Airmen from the 728th Air Control Squadron at Eglin AFB, Fla., are controlling aircraft over Iraq, operating the center known as Kingpin at Balad AB, Iraq. It’s not the unit’s first time. Last year, the Eglin crew “surveyed, identified, and controlled more than 166,000 aircraft” from May to September, reports journalist Maj. Damien Pickart. Enlisted surveillance and weapons directors and air weapons officers control the action from within mobile operation modules, packed with computers and communications equipment.
US Space Command Should Always Be Led by a Guardian
Sept. 12, 2026
General Stephen Whiting took command of U.S. Space Command in January 2024, and if customary three-year tenures hold, his tour would end in January 2027. The question now before the President and Senate is who should follow him? Whoever they choose, it has to be a Guardian—and so should every successor…


