The logistics airmen at Balad AB, Iraq, have turned the base into a hub-and-spoke system that has streamlined the cargo delivery process within the theater. There are 96 aerial porters that are central to the endeavor because they essentially do the work of 500 similar airmen at major aerial ports in the states, according to their boss Capt. Karen Rupp. Their incentive comes from keeping ground convoys off the road and getting supplies directly to the warfighters.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth visited the site of U.S. Space Command’s future home Dec. 12 and endorsed the move to establish the headquarters in Alabama after years of political back and forth.

