Members of the Utah Air National Guard’s 151st Air Refueling Wing, along with airmen from Sheppard AFB, Tex., were in Santiago, Chile, on Feb. 27 when the massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake hit the South American nation. They had arrived there days earlier to deliver the first of three KC-135E tankers that the Chilean Air Force has purchased from the US and to train the Chilean aircrews and maintainers. After the Earthquake, the Air Guardsmen immediately switched to humanitarian-assistance mode, transporting mobile medical units and supplies around Chile to support the international relief efforts. Along the way, they’ve been able to fit in some real-world training for the Chileans, who are riding along with them. “These students are getting Ph.D.-level training,” said Lt. Col. Boyd Badali, one of the 151st ARW pilots. He added, “It’s been a great experience.” (Salt Lake City report by Maj Krista DeAngelis)
The final version of the fiscal 2026 defense policy bill calls for adding $1.2 billion to the Space Force’s research and development accounts, an increase that’s mostly split between two efforts: expanding the service’s low-Earth orbit data transport network and boosting its space-based missile warning and tracking capabilities.
