JACKSONVILLE AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Fla. -- Officials from the 125th Fighter Wing, Florida Air National Guard, host community leaders from the Jacksonville, Florida area at the Friends of the Fang event held June 24, 2022. Friends of the Fang (FOTF) is a showcase of the wing's vast mission sets, high-end equipment and multi-capable Airmen who live in the communities they serve.
The event began with a mission brief from the Wing Commander, Col. George H.H. Downs, who shared the wing's federal and state missions both in peace and wartime, and past and future deployments, among other topics. This included the Wing's two-year involvement in state-wide COVID-19 testing and vaccination missions, as well as federal deployments to the CENTCOM and AFRICOM area of responsibilities.
After a brief base tour, attendees were able to view a F-15C jet take-off, as well as a static aircraft display staged in the maintenance hangar. They also engaged with Airmen at stations displaying security forces weaponry, explosive ordnance disposal equipment, medical equipment, weapon systems, and emergency management assets. The June event marks the first FOTF in two years since the onset of the pandemic in 2020. 125th FW officials plan to host the next event in late 2022.