In Afghanistan on May 21, USAF F-15Es used GBU-31 and GBU-38 joint direct attack munitions to destroy enemy combatants in Bermel and Nangalam, according to a May 22 Air Force release from Southwest Asia. And, in Gardez, Afghanistan, a USAF B-1B dropped GBU-38 JDAMs, taking out enemy combatants fighting friendly forces. Joint terminal attack controllers confirmed the success of each engagement and multiple shows of force in various areas by USAF and other coalition aircraft.
The crash of a T-38 trainer jet this May—which caused a weekslong pause in flights across the fleet—was caused by an improperly installed pin for one of the jet’s horizontal stabilizers, according to a new accident report released Oct. 30. When the pin disengaged midflight, it created the slightest amount…