After
facing sandstorms, extremes of heat and cold, improvised explosives, bullets, and countless other hazards on the roads of Iraq, the airmen and soldiers of the 387th Expeditionary Logistics Squadron formally inactivated their unit. “Today we close a chapter on a joint mission well done, but we all know the opportunity will present itself again in the future,” said Col. Scott DeThomas, 387th Air Expeditionary Group commander, during the squadron’s March 6 inactivation ceremony at an undisclosed air base in Southwest Asia. From 2003, the joint unit completed more than 1,925 missions and traveled 95 million miles to get mission-essential equipment to military units and forward operating bases throughout Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn, according to squadron officials. (386th AEW report by TSgt. Stacy Fowler)
As the Space Force makes plans for two on-orbit refueling and maneuver demonstrations in 2027—and closely watches similar government and commercial endeavors—the service official overseeing the effort say he want to take these capabilities from demo to operations in short order.