US and allied pilots have flown thousands of combat missions over hostile territory since the Gulf War. The missions continue in Operations Northern Watch and Southern Watch over Iraq, where pilots face surface-to-air missiles and anti-aircraft artillery. They also deal with similar threats over the former Yugoslavia, though to a lesser degree. Despite these constant threats, aircraft losses to hostile fire in these operations can be counted on one hand, thanks to intricate planning, substantial experience, and advanced hardware. If the worst case happens, however, and an aircraft goes down, a combat search and rescue mission kicks into high gear to extract the aircrew from hostile territory quickly and safely.

Lockheed Martin's Code One Magazine has compiled this F-16 Fin Flash Poster, which you can download for Free!!

Lockheed Martin's Code One Magazine has compiled this F-16 Patch Poster, which you can download for Free!!

The 510th Fighter Squadron, the Buzzards, one of two F-16 squadrons based at Aviano AB in Italy, deployed to Bagram AB in Afghanistan from May through October 2010 for a scheduled Air Expeditionary Force rotation. The deployment marked the one-year anniversary for US F-16s in Afghanistan. The US forces replaced F-16 units from Belgium and the Netherlands, which began operating in Afghanistan in late 2004. Norway also sent F-16s to the theater beginning in 2006.

Tune: On the Wall

Ever singing, ever swinging, that's the old 510th
Here they come, let them thru, make way!
Ever scrapping, never napping, that's the old 510th.
On the ball, spring and fall, night and day.
They'll be cheering, you'll be hearing of our gang some day;
You'll admit we're the best in the play.
Our ambitions bring traditions that will win some day
As the 510th gets on its way.

Written by WWII 510th Fighter Pilog Lt Robert Levy, Supply OIC, 1944.

Tune: Barber of Seville

On we're the men of old 510, boys,
The men who fight on to victory.
Our will to win will e'er be keen, boys
Tho we're far across the sea, (the rolling sea).

And when we find the going tough, boys,
We'll raise our voices high,
And we'll sing our song as we're marching along,
And shout to the world as our flag is unfurled,

The men of old 510 are going by.

Written by WWII 510th Fighter Pilog Lt Robert Levy, Supply OIC, 1944.

Down the Ruhr Valley flying so low
Some armchair general, said we must go
Flak loves big Bombers, fighter do too
P-51 Boys, what happened to you.

Please write a letter, send it to me
send it in care of Stalag Luft III.
P-47 Boys, we're longing to see
you shoot up this place and set us all free.

We see you coming, and we all agree
soon ther'll be no more Stalag Luft III.
Now I am home again, the war just a dream
and I can even stand our little girls scream.

We've learned to like Football, and we like the Colts,
We like the Mustangs, but we love Thunderbolts!

Written by Charles Mohrle

In fighter planes they flew with us,
these gallant men with silver wings,
brothers all through hostile skies
a peaceful world we sought to bring.

Then the blaze of hell stabbed upward,
the air was slashed by jagged steel
and terror was the major thing
that each of us could feel.

All knew, in such a frenzied sky,
that some of us would not survive.
Yet, their guns with ours erupting fire,
into the face of death we dived.

The gods of war, by random choice,
called these young men to flame and die.
We saw them spin like shattered hawks,
but in memory still they share out sky.

And now in silent, ghostly, echelon,
these valiant comrades from the past
will fly our wings in close formation
'till all our squadron's stilled at last.

Written by Anonymous

Through the history of world aviation
many names have come to the fore.
Great deeds of the past in our memory will last,
as they're joined by more and more.

When man first started his labor in the quest to conquer the sky
he was a designer, mechanic and pilot,
and he built a machine that would fly.

But somehow the order got twisted,
and then in the public eye.
The only man that could be seen
was the man who knew how to fly.

The pilot was everyone's hero,
he was brave, he was bold, he was grand,
as he stood by his battered old biplane
with his goggles and helmet in hand.

To be sure, these pilots all earned it,
to fly you have to have guts.
And they blazed their names in the hall of fame
on wings with bailing wire struts.

But for each of these flying heroes
there were thousands of little renown,
and these were the men who worked on the planes
but kept their feet on the ground.

We all know the name Lindbergh,
and we've read of his flight to fame.
But think, if you can, of his maintenance man,
can you remember his name?

And think of our wartime heroes, Gabreski, Jabara, and Scott.
Can you tell me the names of their crew chiefs?
A thousand to one you cannot.

Now pilots are highly trained people,
and wings are not easily won.
But without the work of the maintenance man
our pilots would march with a gun.

So when you see the mighty jet aircraft
as they mark their way through the air,
the grease stained man with the wrench in his hand
is the man who put them there.

Truck and Tank Bustin' a Specialty –
We Trim Trees With Ease –
No Pass Too Difficult –
Reasonable Rates –
Discounts on Large Orders –
Jinxing At No Extra Cost –
Theme Song
They can't hit me - Hit me - Hit Me - Hit Me