Lt. Col. Calvin Butts, who runs plans and programs at the Warner Robins ALC, recently assembled a team of 29 airmen and several soldiers, sailors, and marines to set up the first Joint Air Cargo Operations Team (JACOT) at Al Taqaddum AB, Iraq, a marine facility right in the heart of the Triangle of Death. The goal: move more cargo by air to cut down on the more risky enterprise of hauling supplies by truck convoy. The trick to airlift in such a place involves making things “lean”—such as getting aircrews to upload and download a C-130 in less than 20 minutes, said Butts. “You don’t have a better incentive to lean out and streamline your processes than when people are shooting mortars at you while you’re working,” he explained.
Unit commanders are being told to separate service members who can’t shave their cheeks and chin for medical reasons for more than a year, according to new guidance from Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
