About three dozen reservists recently returned from their mission as the first members of Air Force Reserve Command to train Afghan C-130 pilots and crew, according to a press release. The members of the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve served together with Active Duty airmen at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, helping their Afghan counterparts prepare for and fly military transport and casualty evacuation missions. “What we were doing was eye-opening,” said MSgt. Antonio Policicchio, an aircraft engine mechanic with the 911th Maintenance Squadron, Pittsburgh. “They were flying actual combat support missions, and everything we did had direct impact. It was very rewarding.” Maj. Wesley Cranmer, an instructor navigator from the 758th Airlift Squadron, Pittsburgh, said the airmen assisted Afghan special forces on their way to fight the Taliban. “It was a high-intensity mission,” he said. “We were working hand in hand with our Afghan brethren to deliver planeloads of commandos, ready to fight to save their country, to their destination.” The advisors included members of the 911th Airlift Wing, Pittsburgh; the 302nd Air Wing, Peterson AFB, Colo.; the 94th AW from Dobbins ARB, Ga., and the 908th AW, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
Competitors Not Picked for CCA Look Forward to Increment 2
April 25, 2024
While none of the major aircraft contractors were selected to develop the Collaborative Combat Aircraft, all three say they are seeking further autonomous aircraft work for the Navy, foreign partners, or in the classified arena, and maybe future versions of the CCA itself.