F-16s arrival brings ‘battle rhythm’ to strike fighter wing

After 17 months of silence, the 33rd Fighter Wing flightline here finally roared back to life Jan. 13.

The 33rd FW received four F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 56th FW at Luke AFB, Ariz. The jets will help establish a "battle rhythm," as the wing stands up the first jointtraining center for the fifth generation F-35Joint Strike Fighter.

"Everybody who operates on this base will benefit from an airplane taxiing out of here," said Col. James Ravella, the 33rd Operations Group commander, "and outside the base, from Tyndall AFB to Pensacola Naval Air Station and other divert bases will get used to us coming over there."read more