The 2nd Bomb Wing and Air Force Reserve Command’s 307th BW at Barksdale AFB, La., demonstrated “outstanding” performance during their recent nuclear operational readiness inspection, announced Barksdale officials. “You guys hit it out of the park,” said Col. Andrew Gebara, 2nd BW commander, in the base’s Nov. 7 release. The units’ “outstanding” score is the highest of five possible results in a NORI (i.e., outstanding, excellent, satisfactory, marginal, or unsatisfactory), 2nd BW spokesman Capt. Phil Ventura told the Daily Report on Nov. 8. These inspections are designed to evaluate a unit’s ability to execute its nuclear mission safely, securely, and effectively. “To the best of our understanding, it is the first time in Air Force Global Strike [Command] history that this score has been achieved on a nuclear inspection,” said Ventura. The AFGSC-led inspection team conducted the inspection from Oct. 28 to Nov. 5, states the release. “This capstone event marks the completion of our initial efforts to build a nuclear deterrence capability within [Air Force] Reserve Command,” said Col. Jonathan Ellis, 307th BW commander. (Barksdale report by TSgt. Ted Daigle and SSgt. Katherine Holt)
The U.S. thwarted a drone attack on U.S. forces at Al Asad air base in western Iraq on April 22, marking the first time that American troops have been targeted since February, U.S. officials said. “We can confirm it was an attack on Al Asad,” a defense official told Air & Space…