Eighteen 
Air Force transport aircraft from various USAF bases took part in June in the largest formation ever assembled for a joint forcible entry exercise held at Pope AFB, N.C., and nearby Fort Bragg. The air armada included 10 C-130s and eight C-17s that supported members of the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division in gaining operational access to denied terrain through a massive airdrop during the June 22-23 training event. In the first night alone, aircrews dropped more than 1,100 paratroopers. “When the enemy sees this, it has a tremendous effect,” said Lt. Gen. Frank Helmick, commanding general of the Army’s XVIII Airborne Corps. He added, “When you put US boots on the ground dropped by US Air Force personnel, you send one heck of a signal.” (Little Rock report by Capt. Joe Knable)
Since President Donald Trump first unveiled his “Golden Dome” missile defense initiative in late January, much of the focus for it has been focused on space—how the Pentagon may deploy dozens, if not hundreds, of sensors and interceptors into orbit to protect the continental U.S. from missile barrages. But the Air…