Coalition pilots who flew sorties in the opening days of Operation Iraqi Freedom followed an air strategy keyed to strike specific enemy targets and to preserve Iraqi infrastructure and minimize civilian deaths, according to Maj. Michael Norton, a South Carolina Air National Guard pilot who flew his F-16 into battle on March 19, 2003. Norton relayed his experience of the air war to reporters at the Pentagon on Monday. There was recognition, said Norton, that anything destroyed would have to be rebuilt, but, “more important than that” was “minimizing civilian casualties.” The 15-year veteran added that coalition officials took a “much more restrictive interpretation” of the laws concerning civilians near legitimate targets.
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.
