Latest news with #AirForceand
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Veteran Salute: Growing in leadership over three decades with the Air Force
TOPEKA (KSNT) – With an immediate family full of servicemembers totaling 99 years in the military, Chief Master Sergeant Maurice Smith contributes almost a third to that service record. For over 30 years in the Air Force and Air National Guard, he'd travel across the globe; training fellow servicemembers, keeping aircraft sky bound and growing in leadership responsibilities along the way. During the Vietnam conflict, Smith and his team trained up airmen on B57's, one of the first jet bombers in Vietnam. 'The aircrews that flew over there would come to our group there, and we would teach them everything that we knew about the aircraft,' Smith said, 'so when they went over there they were highly qualified with that aircraft.' Veteran Salute: Training others around the globe Back stateside, Smith transitioned to the Air National Guard, playing a part in moving his unit from Hutchinson over to Topeka. 'I was on the sight survey team that helped bring the unit over here,' he said. 'I became a Dock Chief and got promoted to Master Sgt. at that time. As a Dock Chief I was responsible for anything that was flight worthy and they put it on what they call a red cross, I was the only one that signed off that could actually sign off the red cross to make it airworthy. If anything ever went wrong with that aircraft after we released it, it was my name.' His time in conflicts overseas wouldn't end after joining the Air Guard however. 'I went over just before Desert Storm,' Smith said. 'I was a technical aircraft superintendent, worked out of the battle staff 12 hours on 12 hours off for the duration of the war. We flew all the refueling missions for the whole war out of ours.' That's over 45,000 aircraft that were refueled through Smith's battle staff. Veteran Salute: Communicating for Kuwait combat 'On top of that, I was virtually a superintendent over almost 1,000 maintenance personnel also,' the Master Sgt. said, 'so I had that responsibility, and I was the youngest Chief out of all of them, yet I was the one they had to come to.' His time in Topeka nearly five decades ago really stuck with the Master Sgt. Nowadays he's enjoying living local in the capital city. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russia launches 267 drones into Ukraine, setting new record ahead of invasion's anniversary
Russia launched 267 drones into Ukraine on Saturday night, according to the Ukrainian air force, in the largest such attack of the war, as both nations prepare to mark three years since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of its western neighbor. Russian drone and missile attacks have for months been a nightly occurrence. But Saturday night's 267 drones were the largest-ever such bombardment, breaking the previous record of 193 drones set in a December attack. Ukraine's air force said it shot down 138 Shahed attack drones, with 119 others lost in flight without causing any damage. Three drones flew into Belarus, the air force said in its statement to Telegram. "Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, Poltava, Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia regions were affected by the enemy attack," the air force wrote. "Every day, our people stand against aerial terror," President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X. "I thank everyone who repels such attacks on a daily basis -- our aviation, anti-aircraft missile troops, electronic warfare units and mobile fire groups of the Air Force and Defense Forces. I also thank those on the ground who save lives and respond to the aftermath of shelling -- the State Emergency Service, medics, and the National Police." "The war continues," the president added. "Everyone capable of helping with air defense must work to enhance the protection of human life. We must do everything possible to bring a lasting and just peace to Ukraine." "This is achievable through the unity of all partners -- we need the strength of all of Europe, the strength of America, the strength of everyone who seeks lasting peace," Zelenskyy wrote. "I thank all our partners who help us and understand this." The Odesa military administration reported that three people were injured by a drone strike. Emergency services said that one person was also injured in Zaporizhzhia. MORE: Russia launches massive drone strike on Ukraine as it begins talks with US Russia's record-breaking attack comes just before Ukraine marks the third anniversary of Moscow's full-scale invasion. That operation came around eight years after Russian troops first crossed into Ukrainian territory to seize Crimea and parts of the eastern Donbas region in 2014. The fourth year of Russia's war will begin with President Donald Trump's administration seeking a peace deal via direct talks with President Vladimir Putin's team, but without Ukrainian involvement. Zelenskyy has warned that Kyiv will not accept any peace agreed to over its head. On Sunday, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said foreign leaders should note the latest Russian attack, referring to reports that the U.S. is blocking a planned G7 statement on the anniversary as it labels Russia as the aggressor. "This demonstrates that avoiding calling Russia an aggressor does not change the fact that it is one," he said. "No one should trust Putin's words. Look at his actions instead." Ukraine, meanwhile, continued its own long-range strike campaign, with Russia's Defense Ministry on Sunday reporting 40 Ukrainian drones downed in the previous 24 hours. Russia launches 267 drones into Ukraine, setting new record ahead of invasion's anniversary originally appeared on
