B-52s and more than 250 airmen from Barksdale AFB, La., returned home on March 13 after participating in exercises across Europe, including Exercise Cold Response 16 and the French-led Serpentex. “Exercises like Cold Response and Serpentex sustain and strengthen operational and coordination capabilities between allies,” Lt. Col. Dennis Cummings, 20th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron commander, said in a release. “It is through these joint-efforts that we develop a capacity for working together smoothly and efficiently.” About 16,000 troops from 12 NATO nations took part in Cold Response, which was focused on air, ground, and maritime operations in Norway and Mediterranean Sea. As part of Serpentex, B-52s and French fighters conducted close air support training with joint terminal attack controllers from a dozen nations, according to the release.
House, Senate Unveil Competing Proposals for 2026 Budget
July 11, 2025
Lawmakers from the House and Senate laid out competing versions of the annual defense policy bill on July 11, with vastly different potential outcomes for some of the Air Force’s most embattled programs.