The Air Force sent a team from Charleston AFB, S.C., to Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., to train a select group of airmen how to load C-17 airlifters so they can serve as loadmaster augmentees should the service need them. According to a report by 2nd Lt. Kerry Fields at Charleston, the Davis-Monthan airmen come from a variety of career fields. USAF believes this training will add to its capabilities for the war on terror by producing airmen who can aid a fully trained loadmaster in the not-easy tasks required for loading and unloading various cargo.
The Air Force is launching an effort to develop a new stand-off missile with a range of 1,000 nautical miles, or 1,150 miles, that would eventually be used for both air-to-air and air-to-surface missions.