Two A-10 Thunderbolt IIs from the 438th Air Expeditionary Group at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, taxi out for a mission to provide close-air support for coalition forces in the region. The A-10 has excellent maneuverability at low air speeds and altitude, and is a highly accurate weapons-delivery platform. (U.S. Air Force photo/Capt. Ken Hall)
A C-5 Galaxy performs a fly-over above the California State Capitol during the Air Force Week California Proclamation Ceremony June 4 at Sacramento, Calif. The purpose of Air Force Week is to inform and educate the American public about the importance and roles of the Air Force in America's national defense. The C-5 is from Travis Air Force Base, Calif. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Larry A. Simmons)
Air Force members jump from a C-130 Hercules June 2 during an airdrop in support of the weeklong exercise Operation Hydra. The Airmen consist of firefighters from the 99th Civil Engineering Squadron at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., explosive ordinance disposal members from the 1st Civil Engineering Squadron at Langley AFB, Va., and members from the 823rd Red Horse Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Fla. Operation Hydra provides realistic training scenarios, exercising the 615th Contingency Response Wing's ability to conduct expeditionary mobility operations at three locations. The wing is practicing its "open an air base" concept while maintaining command and control of in-theater operations. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Sarayuth Pinthong)
F-15E Strike Eagles, such this one refueling over Iraq, play a critical role daily in providing close-air support to ground forces in contact with anti-Iraqi forces as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Brian Ferguson)