The airmen and soldiers of the National Guard will play a significant role in overseas operations for a “very, very long time,” says Gen. Craig McKinley, National Guard Bureau chief. McKinley, who recently returned from a trip to Iraq and Afghanistan, said today’s National Guard is arguably the “most battle-tested” in US history due to the experience of its members in operations overseas. Not only is the Guard integral to combat activities, it is also assisting emerging governments build civil capacities, he said. As an example of the Guard’s civilian-to-military contributions, he cited the Guard’s agribusiness development teams operating in Afghanistan. McKinley was speaking to about 1,800 Guard members at an enlisted conference in St. Louis on Aug. 8. (St. Louis report by Army SSgt. Jim Greenhill)
Navy CCA Program’s Shape Coming into Focus
Oct. 17, 2025
In announcing its Navy Collaborative Combat Aircraft contract, General Atomics has provided some clues as to where the service is heading with its version of an armed, autonomous fighter escort. It will likely be quite different from the Air Force version.
