Fighter Jets Secure The Skies Above ... Stars And Stripes: American - Ski
Air Force Airman 1st Class Daniel Addabbo, a 493rd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron assistant dedicated crew chief, marshals an F-15C Eagle before it heads out on a mission in support of Operation Noble Endeavor, at Graf Ignatievo, Bulgaria. Air Force aircraft � including the fighter jets � are taking part in the operation, with some 1,400 support, maintenance, operations and medical airmen working in locations across Eastern Europe, according to 3rd Air Force spokesman Maj. Craig Wills, 493rd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron commander, said of his unit�s F-15C Eagle jets deployed to Graf Ignatievo in central Bulargia for the operation.The Bulgarian airfield is roughly 150 miles southwest of Bucharest, where the summit is being held.Forty U.S. George Downs, a 493rd pilot, has already flown two missions above the summit area.�It�s going very smoothly so far,� Downs said of the operation on Tuesday. In 2006, squadron jets defended the NATO summit in Riga, Latvia, and then protected President Bush�s visit to Albania in June 2007. The 493rd plans to make the most out of its trip to Bulgaria after the summit. The unit will stay a few extra weeks to train alongside Bulgarian MiG-29 jets, Wills said.