The USAF C-130 Hercules unit that moved to Balad AB, Iraq, in January, becoming the first Herc unit to operate from a base in a forward location, flies twice the number of missions as other C-130 units traversing Southwest Asia. And, the airmen of the 777th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron accomplish this feat with the standard complement of aircrews and maintainers, reports Air Force journalist SrA. Kerry Solan-Johnson. USAF moved the unit into theater to alleviate more of the Army’s truck convoy missions. The unit flies seven missions a day, with the help of 15 six-man aircrews, along with maintainers, life support technicians, flight medics, and other support personnel.
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.


