The Air Force now has one organization—the 586th Expeditionary Mission Support Group in Kuwait—whose job it is to oversee USAF’s “in lieu of” forces deployed for the war on terror. “In lieu of” airmen are performing jobs that have typically been handled by soldiers, like convoy duty. The Air Force in September established the 586th EMSG to oversee what started in March 2004 as ad-hoc support to the Army.
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.