The 353rd Special Operations Group, stationed on the island of Okinawa at Kadena AB, Japan, sent some 200 airmen to U-Tapao, Thailand, for the 25th running of the Cobra Gold exercise. The USAF airmen provided their particular specialties—airspace control, special tactics, airdrops, jumps, and more—alongside members of the Royal Thai and other nations’ military forces. And, the exercise gave the Okinawa SOG team a chance to practice their crafts in different terrain from mountains to jungles.
A new report by the Defense Department’s Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation found that Texas and Virginia are America’s top recipients of defense spending, some $83 billion and $64.3 billion, respectively. Texas and California top the spending categories for Air Force contracts and personnel, some $17 billion and $15…