Airmen now are being trained to use dropsondes to collect weather data to help improve the accuracy of supply drops from high altitude. Air Force Reserve Command “Hurricane Hunters” have used dropsonde technology for years to help collect data on hurricanes for the National Hurricane Center. Using it in combat operations will enable airlift crews to get supplies closer to ground forces, keeping them safer, says Cap. Dale Stanley, a C-130 navigator. Recently, Air Mobility Command’s mobile training team was at Andersen AFB, Guam, training aircrews to use Global Positioning System-enabled dropsondes, reports journalist A1C David Clark.
House and Senate lawmakers say they’re hopeful Congress will pass a defense appropriations bill in the coming weeks to avoid a repeat of last fall’s government shutdown, with only having a handful of working days remaining before the Jan. 30 deadline. Yet legislations still have to release a compromise version of defense spending legislation, which will have to…

