Two Air Force Joint Terminal Attack Controllers, who normally work directly with soldiers in the field to call in close air support airstrikes, recently plied their trade at brigade level where they “orchestrated the destruction of an explosives-laden roadway,” reports SSgt. Julie Weckerlein. With Capt. Kevin Carrigan, air liaison officer, the two JTACs, TSgt. Mike Cmelik and his assistant SrA. Logan Abrams, called in an airstrike during which a B-1B bomber made three passes over the roadway, dropping 15 bombs. The bombs set off numerous secondary explosions because insurgents had “mined” the road with improvised explosive devices. Iraqis provided the initial intelligence on this strike, and Army and Air Force personnel developed additional intel over several days, finally building a “target packet” to obtain higher level clearance.
The Chinese spy balloon may have popped, but funding to protect against similar threats is inflating, according to the Department of Defense. The high-attitude surveillance balloon that traversed the U.S. in late January and early February prompted last-minute additions to the Pentagon's budget of around $90 million for measures to…