To the Air commando Association,
On behalf of all Air Commandos, thank you for your generous donation towards the ROOSTER73 Distinguished Flying Cross Reception. Your support means a great deal to the entire Air Commando family, and it underscores the significance of honoring our fallen heroes, Maj Randell Voas and SMSgt JB Lackey. Your support ensured this event was a fitting tribute to their exceptional service, heroism, and dedication.
Again, thank you for your kindness. Your generosity made a significant impact in honoring these fallen heroes.

Sincerely,
Tony D. Bauernfeind
Lieutenant General, USAF

Dear Col (ret) Barnett,
On behalf of the men and women of the Air Force Special Operations Command, I want to extend my heartfelt appreciation to the support your team provided during our recent combined Annual Awards ceremony honoring our amazing Air Commandos, past and present.
The countless hours your team spent are greatly appreciated and are to be commended. Those efforts resulted in a phenomenal banquet and allowed this event to appropriately honor our Outstanding Air Commandos and their families. Please pass on our sincere gratitude to all!

Anthony Green
CMSgt, USAF
Command Chief

RE: Air Commando Journal Volume 13: Issue 1
Thank you for yet another outstanding Journal. All the articles in this issue [13/1] were exceptional and provided great insight to the Air Commando history and specifically accomplishments of our often “Quiet Professionals.” Thank you for your hard work in continuing to produce what I think is the best Journal in DoD.

Max Friedauer, Lt Col (Retired)
Past ACA Director and Awards Chairman
Mary Esther, FL
ACA Life Member #2122

Fly By Nights Book Review
Just a quick note to say that I am always very pleased when the journal hits my mailbox—particularly this issue, which features an excellent review of Roger Graham’s book “Fly By Nights: Air Force A/B/RB Air Commando Missions in the Vietnam War.” As reviewed by Ret Major Scott E. McIntosh, the book tells the story of the reconstructed A-26 as told by the Commandos who flew and serviced this marvelous air machine in the waning days of combat in SEA.

Cheers,
Ken Alnwick
Sterling, VA
ACA Life Member #32

ACJ Staff,
I really enjoyed the Operation Just Cause article by Lt Gen Fister in the June issue (Vol 13, Issue 1) of the Air Commando Journal. However I was disappointed that Gen Fister neglected to mention the participation of the 919th Special Operation Wing at Duke Field, FL in that operation. The 919th SOW deployed AC-130A gunships, aircrew and maintenance personnel to Howard AFB in December 1989. The AC130As were in the air over Panama during the fight and contributed to the great success of Just Cause.

Lawrence M. Wager, Col, USAF (Retired)
Former Commander, 919th Special Operations Logistics Group,
Niceville, FL
ACA Life Member #6392

Larry,
Your comments were forwarded to me by the ACA front office, I am the Editor of the Air Commando Journal. Thank you for your feedback and I understand your points. I received one or two other critiques from members about missing details.
Gen Fister wrote the article from his perspective as the last senior commander alive. His intent was pretty much an overview of the first night operation to get Kurt Muse and take down the Commandancia and ultimately getting Noriega. The general did not mention several of the units that participated in the operation or the details of all the missions that all AFSOC units supported. I added the MH-53s and MH-47s (without unit names) deployment because I felt it added to the scale of the deployment–nearly a 12-hour over water flight. (I was not one of the deployers).
The bottom line is it was a relatively short article (1,750 words) and he wrote it from his perspective, memory and notes, and did not intend for it to be a history of the whole operation’s moving parts. I hope you understand that he did not intend to slight any of the units and their great work over the course of the operation. Clay McCutchan gave a great overview of what the 919th did during Just Cause in the ACJ Vol 3/4. 
Again, thank you for reaching out with your comments…we take them all.
Sincerely,
Paul Harmon, Colonel, USAF (Retired)
Editor-in-Chief Air Commando Journal

Air Commando Foundation Assist

A former 24 SOW member and his family lost their home in a devastating fire. They lost everything with the exception of their vehicles.
They are working closely with the insurance company and have raised money from a go-fund-me site, private individuals and a church who are assisting with immediate and personal needs.
They managed to find a rental home and move in, but as you can imagine living conditions are sparse.
Taking that into consideration, the Air Commando Foundation will be helping to offset costs by purchasing $3,000 worth of furniture and another $500 toward the family to cover any additional needs.
The family expressed their appreciation by stating: “Thank you so much for doing this for my family…for keeping track of us…so many moving parts…what you are doing for families past, present, and future. I want to give back. I appreciate you all. I am…speechless.”