National Training Center at Fort Irwin News

07/07/2025

A joint airborne training exercise at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., involving the U.S. Air Force and Army Reserves highlighted the importance of cross-service collaboration, offering critical jump currency, tactical training, and operational integration for more than 100 service members, April 11.
Led by the 412th Operations Support Squadron and the 426th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne), the event brought together paratroopers and jumpmasters from civil affairs units and the 412th Test Wing Test Parachute Program as well as an aircrew from the 418th Flight Test Squadron. The operation enabled the deployment of troops and supplies over approximately 100 miles for a weekend field exercise, which included live-fire qualifications and a change of command on the drop zone.

“The purpose of the event was to provide currency and training for the Army Reserves and 412th OSS paratroopers,” said Tech. Sgt. Robert Gregory, 412th OSS SERE/TPP superintendent.

A joint airborne training exercise at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., involving the U.S. Air Force and Army Reserves highlighted the importance of cross-service

04/07/2025

Happy 4th of July!

30/06/2025

The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum received a $10 million donation from Northrop Grumman to support the transformation of the museum’s building in Washington, D.C. In honor of the gift, the museum’s planetarium will be renamed the Northrop Grumman Planetarium. This leadership support helps reach the $285 million campaign goal to completely renovate the museum’s flagship building.

“We are grateful to Northrop Grumman for this generous gift to support the transformation of one of the most popular museums in the world,” said Chris Browne, John and Adrienne Mars Director of the museum. “With this gift, we will be able to continue the work of bringing new artifacts, exhibitions and amenities to visitors from around the world and hope to expand our programming in the Northrop Grumman Planetarium.”

The planetarium has also added new titles to its lineup of ticketed show options available several times daily (adult tickets are $10).
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The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum received a $10 million donation from Northrop Grumman to support the transformation of the museum’s building

18/06/2025

Part 1: The Rescue
“I saw a life on the line and did what needed to be done.”
Before he earned the coveted Ranger tab, U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Trevor Thrasher-an aerospace medical technician at Creech Air Force Base, Nev., was ankle-deep in Red Flag surf near his hometown of San Clemente, Calif., unaware that instinct and training would soon make him a hero.
“It was the last leave I took before Ranger School,” Thrasher said. “Just a classic summer day: big swells, packed beach, and strong rip currents.”

Thrasher had grown up in the ocean swimming, playing water polo, and working as a lifeguard. This background would prepare him for the day ahead as well as his journey graduating from Army Ranger School.
“My dad and I were body surfing, and we’d drifted down the beach a bit when I spotted two adolescents caught in a rip current,” he said. “One had made it back in, but the other was clearly struggling; he was being pulled out and looked panicked.”
Thrasher wasted no time.

Part 1: The Rescue “I saw a life on the line and did what needed to be done.” Before he earned the coveted Ranger tab, U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Trevor

17/06/2025

by Bob Alvis
special to Aerotech
It’s been a rough week with the loss of a well-liked acrobatic pilot Rob Holland. The many tributes from all sorts of aviation groups and outlets shows just how much he was liked and will be missed.
In reading many of the tributes, a couple of them recalled the tradition of burning a piano, and it got me thinking about when I was stationed at George Air Force Base, Calif. A pilot had lost his life and an empty field hosted an old piano set on fire at dusk, and a bunch of fellow airmen paid tribute to the pilot until the flames finally died out.
Looking back at history, many resources attempt to explain the tradition’s origin. We can pretty well say it was born in the Royal Air Force between World War I and World War II, and that the stories covered everything from the hatred of piano lessons to the last flight of a beloved aviator who was an accomplished piano player.

by Bob Alvis special to Aerotech It’s been a rough week with the loss of a well-liked acrobatic pilot Rob Holland. The many tributes from all sorts of aviat

12/06/2025

Growing up in what many call the “Aerospace Valley,” we have had front-row seats to many firsts that make our aviation accomplishments something the United States can be proud of.
Muroc and Edwards Air Force Base are two places that invoke visions of clunky research vehicles evolving into cutting-edge aircraft and becoming the vision of speed and space age conquests.
Over the years, many great people who became the heroes piloting the dreams of men with slide rules and pencils evolving on a work bench from concept to first flights, here in our desert home in the Antelope Valley and Mojave.
I volunteer at the Edwards Flight Test Historical Museum and wish I could spend more time in that capacity as I really enjoy being around the museum and the people who share the very best of American ingenuity when it comes to science and technology as it blossomed from blueprints to the wild blue yonder.

Growing up in what many call the “Aerospace Valley,” we have had front-row seats to many firsts that make our aviation accomplishments something the United

05/06/2025

In a historic first, the U.S. Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force, and the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force collaborated to rapidly improve global combat capability while gathering critical test data for future acquisition of the E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft.
This milestone certifies KC-46A Pegasus air-to-air refueling of the RAAF’s E-7A Wedgetail, while streamlining USAF and RAF E-7 Wedgetail certification efforts. The efforts are part of a broader vision of trilateral collaboration that identifies enhanced operational output through mutual support, shared resources, and commonality, ultimately achieving greater operational reliability through efficiencies of scale.

The testing occurred here under the 418th Flight Test Squadron, Global Reach Combined Test Force. Test teams brought together a deployed RAAF E-7A Wedgetail and a KC-46A Pegasus, marking the tanker’s first aerial refueling receiver certification for a unique foreign aircraft type.

In a historic first, the U.S. Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force, and the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force collaborated to rapidly improve global combat ca

03/06/2025

Over the last few weeks, the subject of the Royal Air Force in World War II has come up as we learned the last surviving member of the RAF to fly in the Battle of Britain had died.
This past weekend I was working the California Capital Airshow and I was working with two famous aircraft that became legendary during the war years in Britain — the Supermarine Spitfire and a very rare Mosquito.
With that history surrounding me and being constant, I found it interesting when I got home a message from a young lady from England would be waiting for me. She had seen and read some of my posts I wrote on War Eagle Field/Polaris Flight Academy in Lancaster, Calif., where I live.
Lucy Childs was her name, and she shared her family’s history because all my research and storytelling had a very close connection to her great uncle’s participation in World War II.

by Bob Alvis special to Aerotech News Over the last few weeks, the subject of the Royal Air Force in World War II has come up as we learned the last surviving

02/06/2025

Moving can be stressful for the service member, but it can also be stressful for school-age children.
But you can make your child’s transition to a new school in a new location easier for both the parent and the child.
School liaisons are your primary point of contact for all school-related matters, especially a school transition. The school liaison at your current installation can connect you to your new installation school liaison who will help smooth the transition to your child’s new school. Let your school liaison help you and your family navigate school selection and youth sponsorship during this time of change.

Moving can be stressful for the service member, but it can also be stressful for school-age children. But you can make your child’s transition to a new schoo

28/05/2025

For military families, moving can occur during any time of year but generally takes place during the peak months of May through August.
During this transition of saying goodbye to friends and family and moving to a new community, there is generally an increase in stress for parents as well as children.
A permanent change of station, or PCS, is defined as movement from one duty location to another and is a core aspect of military life that generally occurs every two to three years. According to a 2018 RAND Corporation report, each year approximately one-third of service members move to a new duty location. A PCS move involves leaving employment, finding a home, building new social support networks, establishing new routines, and adjusting to an unfamiliar place. For military children, a PCS move also means starting classes in a new school, building new friendships, and finding new social activities.

For military families, moving can occur during any time of year but generally takes place during the peak months of May through August. During this transition

27/05/2025

“Coming from the child care perspective, this is going to help families, so they have less strain...” “PCSing is a challenge and it’s very difficult. I think this is going to relieve some of the strain and burden that families have as they’re making those PCS transitions.”

26/05/2025

Today, we pause to remember and honor the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country.

Their courage and dedication will never be forgotten.
Wishing everyone a meaningful Memorial Day.