Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) met with Gen. Norton Schwartz, Air Force Chief of Staff, on Sept. 23 to discuss the way ahead for USAF and Air National Guard forces in North Dakota. In a statement, Conrad called the conversation “frank and positive.” He said Schwartz knows that both Grand Forks and Minot Air Force Bases have “tremendous community support” and believes that Schwartz understands “the valuable role each [base] will continue to play in securing our nation.”
The use of a military counter-drone laser on the southwest border this week—which prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to abruptly close the airspace over El Paso, Texas—will be a “case study” on the complex web of authorities needed to employ such weapons near civilian areas and the consequences of agencies…
