc Long, South Vietnam on Jul 28, 1968.