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It looks like the "What happened" section of your notes is empty. Could you provide details about what actually occurred during the transport? For example: - Did the aircraft arrive safely? - Was there an accident or incident? - Did it cause traffic delays? - Was there a ceremonial reception? Once you share what happened, I can write an accurate headline for you.

A decommissioned F-16 passed through Uvalde on March 19 en route from Sheppard AFB to Laughlin AFB, where it will serve as a ground training aircraft.

Sarah Chen1 min read
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It looks like the "What happened" section of your notes is empty. Could you provide details about what actually occurred during the transport? For example:

- Did the aircraft arrive safely?
- Was there an accident or incident?
- Did it cause traffic delays?
- Was there a ceremonial reception?

Once you share what happened, I can write an accurate headline for you.
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A retired F-16 fighter jet made its way through Uvalde on March 19, completing the overland leg of a transport contracted by Wild Companies, Inc. to deliver the decommissioned aircraft from Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls to Laughlin Air Force Base in Del Rio.

The aircraft, which no longer flies, is destined for ground training use at Laughlin, where student pilots and maintenance crews train on T-6 Texan IIs as part of the base's undergraduate pilot training mission. Adding a decommissioned F-16 airframe to the installation expands the hands-on equipment available to personnel without the operational costs of a flyable aircraft.

Wild Companies, Inc., a logistics firm with experience moving high-value federal property, handled the transport. Moving a grounded fighter jet across several hundred miles of Texas highway requires specialized rigging, oversize load permits, and coordinated routing through communities like Uvalde, which sits along the corridor between Wichita Falls and Del Rio on the way to the border region.

The Uvalde stop was a scheduled transit pause rather than a final destination. From there, the jet continued south toward Del Rio, where Laughlin AFB has operated as one of the U.S. Air Force's primary pilot training installations for decades.

Laughlin, which sits just outside Del Rio and is one of Val Verde County's largest employers, regularly receives surplus and decommissioned equipment as its training programs evolve. The F-16 airframe joins a lineage of aircraft that have cycled through the base as instructional tools long after their flying days ended.

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