Scott Schonauer of Stars and Stripes continues his report on the airmen performing ground combat duties in Iraq, writing that airmen with Det. 3 of the 732nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron are “shattering long-held stereotypes” that airmen are “soft.” (An earlier report noted that there would be more airmen serving in-lieu-of soldiers instead of fewer.) Schonauer reports that the Det. 3 airmen are largely volunteers, coming from bases around the world. They are serving for one year, operating from an austere site near Baghdad to help train the Iraqi police force.
Members of the House Armed Services Committee say the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile program has been set back three months due to the ongoing government shutdown. The comment is noteworthy because the JATM's status has been kept tightly under wraps.
