On the other hand, there are those that believe the current Air Force rotation process works very smoothly. (See above.) Maj. Gen. Maury Forsyth, the No. 2 airman at the Combined Air and Space Operations Center in Southwest Asia, says, “I believe we have once again validated the AEF concept, … in that there was no degradation at all in our capabilities here” as AEFs 9 and 10 replaced AEFs 7 and 8. Forsyth credited the enthusiasm and training of the airmen for making the transition smooth—and the fact that many airmen were on repeat tours. In a US Central Command Air Forces release, Forsyth touches on the “other” Air Force elements supporting SWA operations, including electronic warfare. “Because of its classification, we don’t talk much about it, but there’s a whole group of people out there flying airplanes that are helping us in the electromagnetic spectrum.”
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?