OVER COLORADO -- A KC-135 Stratotanker From the Nebraska Air National Guard refuelings an F-16CJ during a large force employment exercise in conjunction with the inaugural Tiger Meet of the Americas held in Colorado. The "Tigers" of the 79th FS are assigned to Shaw Air Force Base, S.C. The Tiger Meet mirrors the NATO Tiger Meet by bringing together units that have large cats as their mascot or symbol to discuss tactics, fly against and with each other, and move toward the common goal of seamless combat employment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Greg L. Davis)

SIOUX FALLS S.D. -- An F-16 Fighting Falcon from the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds sits on the tarmac at Joe Foss Field, S.D. The premier Air Force aerial demonstration team performed in an air show for 40,000 specatators the following day. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Michael Frye)

FORT WORTH, Texas -- Four F-16C Fighting Falcons from the 301st Fighter Wing, Naval Air Station/Joint Reserve Base, Carswell Air Base, Texas, fly in formation over the Texas Motor Speedway. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Michael Ammons)

OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM -- An F-16 Fighting Falcon refuels from a KC-135 Stratotanker in the skies near Iraq on March 22. The F-16s are from the 35th Fighter Wing "Wild Weasels," Misawa Air Base, Japan. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Cherie A. Thurlby)

F100 engineINCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey -- Two F-16CJ Fighting Falcons from the 55th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron taxi here for the last time April 7. The fighters are returning home to Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., after supporting Operation Northern Watch for several years. Aircraft flew their last ONW mission March 17. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Joseph Thompson)

OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM -- An F-16CJ pilot known as "ABU" assigned to the 157th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron prepares to taxi out on a combat sortie from this forward deployed location in the Gulf region in support of OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Terry L. Blevins)

INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey -- An F-16CJ Fighting Falcon pilot with the 55th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron prepares for his final takeoff from here. He and other airmen are returning home to Shaw Air Force Base, S.C. after supporting Operation Northern Watch for several years. Aircraft flew their last ONW mission March 17. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Joseph Thompson)

OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM -- An F-16 Fighting Falcon prepares for take off on an operational sortie at a forward-deployed location March 29. According to a defense official, coalition air forces are averaging about 1,000 sorties a night after the first week of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Air Force has also dropped more than 5,000 precision-guided munitions. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Bennie J. Davis III)/

ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, GUAM -- An F-16 Fighting Falcon assigned to the 18th Fighter Squadron, Eielson AFB, Alaska makes its appoach to Andersen AFB, Guam. The aircraft is participating in Exercise Tandem Thrust '03, conducted in the Mariana Islands. The exercise is a joint endeavor to include forces from the U.S., Canada, and Australia. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Bill Kimble)

HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah (AFPN) -- Italian defense officials accepted the first of 34 modified and refurbished F-16 Fighting Falcon A and B models from Ogden Air Logistics Center experts here May 16. (U.S. Air Force photo by Todd Cromar)

OPERATION NOBLE EAGLE --Two Air-Defense Fighter F-16A Fighting Falcons from the North Dakota Air National Guard’s 178th Fighter Squadron fly in formation Nov. 17, 2001 during a combat air patrol mission over Washington in support of Operation Noble Eagle. North American Aerospace Defense Command had more than 100 ANG and Air Force Reserve fighters from 26 locations providing homeland defense, with 100 additional fighters backing them up. Additionally, more than 20 ANG and AFRES tankers are airborne every day to keep fighters refueled. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Greg L. Davis)

OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO -- Capt. Steve Boatright, an F-16C Fighting Falcon pilot, fires an AIM-9M Sidewinder heat-seeking missile at an aerial target drone over the Gulf of Mexico. Captain Boatright is assigned to the 34th Fighter Squadron at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. The squadron recently deployed to Tyndall AFB, Fla., to fly air-to-air weapons testing missions. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Michael Ammons)

LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Tech. Sgt. Marcos Farias attaches a Low-Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night targeting pod to a 149th Fighter Wing F-16 Fighting Falcon here. The 149th FW will be the first unit in the Air Force to graduate pilots from the F-16 basic course with targeting-pod training. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Master Sgt. Mike Arellano)

FILE PHOTO -- Senior Airman Chris Harvey, 510th Crew Chief, gives Captain Scott "Fester" Fredrick, 510th Fighter Squadron, Aviano Air Base, Italy, the traditional "Buzzard Claw sign" prior to his sortie on 11 Oct 2001. Fredrick will be flying a Surface Attack Tactics day sortie, (SAT-Day) which is designed to develop proficiency in day surface attack tactics. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Dave Ahlschwede)

OPERATION NOBLE EAGLE -- An F-16 Fighting Falcon from the Minnesota Air National Guard’s 179th Fighter Squadron Wing stands alert in support of Operation Noble Eagle on Dec. 11. North American Aerospace Defense Command has more than 100 ANG and Air Force Reserve fighters from 26 locations providing homeland defense, with 100 additional fighters backing them up. Additionally, more than 20 ANG and AFRES tankers are airborne every day to keep fighters on station. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Daniel J. Schlies)

FILE PHOTO -- Senior Airman Hashim Haskins, an F-16 crew chief for the 14th fighter squadron at Misawa Air Base, Japan, guides Lt. Col. Kurt Neubauer to his parking spot after he completes 3,000 flying hours in F-16 Fighting Falcon. Neubauer is one of only 58 pilots to accomplish this feat. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. James R. Hart Jr.)

OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM -- Weapons loaders afix a guided munition to an F-16 Fighting Falcon at a forward-deployed Operation Iraqi Freedom location. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Bennie J. Davis)

OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM -- F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 410th Air Expeditionary Wing taxi in after a long reconnaissance mission at a forward-deployed location supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Lindsey M Slocum)

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- An F-16CJ Fighting Falcon sits quietly at night March 20 at a forward-deployed location in Southwest Asia. (U. S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Terry L. Blevins)

OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM -- F-16CJ's return to a forward deployed base in Southwest Asia supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt Terry L. Blevins)

OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM -- Crew chiefs prep F-16 Fighting Falcons for Operation Iraqi Freedom night misisons at a forward-deployed air base. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt Terry L. Blevins)

OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM -- F-16 Fighting Falcons wait on the "hot ramp" at a forward-deployed location while maintenance crews ready the weapons for a night mission March 21. The F-16s are from the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., and they are flying Operation Iraqi Freedom missions for the 363rd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Matthew Hannen)

OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM -- Members of the End of Runway team of the 157th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, make final preparations for this F-16CJ to fly another combat sortie, April 1, 2003. The 157th AMU is assigned to the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing. The 379th AEW is a forward deployed unit in Southwest Asia, supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. The 157th AMU is a deployed unit from the South Carolina Air National Guard assigned to the 169th Fighter Wing. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Master Sgt. Edward E. Snyder)

OPERATION SOUTHERN WATCH -- A New Mexico Air National Guard F-16C Fighting Falcon taxis out for an Operation Southern Watch patrol mission. The 188th Fighter Squadon recently joined their active duty counterparts from the 523rd Fighter Squadron, 27th Fighter Wing, to support air operations over the No-Fly, No-Drive Zone in Southern Iraq. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Greg Davis)

SIOUX FALLS S.D. -- An F-16 Fighting Falcon from the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds sits on the tarmac at Joe Foss Field, S.D. The premier Air Force aerial demonstration team performed in an air show for 40,000 specatators the following day. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Michael Frye)

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Lt. Col. Phil Guy prepares to take off in an F-16 Fighting Falcon. The aircraft is loaded with two AIM-9 missiles and CBU-12 bombs with a Litening II targeting pod to get the precision-guided munitions to the intended target. Guy is assigned to the 149th Fighter Squadron at Richmond, Va. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Lance Cheung)

INDIAN SPRINGS, Nev. -- A Thunderbird formation makes a pass here Feb. 6. The United States Air Force Air Demonstation Squadron practices from November through March preparing for the upcoming show season. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Kevin J. Gruenwald