Free Republic

Traumatic brain injuries are quickly emerging as the signature wound of the U.S. war with Iran so far, echoing a pattern of post-9/11 wars... More than 200 U.S. troops have so far been wounded in the war, and at least 140 of those were TBI-related injuries... It’s a surge being driven by Iran’s reliance on one-way attack drones and the concussive blasts they deliver in strikes against American troops in countries across the Middle East, including Kuwait and Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. Symptoms of TBI can be subtle at first but often linger for years, or even a lifetime, ranging...

When the first reports came on Friday of the downing of an American F-15 fighter jet over Iran with two pilots – the US military tasked the impossible mission of retrieving a pilot and navigator from behind enemy lines with the US Air Force Pararescue, commonly known as the “PJs.” The PJs serve as the Pentagon’s ultimate insurance policy. Operating under the motto “So That Others May Live,” these elite specialists are trained to go where no one else can, often under heavy fire and in the most inhospitable environments on earth. “It’s one of the elite and really not...

Ever since World War Two, America’s aircraft carrier fleets have served as imposing instruments of imperial power, roaming the oceans to cow recalcitrant nations into obedience. Favored by the Trump administration for this purpose, current experience indicates their day is done thanks to the proliferation of anti-ship missiles and the increasing ubiquity of drones. In America’s last Middle Eastern war but two, against the Yemeni Houthis in 2025, the carrier USS Harry S.Truman, complete with its attendant escorts, was driven into retreat, leaving antagonists in control of the Red Sea. On one occasion, the carrier’s desperate maneuver to avoid a...

Today, there are nearly 70,000 women serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. More than 10,000 are fighting directly on the frontlines. They are not there because of a quota. They are there because they wanted to serve, and serve they are… The drone revolution: where women excel The character of the fight has altered. No longer is strength the limiting factor. Now it’s precision, focus, and problem-solving. Women fly the latest FPV drones, command unmanned systems units, and conduct intelligence missions in Ukraine. The Khartiia Corps claims a 20 percent increase in female recruits for combat technology positions. Why? Because...

Amid the raging conflict in the Middle East, the astonishing events at Barksdale Air Force Base earlier this month have attracted only limited media attention. It is reported that swarms of unidentified drones repeatedly loitered over Barksdale between March 9 and 15, drawing no publicly known effective response from the military or the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Barksdale is the headquarters of the Air Force’s Global Strike Command, which is responsible for the nation’s nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles and strategic bomber forces, including B2, B1, and B52 aircraft. The base is home to the 2nd Bomb Wing B52s and...

Nearly two weeks after retired Air Force Gen. William McCasland disappeared from his home in the Albuquerque foothills, investigators have released a new photo they believe shows what he may have been wearing the day he vanished. Authorities say the 68-year-old was last seen on Feb. 27. The Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office believes McCasland left his house on the morning of Feb. 27. A repairman interacted with him around 10 a.m., and his wife left for a medical appointment at about 11:10 a.m. When she returned just after noon, he was gone. Items unaccounted for from his home include hiking...

Six American soldiers who lost their lives over western Iraq while supporting a mission are being remembered and honored by the U.S. Senate. The lawmakers passed a resolution recognizing their bravery, service, and ultimate sacrifice. The resolution, introduced by U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) and co-sponsored by Senators Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), Jon Husted (R-Ohio), and Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), passed unanimously. It honors Major Alex Klinner of Auburn, Alabama; Major Ariana G. Savino of Covington, Washington; Technical Sergeant Ashley B. Pruitt of Bardstown, Kentucky; Captain Seth R. Koval of Mooresville, Indiana; Captain...

ALAMOGORDO, N.M. (AP) — A shooting at a U.S. Air Force base in New Mexico on Tuesday left one person dead and another wounded, according to military officials. The Holloman Air Force Base near Alamogordo, in southern New Mexico, was put on lockdown at about 5:30 p.m. because of reports of an active shooter near the base convenience store, according to a statement released by the 49th Wing. The person wounded has been taken for medical treatment, according to the statement. Security officials confirmed the base is safe and the lockdown was lifted. “Emergency personnel are responding to the situation...

Five U.S. Air Force refueling planes were damaged in an Iranian missile strike at Prince Sultan air base in Saudi Arabia. Although the planes sustained damage, they were not fully destroyed and are currently being repaired. No casualties were reported. The incident was reported by the Wall Street Journal.

March 13 (Reuters) - Five U.S. Air Force refueling planes ​were struck and ‌damaged on the ground at Prince Sultan ​air base in ​Saudi Arabia, the Wall ⁠Street Journal reported ​on Friday, citing two ​U.S. officials. The planes, which were hit during an ​Iranian missile strike ​on the Saudi base in ‌recent ⁠days, were damaged but not fully destroyed and are ​being repaired, ​the ⁠Journal said, adding that no ​one was killed ​in ⁠the strikes.

Locals: ‘First time we’ve seen anything like this since the attacks started’ Check this wild footage from Karaj moments ago !

(Snip) The Air Force’s preparations for war were fascinating. Because the number of aircraft and pilots is fixed and known, and because it was clear a race would develop between Iran’s launch capability and the Air Force’s ability to destroy launchers and missiles, the solution devised by the Air Force was to increase the number of waves. How? Fly to Iran and back three times a day. Every pilot. And how is that done? With stimulant pills. That was the trick they planned. And it worked. When every pilot does this three times a day instead of once or twice,...

A former U.S. Air Force officer and instructor pilot has been arrested and charged with unlawfully providing “defense services” to Chinese military pilots, specifically combat aircraft training.

The Department of Justice on Wednesday announced that a former US Air Force Pilot was arrested for training Chinese military pilots. Gerald Eddie Brown, Jr., 65, was arrested Wednesday in Jeffersonville, Indiana, the DOJ said. The 24-year Air Force veteran was “charged by criminal complaint for providing and conspiring to provide defense services to Chinese military pilots without authorization, in violation of the Arms Export Control Act (AECA).” “As alleged in the complaint, since at least in or around August 2023, Brown willfully conspired with foreign nationals and U.S. persons to provide combat aircraft training to pilots in the Chinese...

Former U.S. Air Force officer and pilot Gerald Eddie Brown, Jr., also known by the call sign “Runner,” 65, a U.S. citizen, was arrested today in Jeffersonville, Indiana. Brown was charged by criminal complaint for providing and conspiring to provide defense services to Chinese military pilots without authorization, in violation of the Arms Export Control Act (AECA). Brown is expected to have his initial appearance before a Magistrate Judge in the Southern District of Indiana on February 26, 2026. “The United States Air Force trained Major Brown to be an elite fighter pilot and entrusted him with the defense of...

The American Forces Network is ending its eight-channel satellite television service for U.S. military personnel living off base across Europe and Asia. The long-running service known as “direct-to-home” is screening its final programming before going dark March 22, said Kimberly Antos, director of AFN’s Broadcast Center. The network is replacing the satellite broadcast with its AFN Now application, which has drawn 57,000 registered users since it launched in 2022, she told Stars and Stripes in a Jan. 30 email. “This transition is absolutely a cost-saving measure,” Antos said, adding she doesn’t have information about how much money the broadcaster will...

A US Air Force pharmacist and his husband are accused of stealing over $3 million from the Department of War to fund their lavish lifestyle that included purchasing a BMW, a Porsche and a mansion in Arizona. Staff Sgt. Richard Stefon Ramroop, 35, and Manuel George Madrid, 32, were hit with a 12-count indictment for their alleged scheme to steal from the government between January 2022 and December 2025, the Department of Justice announced Thursday. Ramroop is suspected of using taxpayer funds to purchase thousands of medical devices through his position in the pharmacy at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in...

Lufthansa is rumoured to be selling off two of its Boeing 747-8s with reports that the buyer is the US Air Force. While the carrier has yet to officially confirm the move, we know that Lufthansa was planning to hold on to its newer 747-8s and operate them into the 2030s.

The YFQ-44 Fury, Andurll's prototype for the Air Force's collaborative combat aircraft program, made its first flight somewhere in California. Anduril ================================================================== The neoprime contractor lagged behind General Atomics for the inaugural CCA flight test. Anduril’s robot wingman has notched its first flight Friday, more than a month after the neoprime defense contractor blamed software woes and a push to make the inaugural takeoff semi-autonomous for the delay. The takeoff happened at a testing location in California, the Air Force said in an emailed news release. Anduril’s prototype for the service’s combat collaborative combat aircraft competition has now joined one...

With a Georgetown University degree and several internships under her belt, Christina Salvadore thought she’d be starting a career in New York City’s fashion or beauty industries around now. The problem: She can’t find a job. The 23-year-old hasn’t been able to land a full-time role despite filling out hundreds of applications and taking dozens of networking calls since graduating in the spring. She’s currently applying to part-time gigs to tide her over financially. “It definitely sucks when people are like, ‘So what are you doing now?,‘” Salvadore, a Florida native, told CNBC. “I’m sitting in my parents’ house on...