Some airmen deployed to the desert from the 317th Airlift Group at Dyess AFB, Tex., experienced their first combat airdrop mission over Iraq during the weekend, reports Capt. Teresa Sullivan. Some were on their fifth or more deployments and had done other low-flying tactical missions, but to some, even on their second deployments, it was a first. The loadmasters geared up with flak vests and helmets because the potential for getting shot is high. They also wore night vision goggles and harnesses for safety as their pilots flew over Basra. After that mission, they flew on to Balad Air Base to pick up cargo for another sortie in their 18-hour day.
Watchdog Says Military Can Make Cyber Ops More Efficient
Sept. 17, 2025
The Government Accountability Office called for paring down the military's sprawling cyber enterprise in a recent report, amid renewed discussion about standing up a separate cyber force.
