In l
ate summer, USAF’s E-8 Joint STARS force surpassed 20,000 combat hours covering operations in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Now, Air Force journalist TSgt. Steve Staedler reports that the three Joint STARS squadrons from Robins AFB, Ga., flying 90-day rotations, have amassed more than 20,000 hours over Iraq alone since operations began in 2003. The 12th Expeditionary Airborne Command and Control Squadron actually flew the milestone mission on Nov. 30, 2006. That 20K equates to 833 days of flying.
As the Space Force prepares to field new fleets of satellites that can track moving targets in the air and on the ground, it’s working to ensure it has the organizational structures in place to onboard and operate those systems.


