Friday, May 8, 2026 l Vol. 51, Number 19
SERVING TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE AND THE MILITARY COMMUNITY OF SOLANO COUNTY
515TH AMOW Page 2
COMBAT SEARCH AND RESCUE Page 3
LAMAT 2026 Page 4
TAILWIND
TRAVIS
A product of Daily Republic
SUN ‘N
FUN
Staff Sgt. Mary Bowers/U.S. Air Force file
Capt. Nick “Laz” Le Tourneau, pilot and commander of the F-22 Raptor Aerial Demonstration Team, conducts preflight checks prior to taxiing at the Sun ’n Fun
Aerospace Expo at Lakeland, Fla., April 14. Le Tourneau showcased the capabilities of the F-22 Raptor to attendees by performing multiple combat maneuver demonstrations.
Experimental Operations Unit accelerates CCA program Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs
Airman Paden Henry/U.S. Air Force file photos
Capt. John Harris, 86th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron flight surgeon, performs triage on a simulated patient during a mass casualty exercise at Ramstein Air
Base, Germany, April 15. The MASCAL exercise divided personnel into medical response teams to test their ability in providing life-saving care in austere environments.
86th MDG conduct a MASCAL joint exercise at Ramstein Air Base
ARLINGTON, Va. — The Air Force’s Experimental Operations Unit, under Air Combat Command, concluded a critical exercise with Collaborative Combat Aircraft recently at Edwards Air Force Base, putting principles of the new Warfighting Acquisition System into practice. The exercise employed the YFQ-44A aircraft and represents a shift toward the new concept of earlier, operator-driven experimentation to inform tactics and procedures that will accelerate the delivery of this transformative capability to the warfighter. EOU airmen, working side-by-side with Air Force Materiel Command’s 412th Test Wing, executed a series of sorties that refined core operational and logistical procedures for deploying and sustaining CCA in a contested environment. This hands-on testing is a cornerstone of the Air Forces’ strategy to field combat-ready, uncrewed airpower at speed and scale by breaking down the barriers between the requirements, acquisition and operational See CCA, Page 3
Ariana Ortega/U.S. Air Force
Air Force and Army service members prep to decontaminate simulated patients during a mass casualty exercise at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, April 15. The MASCAL exercise tested medical personnel on their ability to assess victims’ injuries in a timely manner.
Air Force and Army service members rest after concluding a mass casualty exercise at Ramstein AB, Germany, April 15.
Master Sgt. Ricardo Villalva Jr., an airman assigned to Air Combat Command’s Experimental Operations Unit, performs pre-flight checks on an inert munition at Edwards Air Force Base. The unit enables operators to develop tactics that ensure Collaborative Combat Aircraft are viable for future operations.