The logistics airmen at Balad AB, Iraq, have turned the base into a hub-and-spoke system that has streamlined the cargo delivery process within the theater. There are 96 aerial porters that are central to the endeavor because they essentially do the work of 500 similar airmen at major aerial ports in the states, according to their boss Capt. Karen Rupp. Their incentive comes from keeping ground convoys off the road and getting supplies directly to the warfighters.
A recent seven-day exercise sent Air Force F-22s—along with other USAF aircraft—to austere, challenging environments across Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. Agile Reaper, taking place for the second time after its inaugural edition last year, featured 800 Airmen and 29 aircraft across five different locations from April 10-16, training…