Leadership for Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan has changed from the US military to NATO’s International Security Assistance Force. Air Force SSgt. Julie Weckerlein reports that this marks the first time a NATO multinational team has taken control of a large airfield and operational staging base in an active theater. RAF Air Commodore Ashley Stevenson, who took command from US Army Col. Richard Stevens, now oversees the shared efforts by US, Canada, Netherlands, and United Kingdom forces to maintain the facility and support its 10,000-strong military and civilian force. USAF airmen deployed to Kandahar work primarily in US Army positions.
All of the U.S. military services are pursuing capabilities to complement GPS amid concerns that the constellation is increasingly vulnerable to interference, but a new government watchdog report calls for better coordination and prioritization among those efforts to avoid delays and duplication.
