Mobility airmen from California, Florida, Hawaii, New Jersey, and North Carolina, together with airmen from Belgium and Canada, are now participating in the joint readiness training center exercise that began Monday and runs through Aug. 25 at Ft. Polk, La. They are supporting 5,000 Army troops engaged in a training scenario in an austere environment by airlifting and airdropping supplies, carrying out aeromedical evacuations, and executing bare-base setup and operations tasks. The goal of the exercise is to give these airmen “their first five combat missions in as realistic an environment as possible, before their first deployment,” said Lt. Col. Derek Waterman, director of operations for the 34th Combat Training Squadron from Little Rock AFB, Ark. This unit is supporting the exercise. (Scott report by Bekah Clark)
Work Has Begun to Adapt Qatari 747 to Fly as Air Force One
Sept. 15, 2025
The Air Force has started modifying a Boeing 747 donated by Qatar for "executive airlift," a spokesperson said Sept. 15. President Donald Trump has said he wants to fly the jet as “Air Force One” since new presidential transports, held up by delays, won't be ready until after his term…
