The new Raptor 
unit at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, though it recently sent off a couple of F-22s to intercept some Russian bombers, still hasn’t declared initial operational capability. The unit is inching closer, completing a mock bomb drop earlier this month over the Alaskan training range and on target, in early February, to deploy eight F-22s with support equipment and personnel to Tyndall AFB, Fla., for a two-week weapon systems evaluation program exercise. Lt. Col. Mike Shower, 90th Fighter Squadron commander, says the unit has lost time because of “some additional, unforeseen mission requirements,” and notes, too, that Elmendorf’s arctic weather makes it a “more challenging” environment than at other operational bases. The unit expects to declare IOC in August. (Elmendorf report by A1C David Carbajal)
Celebrating 100 Years of Liquid-Fueled Rockets
March 11, 2026
March 16, 2026, marks 100 years since Dr. Robert H. Goddard launched the world’s first liquid-fueled rocket. Over the past century, new and ever more capable liquid-fueled rockets have literally propelled humanity into space. Why liquid-fueled rockets?