First Lieutenant Elise Jones and SSgt. Joseph Jacovina, Air Forces Central liaison officers, work daily at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia to help move oversized USAF equipment, such as mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles, either further downrange or back to the United States. But their job entails something more unorthodox for airmen: coordinating the movement of this equipment over sea routes and not by air. “Most people don’t know we exist,” explained Jones, who is deployed from Altus AFB, Okla. The job is rewarding, but challenging, as they have to plan everything not only with the other services, but also third-country nationals. “We try to get the equipment to the people waiting for it as fast as possible, so they can utilize it,” said Jacovina, who is deployed from Kadena AB, Japan. (386th AEW report by TSgt. Lindsey Maurice)
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.