Both the Army and Air Force commanders in charge of airmen serving in Afghanistan in joint expeditionary taskings—roles not traditionally carried out by airmen—have offered high accolades for the work of these joint warriors. “Airmen help fill a critical function in our headquarters and are doing an exceptional job—every one of them,” said Army Lt. Col. Matt Smith, task force commander at Forward Operating Base Lightning. And Air Force Brig. Gen. Steven Kwast, head of the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing at Bagram Airfield, said their contributions epitomize USAF’s “all-in” approach to the conflict. “Airmen will do anything you [the joint community] ask of us, as long as we’re trained to do the job correctly,” he said. (FOB Lightning report by Capt. David Faggard)
The Air Force will likely award a contract or contracts for the first increment of Collaborative Combat Aircraft in late September or early October, sources familiar with the program said. It’s not yet been decided if the Air Force will carry one or both of its Increment 1 competitors—Anduril and…