A C-17 transporting 32 airmen, marines, and soldiers from Balad AB, Iraq, to Landstuhl Medical Center in Germany recently had to divert to RAF Mildenhall, Britain, when bad weather closed down Ramstein and Spangdahlem Air Bases. Mildenhall got 30 minutes notice. Quickly recalled off-duty medical personnel, set up a makeshift mass casualty center, and opened triage at the airfield. The drama only lasted a few hours, but the critical care patients among the troops needed constant attention.
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.
