FRIDAY FOTO (October 11, 2013)

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U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Shawn Nickel

Staff Sgt. Ryan Brehm, 354th Maintenance Squadron propulsion flight dock chief, inspects an engine while it is tested at the “Hush House” at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska.

Airmen from the 354th MXS propulsion flight rebuild the engines from F-16 Fighting Falcons used during RED FLAG-Alaska and training. They rebuild an average of nine General Electric F-110-100 engines in a year. Their record is 13 in a single year.

Red Flag-Alaska is an annual U.S. Air Force-sponsored combat training exercise. In addition to all five U.S. armed services, the militaries from numerous nations — ranging from Australia to Norway have taken part in the multi-national exercises. The aircraft have included attack jets, bombers, fighters, cargo airplanes and helicopters.

The F-16s play the role of enemy “aggressor” aircraft in the aerial wargames. The first Fighting Falcon, the F-16A, became operational in 1981. They have seen action in Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. Some of the older aircraft are being converted to autonomous drones, designated QF-16s, to train future jet fighter pilots in air-to-air tactics.