CMSgt. David Popp, the top enlisted man for Air Combat Command, has been visiting ACC airmen deployed to Southwest Asia to see up close and personal whether the training and equipment ACC provides is right for the job. Of keen interest, said Popp, are airmen working in traditional Army jobs, such as convoy operations and some civil engineer work. What has he found? Popp said, “We have people at the tip of the spear who say they’re utilizing the people we sent, but some of them need more preparation.”
Pentagon Task Force, FAA to Test Counter-Drone Laser
March 7, 2026
The Pentagon’s counter-drone task force announced it would conduct a high-energy laser test with the Federal Aviation Administration less than a month after the use of a military counter-drone laser on the southwest border prompted the FAA to shut down the airspace over El Paso, Texas.