USAF flies its first combat sortie with the new twin-engine turboprop MC-12W intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance aircraft during a mission out of Joint Base Balad, Iraq. The first of the so-called Liberty Project Aircraft arrived in Iraq on June 8, 2009, following an accelerated acquisition effort. USAF plans to deploy six MC-12s to Iraq.
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…
