The Pentagon has confirmed that TSgt. Scott E. Duffman with the 24th Special Tactics Squadron at Pope AFB, N.C., was killed when a CH-47 helicopter on which he was a passenger crashed in Zabul Province in eastern Afghanistan Feb. 18. Duffman, 32, of Albuquerque, N.M., was one of eight coalition personnel killed in the crash. The 14 remaining personnel on board, including the aircrew, were wounded. According to a US Central Command release, the helicopter experienced a “sudden, unexplained loss of power and control.” Late Monday evening, coalition forces destroyed the wreckage after completing crash site inspections and recovery. An investigation into the cause is proceeding, using photographs and findings collected during recovery actions.
The Air Force is moving forward with a new, algorithm-driven system to help U.S. Northern Command better detect airborne threats. NORTHCOM and the North American Aerospace Defense Command, which are tasked with protecting the homeland from attack, depend on a slew of radars and other data systems to monitor U.S.…