Changes are coming to a decade-old Air Force training exercise in Tucson.
Air Force crews use parts of Arizona and neighboring states to practice rescues. It’s called Operation Angel Thunder and was first run in 2006 at Davis Mothan Air Force base in Tucson.
Now the Air Force is doing a reset on the drills during which helicopter crews and other personnel practice rescues and extractions of downed aviators and other service members.
Air Force officers say the training will now be run twice a year, while being reduced to about a third of the size of previous exercises.
An Air Force spokesman said the exercise has gradually increased in size and scope since 2006, and the changes are being made to focus more on the Air Force's training needs.
Angel Thunder trainings this year are scheduled for May and November, with possible sites in Arizona, California, Nevada and New Mexico.
