A C-17 transporting 32 airmen, marines, and soldiers from Balad AB, Iraq, to Landstuhl Medical Center in Germany recently had to divert to RAF Mildenhall, Britain, when bad weather closed down Ramstein and Spangdahlem Air Bases. Mildenhall got 30 minutes notice. Quickly recalled off-duty medical personnel, set up a makeshift mass casualty center, and opened triage at the airfield. The drama only lasted a few hours, but the critical care patients among the troops needed constant attention.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth vowed to undertake far-reaching reforms on the way the U.S. military buys weapons, promising a sweeping overhaul of the way the Defense Department determines requirements, handles the acquisition process, and tests its kit. The fundamental goal, which Hegseth underscored in a 1-hour and 10-minute speech…
