Yi Liu has only been living in the United States since 2003, having emigrated from Canton Province to San Francisco’s Chinatown when she was 21. Soon afterward, she met an Air Force recruiter and decided to join the Air Force. “She was everything I wanted to be… resolute, confident, and helpful,” Liu said. Liu survived basic training, despite having to master a new language, and within a year had gained a five-level proficiency and became an American citizen. Airman First Class Liu is now assigned to the 379th Expeditionary Services Squadron in Southwest Asia, deployed from Cannon AFB, N.M. She also spends free time teaching the Chinese language and hopes to serve as an Air Force linguist.
U.S. Southern Command recently announced its first lethal strike on a suspected narco-trafficking vessel in two months, and the first under a newly formed permanent counter-cartel task force. The U.S. is also reportedly planning to transfer MQ-9 drones to Colombia to bolster its counter-cartel efforts.