SrA. Michael. J. Buras of Fitzgerald, Ga., died Tuesday in Kandahar, Afghanistan, as the result of wounds he received when an improvised explosive device detonated near him, the Defense Department announced Wednesday. Buras, 23, was assigned to the 99th Civil Engineer Squadron at Nellis AFB, Nev.
After years of experiments and tests, senior Air Force leaders say they're on the verge of using C-17s and other cargo aircraft to launch cruise missiles via airdrop, touting the development as a way to bolster the combat fleet and a major shift in the service’s mindset.