Thirteen airmen currently are living and working on the Pacific island of Palau, helping to build infrastructure and provide a favorable presence for the US military. An Air Force team sent to the island in 2004 began building a search and rescue station on one of Palau’s islands, and the new team completed it, reducing the time it takes to get injured people to medical care. Another project will build a rec center for the Palau Community College. The current airmen are only the second Air Force team to participate in the Palau humanitarian work since it began in the 1970s, reports MSgt. Orville F. Desjarlais Jr.
To Replace Lost MQ-9s, USAF Eyes Next-Gen Reaper
May 13, 2026
The Air Force is looking at ways to rapidly replace some of the roughly two dozen MQ-9A Reaper drones it has lost as part of operations against Iran, top service officials told lawmakers May 12.