PORTLAND AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Ore. - The Oregon Air National Guard’s 142nd Wing has dropped live bombs for the first time with the F-15EX Eagle II during a training exercise in Nevada. The 142nd Wing operated its aircraft fleet out of Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, for three weeks in late August and early September in support of the U.S. Air Force’s Weapons Instructor Course (WIC). During this time, the unit hit the historical milestone, dropping live bombs from operational F-15EX aircraft.
Based in Portland, Oregon, the 142nd Wing is the first operational F-15EX unit in the U.S. Air Force and has reached several milestones with this new aircraft. Dropping bombs is significant, as the wing has focused on Air-to-Air Combat since World War II. The 142nd previously flew the F-15C before receiving the Air Force’s first operational F-15EX model in June 2024.
“This milestone is another major step in our transition from an air-superiority organization to a truly multi-role air dominance force,” said Air Force Colonel Joshua Hovanas, 142nd Operations Group Commander. “What our Airmen accomplished at Nellis demonstrates the incredible capability of the F-15EX, but more importantly, it shows just how far this team has come and how quickly we’re building real combat capability for our nation.”
While supporting WIC at Nellis AFB, a leading U.S. Air Force fighter pilot exercise, Oregon pilots dropped 500-pound and 2,000-pound live bombs in the Nevada Test and Training Range north of Las Vegas. They also supported student pilots from other units during WIC training scenarios.
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Photo captions:
260827-Z-SP755-1012:
An F-15EX Eagle II aircraft assigned to the Oregon Air National Guard’s 142nd Wing taxis the flight line at Nellis Air Force Base (AFB), Nevada with a live bomb attached to its belly as it prepares for take off on August 27, 2026. The 142nd Wing’s fleet of F-15EXs operated out of Nellis AFB for three weeks in late August and early September in support of the U.S. Air Force’s Weapons Instructor Course (WIC). During this time, the unit hit a historical milestone, dropping live bombs from operational F-15EXs for the first time. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Steph Sawyer)
260826-Z-SP755-1033:
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Alisha Sargent, a weapons loader assigned to the Oregon Air National Guard’s 142nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, loads a bomb onto an F-15EX Eagle II aircraft at Nellis Air Force Base (AFB), Nevada on August 26, 2026. The 142nd Wing operated their fleet of F-15EXs out of Nellis AFB for three weeks in late August and early September in support of the U.S. Air Force’s Weapons Instructor Course (WIC). During that time, the unit and the EX hit a historic milestone, dropping live bombs from operational F-15EXs for the first time. (U. S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Steph Sawyer)
Video B-roll and interviews available at:
DVIDS - Video - 142nd Wing F-15EXs Drop Live Bombs in Historic First
About the 142nd Wing:
The Portland Air National Guard Base employs around 1,500 Airmen who provide an
economic impact of nearly $500 million to the region. The 142nd Wing defends our
homeland with F-15 Eagle fighter jets, guarding the Pacific Northwest skies from
Northern California to the Canadian border, as part of Air Combat Command and the
North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). Their mission is to provide
unequalled, mission-ready units to sustain combat aerospace superiority and peacetime
