Three C-130s of Iraq’s 23rd Air Transport Squadron flew two battalions of Iraqi security troops from Irbil to Tall Afar in Iraq over a two-day period last week, Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, with the Multinational Force Iraq, told reporters Thursday. The flights marked the first use of the new Iraqi air force to directly support the deployment of Iraqi combat forces inside of Iraq. Iraq’s new air arm begins life with a great advantage over its predecessor—the US Air Force is now a friend, rather than an adversary.
U.S. Space Command leaders expressed support in recent weeks for contributions to the combatant command from all the military branches as they build space expertise and integrate it into their operations, amid a debate over how to balance the roles of the Space Force and other services’ space capabilities.