Airmen 
with the 58th Airlift Squadron at Altus AFB, Okla., in mid-June transported four Navy mine-hunting dolphins back home from Norfolk, Va. to Naval Base Point Loma in San Diego aboard one of Altus’ C-17s. The four bottlenose dolphins were in Norfolk to assist in underwater mine clearance activities during the US military’s annual Frontier Sentinel training exercise. For the trip home, the dolphins were housed in specially designed cradles and special care was taken to ensure that their flight was as comfortable as possible. For example, “We took off from Norfolk and we used the whole runway for a nice, slow rolling takeoff,” said Capt. Jud Baker, one of the pilots. The dolphins’ handlers, trainers, and veterinary staff were also present. (Altus report by TSgt. Jennifer Seidl)
Across the defense establishment, officials have declined to comment on reports that China fielded a nuclear-capable hypersonic weapon in August, but defense policy nominee Alexandra Baker told senators Oct. 19 there was a “sense of urgency” for DOD to develop similar capabilities. For two days, DOD officials from U.S. Space…