Eighteen 
Air Force transport aircraft from various USAF bases took part in June in the largest formation ever assembled for a joint forcible entry exercise held at Pope AFB, N.C., and nearby Fort Bragg. The air armada included 10 C-130s and eight C-17s that supported members of the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division in gaining operational access to denied terrain through a massive airdrop during the June 22-23 training event. In the first night alone, aircrews dropped more than 1,100 paratroopers. “When the enemy sees this, it has a tremendous effect,” said Lt. Gen. Frank Helmick, commanding general of the Army’s XVIII Airborne Corps. He added, “When you put US boots on the ground dropped by US Air Force personnel, you send one heck of a signal.” (Little Rock report by Capt. Joe Knable)
If the Air Force is in line for a big budget bump from President Donald Trump’s proposed $1.5 trillion defense budget in 2027, the head of Air Combat Command said he would make aircraft spare parts his top spending priority—but cautioned that more money to buy parts won’t equal a…
