Cope North

Senior Airman Sydney Reynolds, crew chief performs post flight maintenance on an F-16 Fighting Falcon, 18th Aggressor Squadron, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, after landing Jan. 31, at Andersen AFB, Guam for exercise Cope North 09-1. The Cope North exercise is one of the longest-running series of exercises in the Pacific theater. Since the first Cope North exercise in 1978, thousands of American and Japanese personnel have honed skills that are vital to maintaining a high level of readiness. The exercise has been in the planning stages for several months and bears no connection to any real world events. This will be the tenth time the United States and Japan have held a Cope North exercise on Guam, and it will be the fourth time that the JASDF will use live ordnance. Airman Reynolds is assigned to the 354th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Eielson AFB Alaska. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Master Sgt. Kevin J. Gruenwald) released