Airmen are learning how to drive the big boys—18-wheelers—of transportation at the Basic Combat Convoy Course at Lackland AFB, Tex. The airmen who graduate after mastering 18-wheel tractor-trailer supply trucks and gun trucks used for convoy supply missions, as well as combat lifesaver training, will go on to replace Army troops in Southwest Asia. USAF already has sent two air expeditionary truck detachments overseas and plans to graduate two more in two months. So far, the Air Force has trained about 1,200 airmen for convoy duty.
The rate of building B-21 bombers would speed up if the fiscal 2026 defense budget passes. But it remains unclear how much capacity would be added, and whether the Air Force would simply build the bombers faster, or buy more.
