Airmen of the 772nd Expeditionary Airlift Squadron have delivered more than 8.5 million pounds of supplies via airdrops to troops at forward operating bases in Afghanistan with extremely high levels of delivery accuracy over the past 16 months. The C-130J unit has been operating out of Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, since its activation in March 2009. Overall, it has moved more than 50 million pounds of cargo around the US Central Command region in nearly 9,000 sorties during that span, when factoring its airland missions. The unit also flies aeromedical evacuation missions and has made humanitarian airdrops of food and supplies to Afghan communities. To date, the 41st Airlift Squadron at Little Rock AFB, Ark., has provided all airmen and aircraft that have constituted the expeditionary unit. (Kandahar report by TSgt. Renni Thornton)
Seven F-22 Raptor pilots have recently been awarded one of the military’s highest decorations for their actions during operations in the Middle East. Six of the pilots were decorated with the Distinguished Flying Cross for their role in Operation Midnight Hammer, the June 2025 strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities.