The airmen of Air Force Reserve Command’s 6th Space Operations Squadron at Schriever AFB, Colo., must deliver their weather satellite data to customers within 10 minutes of download—and the 6th SOPS currently is the only unit providing critical sandstorm data to coalition forces in Southwest Asia. “The quicker we can get this data to them, the faster they can batten down the hatches and do whatever they need to do,” says Lt. Col. Byron Hays.
An important U.S. Air Force E-3 Sentry AWACS command and control plane was among the aircraft damaged in a March 27 Iranian missile and drone attack on Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, people familiar with the matter told Air & Space Forces Magazine.