Guam B-52s left behind to face typhoon as B-2s, C-17s scramble from 2 other major storms

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii ―Two B-52s that were unable to fly and get out of the path of Typhoon Mangkhut as it brushed past Guam early Tuesday are now being assessed for damage, the Air Force said.

The rest of the 96th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron was able to fly out to Alaska ahead of the typhoon, but two of their B-52s were unflyable. So the Air Force loaded those aircraft with fuel and tied them down to anchor them, an Air Force official said on the condition of anonymity.

RELATED

Navy warships sail out of Norfolk while Air Force planes fly into the heart of the hurricane

Fueled by warm Atlantic waters, Hurricane Florence is about 1,200 miles east-southeast of Cape Fear, N.C., and intensifying into a potentially devastating storm.

By Karen Jowers and Mark D. Faram

Any damage was expected to be minimal, as the Category 2 storm only brushed near the island.

Typhoon Mangkhut was just one of three major storms targeting Air Force hubs. Three B-2 stealth bombers that have been operating from Hawaii since August prepared to fly home to Whiteman Air Force Base to get out of the way of Tropical Storm Olivia, which was expected to hit Hawaii later this week.

Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina, C-17s were being flown to Scott Air Force Base in St. Louis to get out of the way of Hurricane Florence.

In Other News

Navy officer gets prison time for role in Afghan visa bribery scheme

Cmdr. Jeromy Pittmann will serve 30 months in prison for his role in the bribery scheme.

Lawmakers accuse VA leaders of exaggerating budget shortfall

Congress approved $3 billion in emergency VA funding in September, but officials now say they did not need the money to cover immediate bills.

Rival nations try to ‘divide, degrade, deceive’ US voters, experts say

Foreign actors, like Russia and Iran, have been trying to convince American voters that the process is too corrupt to participate in, experts say.

Marine sergeant major busted down for wearing nine unauthorized awards

Included in the awards and decorations the now-sergeant deceptively wore were the Purple Heart, the Combat Action Ribbon and Joint Meritorious Unit Award.

Military families to see slight drop in Tricare dental premiums

Monthly premiums will decrease slightly for the next four months, bringing modest savings for military families

Recruiting vets to work polls boosts election trust, study finds

When veterans and military families work the polls, voters feel more confident that elections are fair, safe and accurate, the study found.

Conspiracies, calls for violence spike online ahead of Election Day

Posts about election denialism, the false belief that elections are unfair and could be “stolen,” increased by 317% on Telegram and 105% on Gab in October.

First-ever children’s museum on a military base gets top service award

Other nonprofit winners range from musicians performing at veterans' bedsides, to volunteers bringing delivering groceries to military families.

Veterans urge Americans against political violence ahead of election

The Committee for Safe and Secure Elections created the PSA in response to increased threats against election officials leading up to November.

Pentagon chief Austin confirms North Korea has sent troops to Russia

“What exactly they are doing? Left to be seen. These are things that we need to sort out,” Lloyd Austin was quoted as saying.

Load More