The Afghan air force’s Kabul Air Wing has taken responsibility for the Afghan crew chief and air assault academy from NATO advisors of the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade. AAF’s crew chief and air assault courses have been taking place at Bagram Airfield for the past nine months under the leadership of NATO’s Task Force Falcon. In the most recent classes, the first AAF instructors graduated. That, coupled with the recent arrival of four new Mi-17 helicopters at Kabul, means the Afghan wing is ready to assume the lead role, according to officials with the 438th Air Expeditionary Wing at Kabul that oversees the NATO air training mission. This handover took place several days after the Kabul Air Wing celebrated it first anniversary. (Kabul report by Capt. Rob Leese) (Kandahar report by SrA. Melissa B. White)
House, Senate Unveil Competing Proposals for 2026 Budget
July 11, 2025
Lawmakers from the House and Senate laid out competing versions of the annual defense policy bill on July 11, with vastly different potential outcomes for some of the Air Force’s most embattled programs.