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.
Billy Mitchell: Lessons a Hundred Years Hence
Dec. 16, 2025
Exactly 100 years ago, on Dec. 17, 1925, Brig. Gen. Billy Mitchell was convicted by court-martial for violating an order that required approval before he could engage with the media. Mitchell’s provocative thoughts and unorthodox methods sought attention for a cause that he saw as uniquely American.
