Giampaolo Agostinelli

Since 1997 I had the chance to enjoy very gratifying and unique experiences of flight and of life with several U.S. Air National Guard units and with the "Triple Nickels" of the 31st FW at Aviano.
In 2003 I flew highly interesting, real CAP missions, in the frame of Operation Noble Eagle with the last two units I met: 120th Fighter Wing at Great Falls, Montana and 144th Fighter Wing at Fresno, California.
I traveled from one State of the Union to another meeting many people, and now my mind often happens to return to this or that situation, i.e. to all those unrepeatable moments I have lived thanks to those wonderful persons and great professionals whom I met in the Air National Guard.
In the recent years, this Air Force which is also an important complement to the USAF has evolved in the state-of-the-art both technologically and professionally. The many F-16 units are often called for International missions, and therefore employed often on the front line, i.e. in Afghanistan, in the war against the terrorism, in Operations Northern and Southern Watch and recently, Iraqi Freedom.
For this reason they are constantly updated according to the most effective tactics and upgraded with the best technology available.
Flying in the F-16s of the units presented in this volume gave me the chance to approach one of the most celebrated and versatile fighters of our time.
This volume is intended to lead the reader in the day-by-day reality of some Fighting Falcon units of this great Air Force, which is the Air National Guard, and of the most important combat unit of the U.S. Air Force in Europe.