An Air Force MQ-1B Predator unmanned aerial vehicle fired one of its Hellfire missiles, killing three insurgents in the act of planting an improvised explosive devise near Balad AB, Iraq. US Central Command Air Forces officials say the Predator monitored the insurgents for 30 minutes, relaying images of the trio as they dug a hole in a road, set an explosive, and strung wire from the hole to a ditch beside the road. Brig. Gen. Frank Gorenc , the commander of the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing at Balad, said that information led CENTAF officials to assign the Predator to monitor the area.
Air Force Changes Rules for Pregnant Aircrew—Again
April 3, 2025
The Air Force is changing its policy for pregnant aircrew, generally reverting to rules set in 2019 that barred female aviators from flying during the first trimester—or from flying in aircraft with ejection seats at all—due to potential risks to the pilot and her unborn fetus.