In an effort to cut down on paper waste, C-130 aircrews at Little Rock AFB, Ark., earlier this month received more than 700 iPad 2s as part of an Air Mobility Command initiative to replace flight bags with electronic tablets, announced officials with Little Rock’s 19th Airlift Wing on July 10. The tablets arrived on July 2 and will undergo a six-month trial period during which aircrews will store publications and other paperwork on them electronically, rather than carrying them aboard in paper form in flight bags. A typical publication bag can weigh between 60 pounds and 80 pounds, and costs more than an iPad, said MSgt. Brandon Bowers, a 19th Operations Group evaluator flight engineer. “The tablets will give us more information with less weight, while saving money and conserving resources,” he said. AMC envisions that every mobility flier will eventually have a tablet for duty, but for now, the 19th AW is the lead unit for the testing phase of this initiative. (Little Rock report by SSgt. Jacob Barreiro)
Army Building Up New Space Operations Branch
Oct. 15, 2026
The Army has long been dependent on space capabilities to navigate terrain, communicate in hard-to-reach areas, and identify and strike targets. Now, the service wants to deepen its space operations expertise and is making plans to expand its own cadre of operators in the coming years.