Air Force Reserve Command’s 815th Airlift Squadron from Keesler AFB, Miss., returns to Southwest Asia operations this month for the start of a new deployment with the newest Hercules, the C-130J. The Flying Jennies teamed with the Air National Guard in 2004 to put the first of the new Herks into action in the war on terror, even as the aircraft was still undergoing testing in the US. The 814th AS also has flown its J models around the world, showcasing the new airlifter at international air shows.
House lawmakers unveiled a new reconciliation package July 15 with $60 billion for defense, $290 billion less than the Pentagon has been seeking, a day after a Senate vote to advance the annual defense policy bill failed—developments that show the perilous state of the Pentagon’s ambitious plans for fiscal 2027.