The head of US Pacific Air Forces, Gen. Paul Hester, traveled to Houston to talk with a business/civic group as part of the Air Force’s strategic outreach program, dubbed the “Air Force Road Show.” Hester provided a view of the Air Force, said one member of the Houston Forum that “you ordinarily don’t see or hear as the average taxpayer.” While in Houston, Hester took time to address a group of senior and junior ROTC cadets gathered at the University of Houston. He said, “It takes airmen at all levels to encourage the public to learn more about their service.” Hester also told the cadets: “Volunteer for everything and don’t be afraid to do something you are unaccustomed with. Be comfortable with being uncomfortable.”
B-52 Stratofortress bombers marked a new first in Operation Epic Fury when some of the BUFFs flew over Iran carrying JDAM-guided gravity bombs, according to people familiar with the matter. The development signals a weakening of Iranian air defenses and a new use for the venerable bomber in the nearly…