Breaking Records in the C-17: 
Airmen who operate the C-17 out of Manas AB, Kyrgyzstan, typically put in 18-hour days, often flying back and forth to Afghanistan multiple times. The new airlifter and its air and ground crews are in high demand. USAF journalist SSgt. Lara Gale, reports that the C-17 force at Manas broke all previous records in February and may well break that one this month. The C-17 fleet, as a whole, is slated to bust one million hours this month.
The final version of the fiscal 2026 defense policy bill calls for adding $1.2 billion to the Space Force’s research and development accounts, an increase that’s mostly split between two efforts: expanding the service’s low-Earth orbit data transport network and boosting its space-based missile warning and tracking capabilities.
