Efforts of the 379th Expeditionary Maintenance Group and Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron’s traffic management flight have paid off over the past year in improving the efficient use and control of shipping containers on an Air Force base in Southwest Asia. “So far, this aggressive program has eliminated more than 690 excess shipping containers and has saved nearly $800,000,” said Lt. Col. Scott Fike, deputy commander of the 379th EMXG. These airmen have led an initiative that included a physical inventory of the containers on the base and their contents. This enabled them to consolidate material in fewer containers, and return unneeded ones, thereby avoiding additional usage fees. This also freed up space on the base. (USAF report by 2nd Lt. Tania Bryan)
House lawmakers unveiled a new reconciliation package July 15 with $60 billion for defense, $290 billion less than the Pentagon has been seeking, a day after a Senate vote to advance the annual defense policy bill failed—developments that show the perilous state of the Pentagon’s ambitious plans for fiscal 2027.