The Air Force has confirmed the earlier announcement by New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson that Air Force Special Operations Command has passed the environmental hurdle for starting the take-over of Cannon AFB, N.M. AFSOC plans to install Col. Tim Leahy, former vice commander of the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Fla., as the first commander of the new wing at Cannon. The wing will be the 16th SOW. The new wing’s first aircraft will be the MC-130W Combat Spear of the 73rd Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt. The W model Hercules are designated aerial refuelers for the new CV-22 tiltrotors and conduct infiltration, exfiltration, and resupply of special ops forces.
New Air Force Safety Tool Forecasts Mishap Risk
March 10, 2026
When you check the weather forecast, it can tell you there’s a 40 percent chance of rain for the day based on the barometric pressure, the wind, the humidity, or any number of factors. A new Air Force Safety Center dashboard offers commanders the same kind of outlook, but for mishaps—a forecast that quantifies their units’ risk level based on dozens of…