US Air Forces in Europe airmen are playing a key role in the air bridge that is moving soldiers and equipment to Afghanistan as part of the troop surge that President Obama ordered last December. Both Ramstein and Spangdahlem Air Bases, both in Germany, have been critical air hubs supporting the build-up, say USAFE officials. Some vehicle operators, fuel specialists, and aircraft maintainers from other USAFE bases like Aviano AB, Italy, have been dispatched temporarily to Ramstein and Spangdahlem to augment the airmen there and deal with the increased aircraft flow. The number of transports received, serviced, fueled, and launched from those locations has increased by as much as 53 percent compared to pre-surge levels. Air Mobility Command expects to deliver all 30,000 troops associated with the surge, along with their equipment, to Afghanistan by the end of August. (Ramstein report by 1st Lt. J.D. Griffin)
Celebrating 100 Years of Liquid-Fueled Rockets
March 11, 2026
March 16, 2026, marks 100 years since Dr. Robert H. Goddard launched the world’s first liquid-fueled rocket. Over the past century, new and ever more capable liquid-fueled rockets have literally propelled humanity into space. Why liquid-fueled rockets?