Sixty-two years after being assembled by Douglas Aircraft, a twin-engine C-47 “Gooney Bird” transport aircraft is still putting in a good day’s work at Hurlburt Field, Fla. At Hurlburt, the 6th Special Operations Squadron uses it to train air commandos for deployments as advisers to air forces in developing countries—many of which still fly the World War II-era C-47. It was produced in scores of variants, one of which was the AC-97 gunship, known in the Vietnam War as “Puff the Magic Dragon.” Lt. Col. Al Phillips, a Hurlburt pilot, told the Associated Press, “It’s a very challenging airplane.” But, he addes, “I love flying it.”
Watchdog Says Military Can Make Cyber Ops More Efficient
Sept. 17, 2025
The Government Accountability Office called for paring down the military's sprawling cyber enterprise in a recent report, amid renewed discussion about standing up a separate cyber force.
