USAF airmen have been training Afghanistan counterparts in the employment of the C-27A Spartan tactical airlifter since last fall, graduating the first Afghan C-27 pilot in February, but the advisory unit they comprise has just recently achieved 100 percent manning. The 538th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron at Kabul “has already overcome some huge hurdles,” said SMSgt. Mike Crews, squadron superintendent who deployed from the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Fla., noting that “we are now fully manned and will be able to continue toward our goal of building a professional air force for Afghanistan.” In addition to qualifying the first pilot, and a month later, the first loadmaster, the American airmen shepherded the first Afghan C-27 operational mission in March and subsequently have qualified five more pilots and loadmasters and flown another 19 operational missions. The fledgling Afghan C-27 force has grown to five aircraft. (Kabul report by TSgt. Oshawn Jefferson)
NATO Scrambles Fighter in Newest Response to Russian Drones
Sept. 16, 2025
NATO scrambled its first fighter Sept. 13 under its new plan to bolster its defenses against Russian air incursions that was put into place after an array of Russian drones flew into Polish airspace last week, the officials from the alliance’s military command said.
