US military and joint service command officials saluted their German counterparts in a ceremony Sept. 28, thanking them for their three-year contribution in performing entry control and vehicle search duties at US Air Forces in Europe bases. The last German guard left Ramstein Air Base Sept. 27. German base security force levels peaked in April 2003, with 4,130 Germans guarding 66 US military installations in Germany. The Germans’ effort freed up thousands of US security forces and other key USAF personnel to deploy in support of the Global War on Terror.
The Pentagon agency charged with building and operating U.S. spy satellites recently declassified some details about a Cold War-era surveillance program called Jumpseat—a revelation it says sheds light on the importance of satellite imaging technology and how it has advanced in the decades since.
