Three B-52H bombers stationed at Andersen AFB, Guam, as part of the 96th Expeditionary Bomber Squadron from Barksdale AFB, La., completed 13-hour training flights to an Australian training range Sept. 21 and 22. The mission gave the bomber aircrews the opportunity to practice long-duration flights and cooperate with Australian joint terminal attack controllers in close air support bombing roles. “It was definitely a long sortie, but it was worth it in the end,” said 1st Lt. Jason Duhon, electronic warfare officer on one of the B-52s. He added, “I learned how other coalition forces operate, and I learned a good deal about crew coordination on a long sortie.” The 96th EBS, on Guam since late May, was scheduled to return to Barksdale on Sept. 26; replacing it is an expeditionary complement from its sister unit, the 20th BS. (Andersen report by SSgt. Jennifer Redente)
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth this week released strategies meant to focus the Pentagon’s “alphabet soup” of innovation organizations and proliferate artificial intelligence—moves that experts say could provide the structure needed to make the military’s efforts to integrate and field new technology more effective.
