The blaze in New Jersey triggered by a flare from an Air National Guard F-16 on a training mission in May could cost the Air Force at least $200 million, reports The Press of Atlantic City. That is the total for 161 claims the service currently is processing from both property damage and dislocation expenses for those people forced from their homes. Some claims are still coming in. Just last month, the service received a single property damage claim for $197 million—significantly increasing the total cost. USAF has six months to investigate claim legitimacy.
U.S. Southern Command recently announced its first lethal strike on a suspected narco-trafficking vessel in two months, and the first under a newly formed permanent counter-cartel task force. The U.S. is also reportedly planning to transfer MQ-9 drones to Colombia to bolster its counter-cartel efforts.