National Guard Bureau Chief Lt. Gen. H. Steven Blum praised the efforts of thousands of Army and Air National Guard troops pressed into service in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and other states as a result of Hurricane Katrina. Blum said the response proved the Guard could handle the federal mission (deployments to some 40 countries) as well as stateside crises “at the same time,” without putting at risk the overseas mission or homeland security.
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…