US and Turkish KC-135 tanker crews came together earlier this month in the skies over Nevada to train together for the first time. Capt. David Puchalla, an instructor pilot with the 350th Air Refueling Squadron from McConnell AFB, Kan., flew with a Turkish crew from its 101st Air Refueling Squadron on March 8 as part of Red Flag 16-2 at Nellis AFB, Nev. Turkish air force Maj. Orcun Kus also flew with an American crew during the exercise. “I have no doubts about their ability to fuel the fight of the future,” Puchalla said in a release. “I have witnessed nothing but the best during my flights aboard their Stratotanker.” The exercise let the two crews see differences and similarities in how they operate, the release states.
NASA Boss: Race to Moon Has National Security Stakes
Sept. 15, 2026
NASA is pushing hard to get astronauts back to the moon by 2028—and the urgency is driven in no small part by the national security implications of doing so before China does, Administrator Jared Isaacman said Sept. 15.
