An exercise along the Panama Canal in the last week had more than 250 airmen incorporating several USAF concepts, so military and civilian personnel from 20 countries could learn how to handle numerous operations simultaneously in a joint working environment. First Lt. Christina Mundy reports that the air element of the exercise included airmen from 12th Air Force, Air Forces Southern, and the 612th Air Operations Group. Col. John Marselus, commander of the Doolittle Air and Space Operations Center at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., said that exercise incorporated the real-world “reach-back” capabilities of five Air Component Coordinating Elements and an Air Operations Center Communications Enhancement Package. “By employing key concepts during PANAMAX, we are able to reach back to our CAOC—in Arizona—and run all air, space, and information operations from one central location,” he said. The exercise concludes today.
Dozens of former Airmen are running for Congress in the 2026 midterms, with Election Day fast approaching on Nov. 3. But the potential impact of the election for the Air Force and Space Force goes beyond just the number of former service members on Capitol Hill—the results will also decide…