The airmen who deployed to Angol, Chile, on March 8 as part of an expeditionary medical support team to help treat victims of last month’s violent earthquake in the South American nation are now operating out of a mobile hospital there that they helped construct. The US contingent, which includes 60 USAF medics is working side-by-side with Chilean medics in treating about 225 patients a day at this clinic, which took three days to erect and became fully operational on March 13. Two days later, the first surgery was performed there to repair an ankle fracture. “The Americans here have helped out a lot [and] we feel very grateful that they all are helping our country and our people,” said Chilean army Second Corporal Jonathan Cuevas, a paramedic working in the mobile hospital. (Angol report by SSgt. Vanessa Young)
The Air Force should build its capacity and striking power with collaborative combat aircraft but must put the teaming aspect of the new class of weapons first, getting the concepts and software right at the outset to ensure that autonomous airplanes do what’s needed and expected—and can be trusted—argues a…