Welcome Mat Out for USAF Training:
Believe it or not, a ranch owner in New Mexico has opened a portion of his land for the 58th Special Operations Wing, Kirtland AFB, N.M., to use as an area for MC-130P Combat Shadow and helicopter rescue and special ops training. The Valencia County News Bulletin reports that the area near Meadow Lake was once owned by the Bureau of Land Management and used by the wing for training. BLM sold the land and the 58th held its training within the confines of Kirtland—that has presented some safety concerns, according to wing officials. The wing is leasing two areas, a C-130 drop zone and a helicopter landing zone.
House and Senate lawmakers say they’re on board with the Pentagon’s latest plan to reform the way it buys new systems, but in a report accompanying the latest draft of fiscal 2026 defense spending bill, they urged more investment in the defense acquisition workforce and expressed skepticism about the Defense…

