A pair of A-10 Warthogs from the Air Force Reserve’s 442nd Fighter Wing at Whiteman AFB, Mo., recently touched down at Lielvarde AB, Latvia, marking the first time US fighters have landed at the former Soviet base, according to a Sept. 1 release. The Air Force has dispatched C-130s to Latvia, and F-16s have performed touch-and-go landings, but the A-10 visit marked a new first as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve. “We are furthering the NATO capability if this base is ever needed as a forward operating base in the future,” said Lt. Col. Tim Brock, the bilateral affairs officer with US Embassy Riga. US airmen and Latvians will cooperate to train on safety procedures, refueling, emergency management, and other tasks, he added. The A-10s also collaborated with joint terminal attack controllers at the nearby Adazi Range, where JTACs with the Air National Guard’s 146th Air Support Operations Squadron and the Combat Readiness Training Center in Alpena, Mich., trained with Latvian infantry on close air support tactics.
US Space Command Should Always Be Led by a Guardian
Sept. 12, 2026
General Stephen Whiting took command of U.S. Space Command in January 2024, and if customary three-year tenures hold, his tour would end in January 2027. The question now before the President and Senate is who should follow him? Whoever they choose, it has to be a Guardian—and so should every successor…
