U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Torri K. Larson

Chalks are kicked into place quickly as crew chiefs perform post-flight inspections on an F-15 Eagle Nov. 11 in Siauliai, Lithuania. Although the aircraft is stationary, maintenance members bustle about quickly to keep the jet up to readiness standards 24-7.

U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Torri K. Larson

Staff Sgt. Kristopher Glenn, 493rd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron weapons loader, inspects the missiles on an F-15 Eagle after landing in Siauliai, Lithuania, Nov. 11. Sergeant Glenn ensures the weapons are secured to the aircraft and makes any necessary adjustments due to movement in flight.

U.S. Air Force photo by Michael Tolzmann

Members of the Lithuanian Armed Forces Honor Guard perform a 21-gun salute during a celebration Nov. 16 in Siauliai, Lithuania. The celebration involved all armed forces members from the local area and was in honor of 90 years of military service.

U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Brian Ferguson

Staff Sgt. Elizabeth Spradley, 493rd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron explosive ordnance disposal, plays a new version of “patty-cake” with one of the children at the District Vijurkai Children’s Home in Vijurkai, Lithuania, Nov. 15. The children in the home range from 3 to 17 years old and will be celebrating Christmas with Airmen from the 493rd EFS.

Welcome to the Baltics

Lithuanian SWO Alvydas Tamosiunas welcomes everyone to the change-over ceremony as the U.S. and German formations wait for the beginning of the ceremony marking the first day of the U.S. rotation performing the NATO Baltic air policing mission. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jill Lavoie)

F-15 lands in Siauliai

An F-15 deployed from RAF Lakenheath lands in Siauliai, Lithuania in preparation for the U.S. Air Forces in Europe to assume the NATO Baltic air policing mission. The 493d Fighter Squadron deployed four F-15s. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. J. LaVoie)

Maintaining the defense of Iceland

KEFLAVIK AIRPORT, Iceland ? Airman 1st Class Gomes Martinez, an armament team member from the 48th Munitions Squadron, RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom, inspects the AIM-120 umbilical cord connector on the LAU-128 Guided Missile Launcher aboard an F-15 aircraft. He is participating in Northern Viking 2008. One of the main goals of the multinational exercise was to achieve higher levels of interoperability in air defense and maritime capabilities between participating nations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Nathan Gallahan.)

Maintaining the defense of Iceland

KEFLAVIK AIRPORT, Iceland ? Airman 1st Class Gomes Martinez, an armament team member from the 48th Munitions Squadron, RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom, unscrews the cover of the forward detent assembly of an LAU-128 Guided Missile Launcher of an F-15 aircraft. His responsibilities include maintaining all of the armament systems on the aircraft. He is participating in Northern Viking 2008, a multinational exercise aimed at exercising the air defense, coastal defense, anti-terror and command and control capabilities of NATO forces in Iceland. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Nathan Gallahan.)

Tanker crews take away valuable experience from Iceland

KEFLAVIK AIRPORT, Iceland ? Airman 1st Class Danny Ingram, a KC-135 boom operator, prepares paperwork for his mission in support of Northern Viking 2008 here Sept. 3. The exercise fosters trust between participant nations, including Iceland, Canada, Denmark, Norway and other NATO nations, by promoting friendship, mutual understanding and cooperation. Airman 1st Class Ingram has more than 900 flight hours in his logbook and is assigned to the 351st Air Refueling Squadron at RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Nathan Gallahan.)

3 AF commander visits with Romanian Air Force

Lt. Gen. Philip Breedlove, 3rd Air Force commander, is escorted by Romanian Air Force Air Flotilla Gen. Ion Avram (center), commander of the 71st Air Base at Campia Turzii, Romania, during a tour of facilities being used by Airmen from the 510th Fighter Squadron, Aviano Air Base, Italy, for the Viper Lance ’08 Weapons Training Deployment. The two were accompanied by Romanian Air Force Air Flotilla Gen. Vigil Ristea (right), the service’s chief of training and doctrine. Lt. Gen. Breedlove visited the Romanian air base to recognize the teamwork between the USAFE Airmen and their Romanian AF counterparts during the two-week exercise that allowed both services to learn from the other and to strengthen the NATO alliance between them. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Technical Sgt. Charlein C. Sheets)

Forecaster briefs weather to NATO pilots

KEFLAVIK AIRPORT, Iceland - Staff Sgt. Cody Pryer, a weather forecaster here deployed from the 48th Operations Support Squadron at RAF Lakenheath, England, briefs pilots from the U.S., Norway, Denmark, Canada and NATO with weather information prior to their flights. He briefs information such as wave heights, for search and rescue reasons, cloud heights for refueling purposes and turbulence and thunderstorm information. The forces here are participating in the 2008 Northern Viking multinational exercise which is designed to hone the skills necessary to assist Iceland in its defense. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Nathan Gallahan.)

NATO exercise sustains international readiness

KEFLAVIK AIRPORT, Iceland - Lt. Col. Michael King, 404th Air Expeditionary Group commander, awaits the start of the 2008 Northern Viking multinational exercise opening ceremony here. According to King, the exercise is a series of combined air operations, which include high value defense, offensive and defensive air operation scenarios aimed at providing air defense to Iceland. He is deployed from the 493rd Fighter Squadron at RAF Lakenheath, England. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Nathan Gallahan.)

Familiarization training

GRAF IGNATIEVO AIR BASE, Bulgaria -- Bulgarian Air Force Master Sgt. Vladimir Kolev, a MiG-29 crew chief, briefs Staff Sgt. Robert Jackson on MiG-29 maintenance procedures. As part of a familiarization program, a few U.S. Air Force Airmen were allowed to tour a MiG-29 and watch Bulgarian Airmen perform a depot inspection. Sergeant Jackson, an F-15 dedicated crew chief, is deployed here as part of Operation Noble Endeavor. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jill LaVoie)

Familiarization training

GRAF IGNATIEVO AIR BASE, Bulgaria -- Staff Sgt. Robert Jackson, an F-15 dedicated crew chief, explains the process for purchasing fuel in a NATO country in order to refuel an F-15 to a group of Bulgarian air force crew chiefs. Sergeant Jackson is participating in a familiarization program here while deployed as part of Operation Noble Endeavor. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jill LaVoie)

Testing fuel

CAPMIA TURZII, Romania -- Staff Sgt. Jeff Marquart, 404th Expeditionary Air Base Squadron fuels laboratory technician, puts a sepatory funnel back into it holder while testing fuel here March 29, 2008. Ensuring a safe fuel supply is critical for the Air Force operations at this Romanian base. The expeditionary unit is deployed here to augment NATO and Romanian forces in securing the airspace above the NATO Summit being held in Bucharest April 2-4. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Teresa M. Hawkins)

A bird's eye view

CAPMIA TURZII, Romania -- Senior Airman John Parker, 404th Expeditionary Air Base Squadron fuels equipment operator, checks the seals on a fuel truck with the driver delivering fuel here March 29, 2008. Ensuring a safe fuel supply is critical for the Air Force operations at this Romanian base. The expeditionary unit is deployed here to augment NATO and Romanian forces in securing the airspace above the NATO Summit being held in Bucharest April 2-4. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Teresa M. Hawkins)

Cutting the wire

CAMPIA TURZII, Romania -- Chief Master Sgt. Terry Masters, chief of the 404 Expdentionary Air Base Squadron works with Romanian nationals in cutting the fence bewteen the Romanian base and tent city here March 24, 2008. The deployed civil engineering team built an entire tent city here in 96 hours to support U.S. operations at the air base. The Airmen are part of a team which is augmenting NATO forces in securing the airspace around Bucharest, Romania, for the NATO Summit April 2-4, (U.S Air Force photo by Senior Airman Teresa M. Hawkins)

Blasting dirt

CAMPIA TURZII, Romania -- Airman First Class David Rogan, 404th Expeditionary Air Base Squadron firefighter, blasts dirt off of the road here March 28, 2008. U.S. Air Forces in Europe Airmen deployed here and other locations to conduct operations augmenting NATO forces in providing air security for the Bucharest NATO Summit April 2-4. The U.S is providing infrastructure, aircraft and personnel to the effort. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Teresa M. Hawkins)

Bilateral Orientation

CAMPIA TURZII, Romania -- Lt. Gen. Constantin Croitorn Chief of Staff of the Romanian Air Force sits in the cockpit of an F-15 Strike Eagle while Capt. Mike Emerson 492 Expeditionary Fighter Squadron explains various things in the cockpit here Mar. 29, 2008. The U.S and NATO are providing infrastructure and aircraft for air policing mission over Romania for the duration of NATO summit in Bucharest Apr. 2-4. The U.S. Air Force is providing air combat patrol to secure Romanian sovereign air space as a deterrent force, augmenting the air space security that Romania and other NATO parties are providing. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Teresa M. Hawkins)(Released)

Spiritually connecting

Air Force Chaplain (Capt.) Eric Boyer, 404th Air Expeditionary Group chaplain, meets Romanian Orthodox Church Archbishop Valeriu Anania during a trip to a cathedral in Cluj-Napoka, Romania. The meeting concluded a "spiritual relations" visit between Romanian Military Chaplains and Chaplain Boyer during his deployment to Campia Turzii, Romania in support of Operation Noble Endeavor. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Eric Petosky)

Packing it up

Senior Airmen Ryan Nicoletti and Adam Walters, commercial satellite imagery geospatial analysts, pack a large format printer for storage. When deployed, the Eagle Vision-1 team creates hard copy prints of commercial satellite imagery. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Master Sgt. Hollis Dawson)

Setting EV straight

Senior Airman Adam Walters, commercial satellite imagery geospatial analyst, and Staff Sgt. Susanne Dehne, an imagery collection analyst, program the setting on a Spectrum Analyzer. The analyzer measures the strength of the signal received by the Eagle Vision-1 antenna from commercial satellites. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Master Sgt. Hollis Dawson)

Finishing the medical paperwork

Dr. Pat Bankah, head of neurosurgery at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital here, documents Alex Vadis Teye's medical records Feb. 22. Alex, 9, visited the hospital to accept a donation from U.S. Armed Forces in response to his parents' plea for help to pay for the boy's surgery. Alex suffers from hydrocephalus, a common birth defect which causes an excess of water in the brain. U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Hodonou Motepke, a heating, ventilation and air conditioning technician, and native African, initiated a drive to raise the money to pay for Alex's surgery. This is Sergeant Motepke’s first trip back to Africa in 10 years. The U.S. military presence in Ghana is in support of U.S. President George Bush's visits to the continent. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Denise Johnson)

A warm African welcome home

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Hodonou Motepke (front), a heating, ventilation and air conditioning technician, and native African, embraces his older brother, Clement Motepke as they greet one another for the first time in a decade. This is Sergeant Motepke’s first trip back to Africa since he left in 1998. The U.S. military presence in Ghana is in support of U.S. President George Bush's visits to the continent. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Denise Johnson)