The C-130 Hercules schoolhouse at Little Rock AFB, Ark., has been facing some challenges over the past few years—a surging demand for Hercs in Southwest Asia and loss of many airframes to center wing box crack problems—that led to a growing backlog of students. Air Education and Training Command has some good news this week however, noting that the 314th Airlift Wing went from a 73 percent on-time graduation rate in February to 97 percent as of June 1—the result of a little help from friends. Read more here.
U.S. Southern Command recently announced its first lethal strike on a suspected narco-trafficking vessel in two months, and the first under a newly formed permanent counter-cartel task force. The U.S. is also reportedly planning to transfer MQ-9 drones to Colombia to bolster its counter-cartel efforts.