Idaho Army National Guard Conducts 3 Search, Rescue Missions in 3 Days

Sept. 24, 2026 | By Maj. Robert Taylor, Idaho Army National Guard |

The Idaho Army National Guard conducted three successful search-and-rescue missions in three days beginning Sept. 16, assisting local search-and-rescue agencies with rescues in remote parts of Ada and Custer counties in Idaho. 

"Whether our soldiers are serving overseas in support of combat operations or responding to an emergency here at home, the Idaho National Guard is trained to operate in some of the most challenging environments imaginable," said Air Force Maj. Gen. Tim Donnellan, adjutant general of Idaho.

On the evening of Sept. 18, an Idaho Army National Guard flight crew assisted Custer County authorities in rescuing a husband and wife who each suffered broken bones while hiking near Challis, Idaho. The crew hoisted both hikers into the rescue helicopter and transported them to the Challis Airport. They were transferred for further medical care. 

The previous day, Sept. 17, an Idaho Army National Guard flight crew assisted Custer County Search and Rescue with the rescue of a 77-year-old man who suffered a broken leg near Redfish Lake in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area, Idaho. The crew hoisted the man into the rescue helicopter and transported him to the Stanley Airport in Stanley, Idaho, where an ambulance was waiting to take him for further medical treatment.

On Sept. 16, the Idaho Army National Guard assisted Boise County Search and Rescue and Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue in rescuing a 59-year-old mountain biker near Dead Dog Creek in Ada County. The man had become lost in the Boise National Forest, Idaho, and had not been heard from since Sept. 13. He was dehydrated, and medics were unable to establish an intravenous line. The flight crew hoisted the man into the rescue helicopter and transported him to civilian medical care for further treatment. 

The Idaho Army National Guard's HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters provide search-and-rescue agencies throughout Idaho with unique capabilities. The aircraft have powerful engines that allow crews to operate at high elevations and hoists that can rescue people from rugged, inaccessible terrain. In addition, the Idaho Army National Guard operates the only helicopters in Idaho with this hoist capability. 

"Our unique dual mission makes us exceptionally capable when Idahoans need help," Donnellan said. "These crews bring the same professionalism, training and readiness to a mountain rescue that they bring to missions anywhere in the world." 

The missions brought the Idaho Army National Guard's total number of search-and-rescue missions this year to 11.

America's Contingency Corps Trains Against Drone Threat, Prepares for Future Battlefields

Sept. 22, 2026 | By Courtesy XVIII Airborne Corps |

The character of warfare is changing, and the growing use of unmanned aircraft systems on battlefields around the world is forcing militaries to adapt faster than ever. 

 
At Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the XVIII Airborne Corps is taking on that challenge through Exercise Scarlet Dragon, which brings soldiers and industry partners together to test emerging technologies in realistic field conditions. The exercise helped evaluate which capabilities can integrate across the force, including systems designed to detect, track and defeat unmanned aircraft threats. 
 
"The Scarlet Dragon exercise has become a validation exercise in the dirt with soldiers doing integrated, real-world, operational-type tasks," said Army Col. Tom Monahan, director of the XVIII Airborne Corps' Joint Innovation Outpost. 
 
Held Sept. 11-17 at Fort Bragg, the exercise combined soldiers, military systems, artificial intelligence, resilient data pathways and industry partners to address one of the Army's most pressing challenges: integrating sensors, electronic warfare, command and control and defensive fires against evolving unmanned aircraft threats. 
 
"Basically, [it was] transitioning gaps to capability requirements that we need, capabilities that will fill the gaps, and then running them through the exercise and the experimentation to come away with our findings to support the warfighter," said Army Col. Paul Staeheli, the XVIII Airborne Corps operations officer. 

 
Rather than testing technology in isolation, Scarlet Dragon placed emerging capabilities in an austere field environment where soldiers could evaluate performance against realistic threats and operational problems. 
 
It also replicated tactics and capabilities soldiers could encounter on a future battlefield, including large-scale drone swarms and systems modeled after threats seen in current conflicts. Some scenarios featured swarms of up to 100 unmanned aircraft, giving soldiers the opportunity to train against the scale and complexity of modern drone attacks. 
 
That threat environment allowed the XVIII Airborne Corps to evaluate not only individual systems but also how different capabilities work together. 
 
"What we've found is that there's no one sensor to rule them all," said Army Col. Rob Kenny, the XVIII Airborne Corps chief of fires. "It takes an integrated, layered approach."  

Kenny said the company node is determining how quickly soldiers can sense the threat and pass that information back in time to act. 
 
Electronic warfare, sensors, radar, autonomous systems and defensive fires each provide different tools for detecting, identifying and defeating unmanned aircraft. Integrating those capabilities is critical as adversaries continue to evolve their use of drones. 
 
Scarlet Dragon also demonstrated how the Army can work with industry to develop and integrate new technologies faster. 
 
Leading-edge technology companies worked alongside soldiers to identify operational problems, test potential solutions and gather feedback directly from the field. The partnership gave developers firsthand insight into how their systems perform in realistic military environments, while giving soldiers a chance to shape the technologies they may eventually use. 
 
"The vendors out here are different contractors with different companies trying to show the limitations and capabilities of all their systems," said Army Staff Sgt. Charles Johnson, the noncommissioned officer in charge of the company node. "They're giving the full scope of what their systems can do and how it can help us in the best way possible." 
 
The effort extends beyond developing new equipment. The exercise examined the broader counter-UAS challenge, from passive detection technologies, such as acoustic sensors and portable radar, to autonomous systems and emerging capabilities designed specifically for the UAS fight. 
 
That approach reflects the XVIII Airborne Corps' broader responsibility as America's Contingency Corps. 

 
The exercise also reinforced a larger message about modernization: preparing for the future battlefield requires more than buying new equipment. It requires understanding emerging threats, testing solutions under realistic conditions and rapidly adapting when those solutions fall short. 
 
Through experimentation and collaboration with industry, the XVIII Airborne Corps is working to integrate autonomous technologies with legacy systems and address a rapidly evolving unmanned aircraft threat. 
 
The goal is not simply to observe the future of warfare, but to prepare for it. 
 
As unmanned systems continue to reshape battlefields around the world, exercises such as Scarlet Dragon give the XVIII Airborne Corps an opportunity to learn, adapt and develop the capabilities soldiers will need to maintain an advantage in future conflicts.

412th Test Wing, Make-A-Wish Help Dream Come True

Sept. 24, 2026 | By Laisa Leao, 412th Test Wing |

For most military members, civilians and contractors who pass through the gates of Edwards Air Force Base, California, every day, the enthusiasm can easily become routine. The initial awe of shaping the future of American airpower is often pushed aside by tight deadlines, endless reports and daily tasks. 

However, for those on the outside, access to this historic base is the opportunity of a lifetime. 

For 18-year-old Hailey Macleod, it was the realization of a dream.

Born and raised in the Antelope Valley, Macleod grew up in the shadow of the base, attending school in nearby Lancaster, but her world was upended in 2025 when she was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. Since then, her life has been a grueling cycle of medical treatments aimed at keeping the illness at bay. 

Despite the physical toll, Macleod refused to let go of her ambition. She has been taking online classes through Arizona State University, working toward her goal of becoming a pilot. 

Macleod wished she could experience a day in the life of a pilot. To make that dream a reality, Cynthia Bryan, a wish granter at Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles, contacted the 412th Test Wing. 

Macleod and her family arrived at Edwards Air Force Base for a special mission, Sept. 11 — to make her an honorary pilot. The memorable day began with the presentation of a personalized flight suit decorated with unit patches from across the 412th Test Wing.  

She tested her piloting skills inside a high-tech flight simulator before climbing into the cockpit of an F-16 Fighting Falcon. 

On the ground, Macleod was promoted to the honorary rank of captain by Air Force Brig. Gen. Mark Massaro, commander of the Air Force Test Center, received a commander's coin from Air Force Col. Daniel Fredberg, deputy commander of the 412th, and explored some of the base's most iconic landmarks. 

The experience offered a powerful reminder to the base workforce: what some view as just another day at work is the very dream that inspires the next generation.

Joint Navy-Marine Corps Osprey Test Advances Future Fleet Anti-Submarine Capability

Sept. 23, 2026 | By Katherine Coughlan, Anti-Submarine Warfare Systems Program Office |

A joint test team successfully executed the first lot acceptance test of sonobuoys from an MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft off the coast of San Clemente Island, California, Aug. 19. 
 
The Air Anti-Submarine Warfare Systems Program Office, the Osprey Joint Program Office and Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron 1 conducted the milestone test. The demonstration validated the Osprey as an alternative platform for the Navy's sonobuoy quality assurance program, boosting operational readiness and laying the groundwork for expanded tactical employment across the fleet.

The Air Anti-Submarine Warfare Systems Program Office manages the sonobuoy quality assurance program, which subjects random production samples to over-water testing to evaluate reliability and acoustic performance before delivering vendor inventory to operational squadrons. 
 
"Our primary focus in the quality assurance program is making sure the sonobuoys delivered to the fleet perform exactly as expected," said Navy Capt. Greg Hinkle, program manager of the Air Anti-Submarine Warfare Systems Program Office. 
 
Historically, the Navy relies on P-3C Orion aircraft assigned to the Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 30 to perform quality assurance drops using automated launchers. The test proves the Osprey aircraft can serve as a dependable substitute if primary test platforms are unavailable, helping prevent testing backlogs and keeping delivery schedules on track. 
 
"By utilizing the [Osprey] for this type of mission, we are reinforcing our supply chain and ensuring front line aircrews have the mission-ready stores they need to detect and track undersea threats," Hinkle said. 
 
Unlike the Orion that uses automated launch containers triggered from the cockpit, the Osprey requires aircrew to launch the buoys from the open rear cargo ramp manually. Crew chiefs removed container caps and inverted launch tubes to release the stores into the slipstream.

Because manual deployment creates longer gaps between drops than automated launchers, the evaluation squadron aircrew adjusted by reducing flight speed, to match the precise target pattern and spacing needed for acoustic testing. 
 
"From an aircrew standpoint, this event provided an invaluable opportunity for our pilots and crew chiefs to build proficiency working through the mechanics of manual sonobuoy drops in a controlled setting," said Marine Corps Lt. Col. Brandon Pope, Osprey pilot and advanced projects lead assigned to the Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron 1. 
 
The hand-launch process requires tight coordination. The pilot holds steady flight parameters while the copilot manages navigation, timing and communication, queuing crew chiefs in the cargo bay to program and release the buoys on schedule. 
 
"Hand-launching from an open ramp requires split-second coordination; the crew must be deliberate with timing, airspeed control and internal communication," Pope said. "This test demonstrated how the [Osprey's] range, speed and versatility can support broader maritime domain awareness and distributed fleet operations." 
 
In addition to meeting test criteria, the mission also provided operational experience that will help Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron 1 refine tactics, techniques and procedures for future tiltrotor anti-submarine warfare support. The Air Anti-Submarine Warfare Systems Program Office and Osprey Joint Program Office will analyze acoustic and deployment data from the flights to refine procedures for future quality assurance missions and joint fleet operations.

Last Warthog Clears Nellis Air Force Base Runway

Sept. 23, 2026 | By Air Force Staff Sgt. Kristal Munguia, Nellis Air Force Base |

The last A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft assigned to Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, made its final departure yesterday. 

Nearly 70 airmen assigned to Nellis Air Force Base lined up on the flight line to give the A-10, affectionately nicknamed the "Warthog," one final salute as it took off. 

Although the departure signifies the conclusion of nearly 50 years of elite tactical training, operational testing and maintenance sustainability at the installation, the A-10's impact will not soon be forgotten. 

The first attack jet arrived at the base in 1977. Over the past five decades, the installation served as the primary proving ground for the Warthog's tactical employment. Nellis-based units refined the aircraft's software, avionics and precision weapons, while the U.S. Air Force Weapons School's 66th Weapons Squadron trained more than 300 A-10 weapons officers across 100 classes. 

"We are maintaining the culture of the A-10 by involving as many other fighter communities involved in the close air support mission," said Air Force Lt. Col. Ridge Flick, 66th Weapons Squadron commander. "We are also training F-15 Eagle, F-35 Lightning II and F-16 Fighting Falcon pilots to take on some roles we have had in combat search and rescue." 

As the aircraft departs, Flick emphasized that the squadron's mission to forge elite tactical leaders remains unchanged. The unit will continue training the next generation of ground-based specialists, including combat rescue officers, pararescue, special tactics officers and combat controllers. 

As the Air Force retires the A-10 fleet, the military's close air support capability is not declining. Instead, foundational tactical expertise, operational roles and personnel are transitioning to multirole and advanced fighter platforms across the service. 

Airmen assigned to the 757th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron's Thunder Aircraft Maintenance Unit are being reassigned to other squadrons and airframes, such as the F-35 and the F-16. The discipline that A-10 maintainers developed over 50 years of managing airframe fatigue, wing replacements and depot-level overhauls is being integrated into those newer flight line programs. 

At the same time, fifth-generation platforms like the F-35 are absorbing new close air support and combat search-and-rescue command roles into their operational profiles. The platform combines stealth features, advanced sensor suites and secure data-sharing networks to conduct precision ground-support missions in contested environments. For maintainers making the shift, the transition carries both operational and personal significance. 

"Working on the A-10 is meaningful to me because that is something that I share with my grandfather," said Air Force Staff Sgt. Eva Kehn, a weapons load crew chief assigned to the 757th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. "I'm very excited to have that new chapter and bond over that again with my grandfather." 

With her reassignment to an F-35 unit at Nellis, that unique family connection will continue. Her grandfather now serves as a civilian F-35 instructor, meaning their shared professional bond will transition to a new airframe. 

"It's a bittersweet moment," said Air Force Master Sgt. Aaron Edmonds, an aircraft section chief assigned to the 757th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. "I enjoyed my time with the A-10, but I'm excited because this departure marks the closing of one chapter and the start of another."

USS Stout Departs Norfolk for Deployment Operations

Sept. 22, 2026 | By Keith Goodsell, Commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic |

The guided-missile destroyer USS Stout departed Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, yesterday, to begin deployment operations.

The warship's departure comes after months of training, maintenance and certification events.

"The crew of [the] USS Stout trained relentlessly to ensure our warship is prepared to execute prompt and sustained operations," said Navy Cmdr. Kevin Taylor, the USS Stout commanding officer. "We built a culture of sustained readiness and resilience and are fully prepared to sail forward, defend our nation's interests and execute our mission at the absolute highest standard of excellence."

The USS Stout is a multimission surface combatant capable of conducting anti-air, anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare operations. Commissioned in 1994, it is the fifth warship of the Arleigh Burke class and belongs to the class's baseline Flight I configuration. The warship is named after World War II Navy Cross recipient Navy Rear Adm. Herald F. Stout, who heroically commanded the destroyer USS Claxton during the Battle of Bougainville in the Pacific.

Commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic, is responsible for manning, training and equipping assigned surface forces and shore activities, ensuring a capable and combat-ready force to support U.S. national interests.