National Guardsmen in Texas have been supporting the Texas National Guard Counter Drug Task Force by tearing down abandoned homes identified as crack distribution locations. “Crackdown” teams usually comprise four Air National Guard and two Army personnel trained for quick demolition, taking the houses down to bare lots within a couple of hours. Some come down much quicker, like one demolished within 24 seconds by MSgt. Marcus Wilkes. (Report by CMSgt. Gonda Moncada.)
A half-dozen pilots from one of the Air Force’s premier F-16 units, the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., have been awarded one of the service’s highest decorations for their role in Operation Midnight Hammer, the June 2025 strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities.