Airmen with the 380th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron are constructing a large new hangar at one of the main US air bases in Southwest Asia in order to accommodate more of the aircraft that operate from there. This busy air base is home to the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, which operates E-3 AWACS, KC-10 tankers, RQ-4 Global Hawks, and U-2 surveillance airplanes in support of operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Horn of Africa. (380th AEW photo caption by MSgt. Scott T. Sturkol)
The Pentagon is counting on Congress to navigate a legislative tightrope and pass a party-line bill to fund nearly a quarter of its $1.5 trillion budget request for fiscal 2027, including billions of dollars for top priorities like Golden Dome, the F-35, munitions, and unmanned systems. Experts and lawmakers from…