Two airmen at the Contingency Operating Location Bilate, in Ethiopia, are the only Air Force members at the training facility where their assignment is to keep critical communications running between the remote, predominantly Army camp and the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa headquarters at Camp Lemonier, Djibouti, approximately 483 miles to the northeast. Air Force journalist SSgt. Francesca Popp reports that SrA. Jeremy Cole and A1C Steven Brumley maintain contact via radio, phone, and Internet.
The last remaining T-1 Jayhawk at JBSA-Randolph, Texas, took its final flight to the "Boneyard" at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., on July 15. The 99th Flying Training Squadron will train pilots using T-6 and simulator until it gets T-7 Red Hawk in fiscal 2026.