The Tennessee Air National Guard’s 118th Airlift Wing in Nashville used four of its C-130 transports to airlift 16 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems to Fort Chaffee, Ark., so that its state Guard brethren in the Chattanooga-based 1/181st Field Artillery Battalion could train. “Overall, this was a phenomenal effort by the Tennessee Air and Army Guard,” said Lt. Col. Jay Jackson, chief of the 118th AW’s Operational Support Flight. “The Army was very pleased with the efficiency and the training they received by airlifting these systems, and our air folks received very valuable training as well.” The Air Guardsmen made multiple trips June 3-4 to deliver all of the HIMARS. Jackson said this operation was the first time that the wing conducted this type of airlift “in such a massive way.” (Smyrna report by TSgt. Robin Olsen)
The U.S. military needs to wake up to the fact that global dominance is no longer a viable strategy for national defense, because pursuing that unrealizable goal is making the country less safe, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee said April 22. Emerging defense technologies like swarms of…