• Members of the 606th Air Control Squadron board a plane for a deployment from Aviano Air Base, Italy, Oct. 10, 2020. The 606th ACS is comprised of U.S. Airmen from more than two dozen different Air Force specialty codes. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Caleb House)

    606th ACS executes large-scale deployment

    The 606th Air Control Squadron deployed Airmen and assets from 13 different Air Force Specialty Codes to six locations throughout Southwest Asia, Oct. 12, 2020.
  • Tech. Sgt. Jason Beland, 31st Operations Support Squadron aircrew flight equipment technician, smiles as he inspects the pilots gear during NATO enhanced Air Policing at Graf Ignatievo Air Base, Bulgaria, Oct. 13, 2020. Aircrew flight equipment Airmen used various types of test equipment such as oxygen testers, leakage testers, radio testers, and other types of testers to conduct reliability testing of aircrew equipment during eAP. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Ericka A. Woolever)

    31st FW Airmen put ‘AFE’ in safe

    Pilots from the 555th Fighter Squadron rush into the locker room, preparing for another day of flying during NATO enhanced Air Policing. Music is blasting from a portable speaker as they laugh, smile and throw on their gear before heading out. As the pilots prepare to focus on the flight ahead, Airmen from the 31st Operations Support Squadron are busy ensuring the aircrew is walking out the door with serviceable equipment.
  • An Airman with the 731st Munitions Squadron takes part in the control portion of the exercise Waking Giant at Camp Darby, Italy, Oct. 7, 2020. Control was in charge of relaying messages between all personnel and keeping track of everything happening during the exercise. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Thomas S. Keisler IV)

    731st MUNS conducts Waking Giant

    The 731st Munitions Squadron assigned to the 31st Maintenance Group, Aviano Air Base, Italy, and located at Camp Darby, Italy, conducted in exercise Waking Giant, Oct. 7, 2020. The exercise involved the entire squadron and simulated a contingency environment in U.S. Air Forces in Europe.
  • Cinquemani recently celebrated 50 years of service at Aviano Air Base, and will retire at the end of this year.

    Leo Cinquemani celebrates 50 years at Aviano

    The Cinquemani family has been a part of the U.S. partnership with Italy since World War II, fighting and working side by side with their American counterparts. Leo Cinquemani will retire on December 31, 2020, and take a piece of Aviano’s legacy with him.
  • A U.S. Air Force pilot from the 555th Fighter Squadron, Aviano Air Base, Italy, and a student from First English Language School, Sofia, Bulgaria, pose for a photo, Oct. 2, 2020, at Graf Ignatievo Air Base, Bulgaria. The students met with both a pilot and a crew chief for about 25 minutes and discussed the various parts of a U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon. During their visit, the students had the opportunity to practice the English language while discussing the various parts of the aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Ericka A. Woolever)

    31st FW Airmen meet with Bulgarian students

    While supporting NATO’s enhanced Air Policing mission, 31st Fighter Wing Airmen gave 35 students from First English Language School in Sofia, Bulgaria, a U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon tour at Graf Ignatievo Air Base, Oct. 2, 2020. During the event, Aviano Airmen taught students about what it’s like to serve as a pilot and maintain the F-16s.
  • Senior Airman Arthur Leese, 555th Fighter Squadron aviation resource manager reviews training documents during NATO enhanced Air Policing Oct. 7, 2020, at Graf Ignatievo Air Base, Bulgaria. During the NATO enhanced Air Policing mission in Bulgaria, Leese prepared the flight authorization for each pilot scheduled to fly and ensured each of their training requirements were up to date to be ready for a quick reaction alert. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Ericka A. Woolever)

    Maintaining the mission: Behind-the-scenes Airman makes it happen

    “The first time I remember going to Africa was in 2004, I was seven years old and I didn’t know much of what was going on,” said Senior Airman Arthur Leese, 555th Fighter Squadron aviation resource manager.
  • A Spanish air force member directs a forklift to unload cargo from a Spanish air force Airbus A400M at Aviano Air Base, Italy, Sept. 28, 2020. The Spanish aircraft and aircrew brought home members of the 31st Fighter Wing from a flying training deployment to Royal Air Force Lakenheath, United Kingdom. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. K. Tucker Owen)

    Buzzards return from Lakenheath FTD

    Airmen assigned to the 510th Fighter Squadron "Buzzards" and 31st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron recently visited Royal Air Force Lakenheath, United Kingdom, for a flying training deployment (FTD) from Aug. 28 to Sept. 28. The training marked the first time the squadrons have gone TDY in over a year due to COVID-19 restrictions.
  • Italian air force members carry a Madonna Di Loreto statue at Aviano Air Base, Italy, Sept. 27, 2020. A special holy mass was held on base to celebrate the Madonna Di Loreto being here. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Caleb House)

    Madonna Di Loreto visits Aviano

    Declared by Pope Benedict XV as the Patroness of Aeronauts in 1920, a Madonna Di Loreto statue is on a pilgrimage around the country in celebration of the centenary. As she makes her way around the country, the Madonna is visiting each Italian air force base, and arrived at Aviano Air Base on Sept. 23, 2020.
  • Airmen from the 606th Air Control Squadron prepare a deployed radar site for exercise Astral Knight 20 at Malbork Air Base, Poland, Sept. 18, 2020. Astral Knight 20 was a joint and multinational exercise where training focused on conducting integrated air and missile defense of various terrains. (Courtesy photo)

    Astral Knight 20 a proving ground and more for 606th ACS

    The 606th Air Control Squadron participated in exercise Astral Knight 20 Malbork Air Base, Poland, Sept. 13-25, 2020. Their mission was joint all-domain command and control. Exercise Astral Knight 20 aimed to enhance the command and control integration, coordination and interoperability of air, land and sea capabilities and overlapping operations into the integrated air and missile defense enterprise in Europe.
  • Airmen from the 31st Fighter Wing eat lunch together after a hike at Piancavallo, Italy, Sept. 22, 2020. The hike was used as a way to build morale and increase the resiliency of the Airmen. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Caleb House)

    31 OSS SERE hosts morale hike

    31st Operations Support Squadron Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape hosted a scavenger hunt for Airmen.
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