Members of Air Force Reserve Command’s 307th Bomb Wing at Barksdale AFB, La., earlier this month honored the visiting guests of the wing’s Vietnam War veteran alumni group by dedicating one of the base’s B-52s to them. The Reservists unveiled the nose art for Lone Star Lady II on May 1 during the Defenders of Liberty Air Show, much to the delight of the more than 100 former members of the wing who were gathered at Barksdale for a reunion, according to a May 11 wing release. These former airmen served at U-Tapao AB, Thailand, during the war, states the release. The original Lone Star Lady, a B-52D model operated by the 7th BW at then-Carswell AFB, Texas, flew in the Linebacker II bombing raids against North Vietnam in 1972, according to the wing.
Senators Want to Build Back MQ-9 Fleet by 2028
June 12, 2026
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach said the MQ-9 proved to be the “most valuable player” of Operation Epic Fury—so valuable, in fact, that a key congressional panel wants to require the Air Force to grow its fleet of Reaper drones in the next few years.