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USMC F/A-18s refuel from HC-130J Combat King II for the first time

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HC-130J Combat King II assigned to the 39th Rescue Squadron carried out its first mid-air refueling with USMC F/A-18s on Feb. 22 for the first time.

F/A-18 Hornet fighter aircraft connect with an HC-130J Combat King II for nighttime high-speed air-to-air refuel Feb. 22, 2021. The completion of this milestone supports joint-service interoperability and enhances the success of military operations worldwide. This HC-130J capability increases available assets to conduct operations jointly where other aircraft may not be available, allowing the mission to continue unhindered. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Kelly Goonan)

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This A-10 pilot is about to clock 7,000 hours on the attack jet

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Lt. Col. John Marks, a pilot with the 303rd Fighter Squadron, is just 100 hours away from completing his 7,000 hour on the A-10 attack jet.

Lt. Col. John Marks, a pilot with the 303rd Fighter Squadron, shuts down his engines after completing his 6000th hour in an A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft November 14, 2016, at Whiteman AFB, Mo. Marks has been flying the A-10 since the first Gulf War and has spent the equivalent of 250 days in the cockpit. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech Sgt. Bob Jennings/Released)

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Legacy Hornet has completed its final carrier deployment

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The Legacy F/A-18 has completed its last aircraft carrier deployment with VMFA-323 departing USS Nimitz on Feb. 24.

210219-N-KO930-1173 PACIFIC OCEAN (Feb. 19, 2021) F/A-18C Hornets, from the “Death Rattlers” of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 323, flyby the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68). Nimitz, flagship of Nimitz Carrier Strike Group, is currently conducting routine operations in U.S. Third Fleet. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Olivia Banmally Nichols/Released)

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ATAC Mirage F1B crashes at Tyndall AFB, both pilots injured

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A Mirage F1B fighter owned by Airborne Tactical Advantage Company (ATAC) has crashed at Tyndall Air Force Base on Feb. 25.

An F-1 Mirage aircraft with the Airborne Tactical Advantage Company flies over Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., Dec. 14, 2020. The aircraft will provide adversary air support to the 43rd Fighter Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Magen M. Reeves)

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