The US has been battling ISIS terrorists through Operation Inherent Resolve for a year now, and Gen. Darren McDew, the former commander of Air Mobility Command who will soon take charge of US Transportation Command, said he does not anticipate this fight ending any time soon. ISIS represents a “generational threat,” McDew said in an interview with Air Force Magazine, adding that the nation might be involved in this particular fight “for a decade or more.” He said the mobility community has been able to work ISIS-related demands into its overall operational structure because of the global nature of AMC. “There’s not an operation” going on anywhere in the world that AMC does not touch, he noted, and the command has the capacity to handle today’s demands and the occasional surge of additional activity. He is concerned about cumulative effects, however. AMC had to cancel its premier Rodeo readiness competition earlier this year because the command’s expected ops tempo looked to be too high. McDew also said the ability for crews to keep up certain high-end skills, such as large formation training, is a concern. He described the decisions that need to be made as “a matter of balance.”
Planning an Air Show Is Hard. At Andrews, It’s Even Harder
Sept. 17, 2025
Joint Base Andrews opened its flightline this month to thousands of civilians, exposing a normally restricted airbase that regularly hosts the president and foreign dignitaries to a curious public eager to see current and historic military aircraft up close and in action.
