The Air Force has taken specialized care to the combat zone, greatly increasing chances of survival for wounded troops. “We’ve never pushed specialties this far onto the battlefield before,” says Col. Elisha Powell, commander of the 332nd Expeditionary Medical Group at Balad AB, Iraq. The USAF theater hospital at Balad has six operating rooms and a staff of surgeons, covering brain, heart, bone, and soft tissue procedures, and other accommodations of a standard hospital, like x-ray capability, all housed in tents and trailers. “If you arrive here alive, you have about a 96 percent chance of leaving here alive,” says Powell.
Planning an Air Show Is Hard. At Andrews, It’s Even Harder
Sept. 17, 2025
Joint Base Andrews opened its flightline this month to thousands of civilians, exposing a normally restricted airbase that regularly hosts the president and foreign dignitaries to a curious public eager to see current and historic military aircraft up close and in action.
