LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. –
Langley Air Force Base added a brand new F-22 Raptor to its inventory March 22, as the Virginia Air National Guard's 192nd Fighter Wing took delivery of F-22 tail number 09-192 from Lockheed Martin.
The new Raptor will serve as the flagship for the 192nd FW, as it bears the unit's namesake on its tail flash.
Col. David Nardi, the 192nd Operations Group commander, picked up the aircraft at the Lockheed Martin factory in Marietta, Ga., and delivered the plane to Col. Thomas K. Wark, the 192nd FW commander, at Langley AFB, Va.
Upon delivery, Nardi reflected on both the strength of the total force partnership between the 192nd and the 1st FW, and the militia tradition of the Virginia National Guard.
"I appreciate the support we receive from our active duty partners, the 1st Fighter Wing, that makes the 192nd's wing flagship a reality," said Nardi. "Our total force partnership is second to none, and combines the best of the regular Air Force and the ANG.
"For our guardsmen, the 192nd's flagship is an important symbol which serves as a point of pride for our people, and represents the proud history of the 192nd Fighter Wing and the Virginia Air National Guard," he continued.