U.S. Department of Defense

Air Force Conducts Readiness Exercise

U.S. Air Force Capt. Kristin Hubbard, a pilot, checks the landing gear on an F-16 Fighting Falcon during an exercise on Osan Air Base, South Korea, July 21, 2008. The readiness exercise tests the abilities of the airmen to execute combat operations, receive follow-on forces and defend the base from attack.

U.S. Air Force Airman Heather Mitchell checks a wing release wire on a guided bomb unit loaded onto an F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft during an inspection on Osan Air Base, South Korea, July 12, 2008. If the wire is damaged, the weapon will not release properly from the aircraft. Mitchell is a weapons loader assigned to the 51st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron.

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Stover inspects the AIM-120 connections on an F-16 Fighting Falcon during an exercise on Osan Air Base, South Korea, July 21, 2008. Stover is a weapons loader assigned to the 51st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron.

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Brooke Turnipseed, left, Airman 1st Class Justin Campbell, center, and Staff Sgt. Dominique Rubisch work together to download munitions from an F-16 Fighting Falcon during an exercise on Osan Air Base, South Korea, July 21, 2008. The airmen are weapons loaders assigned to the 51st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron.

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class John Bumbalough, right, and Senior Airman Mark Mihasci record information and perform a tool inspection after preparing an F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft for an upcoming mission on Osan Air Base, South Korea, July 21, 2008. Bumbalough and Mihasci are weapons armament specialists assigned to the 51st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron.

U.S. Air Force airmen prepare an F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft for an upcoming mission during an exercise on Osan Air Base, South Korea, July 21, 2008.

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class David Armes aims his machine gun while providing security during an exercise on Osan Air Base, South Korea, July 21, 2008. Armes is an entry controller assigned to the 51st Security Forces Squadron.

U.S. Air Force Capt. Kristin Hubbard, a pilot, checks the landing gear on an F-16 Fighting Falcon during an exercise on Osan Air Base, South Korea, July 21, 2008. The readiness exercise tests the abilities of the airmen to execute combat operations, receive follow-on forces and defend the base from attack.
U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Christopher Boitz