Space Force

LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. — The 19th Airlift Wing completed its Combat Readiness Exercise 26-1 at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, Nov. 17 – Dec. 5, testing the wing’s ability to generate, employ and sustain combat forces.

Evaluating combat readiness through exercises like CRE 26-1 is essential to gauging where the Black Knights stand as the wing prepares to meet deployment requirements as an Air Force Unit of Action.

“Assessing the wing’s readiness is crucial for identifying and proactively addressing any gaps in our training, procedures or equipment,” said Maj. Jesse Lind, 19th AW Inspector General director of inspections. “This assessment validates our compliance with directives and ensures our Airmen can perform their wartime mission.”

The exercise was executed in two phases. The force generation phase involved planning for deployment and prepping cargo and personnel, while the employment and sustainment phase required those personnel to operate in a simulated deployed environment.

“The CRE was structured in distinct phases to progressively challenge the wing’s capabilities,” said Senior Master Sgt. James Bray, 19th AW Inspector General superintendent. “Phase one validated our ability to rapidly mobilize and prepare personnel and equipment for deployment. Phase two shifted to execution of simulated operational tasks at a deployed location.”

By design, the exercise simulated the challenges of a real-world deployment while allowing Airmen the space to practice essential skills in a realistic environment.

During phase one, the base went into 24-hour operations, and the 19th Logistics Readiness Squadron led the way as they processed more than 240 tons of cargo, including 118 increments through the cargo deployment function line, and over 470 personnel through the personnel deployment function line.

Throughout phase two, Airmen were challenged through Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) events, logistical constraints, medical responses, base defense scenarios, and other necessary tasks utilized to evaluate the wing’s ability to effectively survive and operate in a CBRN-contested environment.

According to the IG team, the exercise highlighted several strengths and proved that the 19th AW is well-prepared to execute the mission and support national security objectives.

“We saw outstanding teamwork and collaboration across all units. Airmen demonstrated remarkable problem-solving skills, quickly adapted to changing situations and found innovative solutions,” Lind said. “Ultimately, it confirms our team is operating at a level that is prepared for Great Power Competition, both in garrison and in deployed environments.”

GREENVILLE, S.C. — For years, there was only a name and a legacy his family never let fade. On the afternoon of Dec. 14, 2025, family members and uniformed service members gathered at a cemetery, moving toward a granite headstone that had stood for more than eight decades without the man it was meant to honor.

On this day, that changed. The memorial finally met its purpose.

After being killed in action during World War II and buried overseas, 1st Lt. Morton Sher’s remains were finally accounted for. What had once been an empty marker became a place of return, bringing closure to his family and community. A name once lost to history is spoken aloud again. He is accounted for, remembered and finally home.

Sher was 22 years old, a Greenville, South Carolina, native who served as a fighter pilot in the U.S. Army Air Forces. He was assigned to the 76th Fighter Squadron, 23rd Fighter Group, 14th Air Force, the unit that carried on the legacy of the famed Flying Tigers. Sher flew combat missions during World War II as part of the Allied air effort in China, and like many of his generation, he entered the war young, trained for a dangerous role and left behind a life and a future still just beginning.

Sher’s time in China wasn’t only about the mission that would end his life, but it was also marked by moments that revealed both the dangers he faced and the connections he made along the way. Flying a Curtiss P‑40, he escorted bombers and flew hazardous combat missions in the China‑Burma theater. During an October 1942 mission, engine damage forced him down in a Chinese village, where villagers welcomed him with food and celebration. The villagers, grateful for U.S. protection from Japanese forces, celebrated Lt. Sher as a hero with a feast. He entertained 15,000 with songs and a story, received a silk banner for his missions, and was warmly escorted through nearby mountain villages back to his base. Sher later recounted the experience in an Army newsletter that was picked up by the Associated Press: “I sang a few American songs for them and they were highly pleased. The banquet turned out to be one of the biggest surprises of the trip.”

Through his letters and interviews, Sher consistently conveyed that he was where he was meant to be, fully committed to his duty and the people he served alongside. That sense of purpose and vitality has left a lasting impression on his family.

“We never knew Morton, but he was larger than life in the stories our family told us, his photos, and his writings,” said Bruce Fine, Sher’s nephew. “He was certainly a man who filled his pages of life with meaning, and he lived every day to its fullest. In fact, the day before he died, on August 19th, 1943, he wrote a letter home telling his parents ‘I let another pilot take that instructing job, for I find things too exciting here to leave right now’, and the very next day, he was gone.”

His dedication wasn’t just in words, but it was also evident in the choices he made every day in the air.

“Lt Sher was shot down on Oct. 25, 1942, and returned to the 76th Fighter Squadron to fly, fight and win another day,” said Mark Godwin, 23d Wing historian added. “He had an opportunity to return home and become an instructor pilot but chose to stay and continue the fight. He personified the last two core values: Service Before Self and Excellence in All We Do.”

In the summer of 1943, Sher’s service placed him directly in combat. Sher was killed during a mission near Hengyang City, China, when his aircraft crashed and burned in a rice paddy in Xin Bai Village. The local villagers honored his bravery by placing a memorial stone at the crash site. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart in September 1943, presented to his mother, Celia, at the family home in Greenville, and despite a postwar U.S. search and recovery effort, a board of review concluded on September 8, 1947, that his remains had been destroyed in the crash and officially classified him as killed in action and unrecoverable.

Even in that brief time, Sher left a lasting impact.

“Sher spent just over a year in China during World War II,” Godwin said, “He racked up three aerial victories before his untimely death. The Flying Tigers used the Chinese phrase “Ding Hao” during World War II. It means, ‘Very Good, excellent.’ The 76th FS was excellent in World War II. Sher was a part of the excellent 76th FS. He gave his life to protect his fellow Flying Tigers. He should forever be remembered for his courage and sacrifice. Ding Hao!”

Decades later, that same courage and sacrifice inspired a renewed effort to bring him home. In 2012, a private citizen contacted the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) with a photo of his memorial site in China. DPAA visited the site in 2019 but found no remains. A more extensive search in 2024 recovered the plane wreckage and Sher’s remains, which were positively identified through DNA testing using his nephew’s samples after the remains were returned to the lab in Hawaii.

After more than eight decades, Lt. Sher finally returned home to his family.
The successful return of Sher’s remains reflected a shared commitment that transcended borders, with the Chinese government, local civilians, DPAA personnel and his family working together to bring him home.

​​“This was through team effort,” said Col Brett Waring, 476th Fighter Group commander. “The teams that continue to scour the earth for our missing and KIA are beyond impressive. They’re part of that American commitment to individuals that endures across generations.”

Waring said even though the security landscape has evolved and the U.S. Department of War must meet pacing challenges, moments like these where people work together for a common purpose should be treasured.

“We understand that Morton fought for the Chinese people in that war and theater, and when he was shot down, the local populace protected him when he survived the first shootdown, and then prevented the enemy from taking his aircraft and body when he was killed in action,” he said. “That speaks to the humanity that connects us all even when other circumstances point towards adversarial actions.

“It’s a personal commitment that transcends politics and nationalities,” Waring continued. “It’s a respect that allows us to understand that, should we ever be the ones at the focus of such a search, there are incredible teams that work tirelessly to ensure that we all come home. That commitment and purpose remains foundational to every crew member associated with the combat search and rescue mission as well.”

Sher was welcomed home by his family and community during a memorial that reflected the significance of his sacrifice. From remarks delivered by his nephew to the precision of the honor guard and a flyover conducted by the 476th FG, each moment underscored a long-awaited homecoming. What began as a name etched into stone more than 80 years ago became, at last, a place of remembrance, closure, and honor for a pilot who gave his life in service to his country and was never forgotten.

Sher’s homecoming not only honored his sacrifice but also connected past and present generations of service members.

“The legacy that we’re honored to carry on today was started by that generation of warriors who left home to fight for another country in a cause that they absolutely believed in,” Waring said. “It was a level of commitment that we are challenged with maintaining. It’s a legacy that goes beyond painted teeth on an airplane or a patch on our shoulder. It’s history, it’s heritage and it’s a legacy that we’re proud to carry on through our generations. With most of the WWII generation having passed on, there aren’t many opportunities to physically “touch” that history anymore. When I was a younger pilot in the 75th and 74th, the WWII pilots were still around and we could hear their stories directly from them. That time has passed us by, and now it’s up to us, whenever we have the chance as modern Flying Tigers, to carry that heritage and legacy, even as we write our own stories.

“It solidifies the commitment to one another and the enduring bond between all of us in uniform,” Waring continued. “None of us knew Morton Sher, we didn’t know his name until recently, but as soon as we learned of his coming home, we leapt at the opportunity to honor him and support his family. From the maintainers coming in to generate sorties, to Public Affairs researching facts about him, to the wing historian finding additional media and stories, to the pilots who flew the jets emblazoned with the same shark’s teeth that the 76th Pursuit Squadron dominated the skies in 1943 with, it emphatically states that the bond that we share never dies, and no one is left behind or ever forgotten.”

For years, Sher’s story existed in fragments through letters, photographs and a name carved into stone. Now, those pieces had come together, allowing his journey to move forward at last. The pilot who once left Greenville to serve his country was finally returning, not as a memory, but as a son brought home.

Sher’s homecoming closed one long chapter, but it also points to a story still unfolding. Across battlefields and oceans, thousands of service members remain unaccounted for, their families holding onto the same hope that guided Sher’s return and the same promise that continues to drive the mission to bring them home. For pilots like Sher, that hope and dedication are echoed in the skies themselves.

“I’ve topped the windswept heights with easy grace, where never lark, or even eagle flew. And, while in silent, lifting mind I’ve trod, the high untrespassed sanctity of space, put out my hand and touched the face of God.” Etched on the back of Sher’s headstone, these words come from High Flight, written in 1941 by Royal Canadian Air Force pilot John Gillespie Magee Jr. after a training flight. The poem captures the freedom, purpose, and spiritual awe of wartime flight and endures as one of aviation’s most lasting tributes to those who never returned.

As family and friends poured dirt from Israel and the surrounding ground onto Sher’s grave, the memorial was finally made whole. What once stood as a marker of loss now stands as a place of return, where absence gave way to remembrance, and sacrifice to honor.

Sher loved what he did and created a legacy that endures. His story, once unfinished, now stands a complete testament to service, sacrifice, and a nation’s promise to remember those who gave everything. That enduring legacy, woven from history, heroism, and personal courage, continues to inspire both the families who remember him and the generations who follow.

“There’s no limit to the commitment that we share with the generations that formed the legacy that we carry,” Waring added. “Up until a few months ago, I may never have known of Lt. Morton Sher. Now I’ll never forget his name, and I know that’s the same for every member of the 476th that heard his story over the last few months. They say that a warrior dies two deaths: one physical, and the second when their name is forgotten. If that’s true, then Morton lives on in the hearty laughter and boisterous camaraderie that flows from the 76th Fighter Squadron today.”

His heroism is not only preserved in the memories of his family but also carried forward by those who follow in his footsteps, ensuring that his name and story remain alive.

“Our family tree produced a real hero,” Fine said. “The kind you read about and see on the big screen except he was real! We hope his bravery and his courage will inspire the family members who follow us to believe anything you can dream can be truly possible if you’re willing to commit to it and work hard to achieve it.”

The North American Aerospace Defense Command defends the North American airspace 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, and includes the New York Air Guardsman of the Eastern Air Defense Sector in Rome, New York.

On Dec. 24, NORAD will add one more element to its mission list as it tracks Santa Claus on his around-the-world flight.

The American and Canadian NORAD personnel at the Eastern Air Defense Sector, a unit of the Continental U.S. NORAD Region, are standing by to support this effort.

“EADS is always happy to support NORAD’s Santa tracking operation,” said Col. Joseph F. Roos, EADS Commander. “Our highly trained Airmen defend the homeland day and night, and they are prepared and ready to track Santa this Dec. 24.”

A bi-national Canadian and American command, NORAD defends the North America through aerospace warning, aerospace control, and maritime warning. Aerospace warning includes the monitoring of man-made objects in space, and the detection, validation, and warning of attack against North America whether by aircraft, missiles, or space vehicles, through mutual support arrangements with other commands.

Responsible for the air defense of the eastern U.S., EADS is composed of the New York Air National Guard’s 224th Air Defense Group, a Canadian Armed Forces detachment, U.S. Army and Navy liaison officers, and federal civilians and contractors. EADS also has a squadron and a detachment in the National Capital Region.

The Santa tracking tradition is 70 years old. It began in 1955 when a young child accidentally dialed the unlisted phone number of NORAD’s predecessor, the Continental Air Defense Command operations center. The Director of Operations, Col. Harry Shoup, answered the phone and instructed his staff to check the radar for indications of Santa making his way south from the North Pole.

A tradition was born and continued when NORAD was formed in 1958. Each year since, NORAD has dutifully reported Santa’s location on Dec. 24 to millions of children and families across the globe.

The NORAD Tracks Santa Operations Center will become fully operational at 4 a.m. Mountain Standard Time on Dec. 24. Children and parents can call 1-877-HI-NORAD (1-877-446-6723) to talk directly to a NORAD staff member who will be able to tell you Santa’s exact location. Operators are available until midnight.

Children, families and fans also keep track of Santa’s location on the NORAD Tracks Santa website and several social media platforms.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/noradsanta

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/NORADTracksSanta

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noradtrackssanta_official

NORAD Tracks Santa web site: https://www.noradsanta.org

NORAD Tracks Santa Newsroom: https://noradsantanews.com/newsroom

NTS App available on mobile devices

Updates via Amazon Alexa, SiriusXM and OnStar

Late November and December 2025 have seen a fair amount of extreme cold weather, but the contractors for the $55.75 million Collective Training Officers Quarters Project at Fort McCoy kept building and moving forward.

On Nov. 21, the project was 33 percent complete, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. As of Dec. 19, that progress increased to 38 percent completed.

The project includes two buildings being constructed in a sizeable construction space of the installation’s 1600 block of the cantonment area. On the west building, the contractor has been busy finishing framing so they can then fully cover the building. On the east building, more of the exterior walls were receiving brick placement.

The contractor for the project, BlindermanPower (Construction), which has also completed another major project at Fort McCoy — the fiscal year-2022 funded South Barracks Project, was awarded a contract totaling $55,759,100, according to the Army Corps of Engineers. The notice to proceed was acknowledged on July 19, 2024. The contract duration is scheduled for completion in 1,260 calendar days.

In 2024, for numerous months, actual full construction of the new buildings had to wait for another contractor to move five World War II-era barracks buildings. Those are destined for a separate future project, Fort McCoy Directorate of Public Works (DPW) officials said.

The project description in the contract states the plan is to build the two buildings based on the standard layout depicted in the Operational Readiness Training Complex.

“This facility is required to replace antiquated World War II-era wood transient training officer quarters currently being utilized to train Soldiers during major exercises, annual training, battle assembly, and mobilization at Fort McCoy,” the description states. “This facility will be designed with the ability to be winterized or deactivated during the winter months.”

Ken Green with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Resident Office at Fort McCoy said with the project now being 38 percent complete, the contractor hasn’t let weather slow them down.

In his Dec. 19 update, Green gave the latest actions.

“In the west building, exterior wall framing continued,” Green wrote in the update. “Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing rough-in continued. Interior and exterior spray foam continued. Interior rough-in framing and sheet rocking continued. Masonry continued on the west side section. Fluid applied air barrier completed. Standing seam roof panels staged.

“In the east building, structural steel erection continued for section B,” Green wrote. “Winterization continues. Exterior stud framing continued in section A and B. Interior stairs section A concrete placed. Exterior spray foam started on structural steel in-fills.”

The project description, also as stated in previous news articles, gives more information about how the project will continue to grow.

“When Fort McCoy is not stood up as a mobilization platform, its primary mission is to support the seasonal requirements of training … Army Reserve Soldiers,” the description states. “In order to conserve as much energy as possible, while also decreasing the funding necessary to field extended utility costs, this building will be deactivated when it is not being used for training.”

The contract requirements also show that work includes building a standing seam metal roof over rigid insulation on steel deck on structural trusses; using utility brick veneer over rigid insulation on steel studs with exterior glass mat gypsum sheathing; building a concrete floor on metal deck and on-grade; installing and elevator, aluminum doors and windows, gypsum board and metal frame partitions, steel door frames and steel doors, and acoustical ceilings; installing heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems; completing plumbing, security, and electrical systems; and more.

The officer’s quarters project makes two active, large construction projects taking place in the 1600 block of the installation. All this work also continues with the master plan for the 1600 block that will include not only the four barracks but also three 20,000-square-foot brigade headquarters buildings — one of which is done — and now the two 160-room officer quarters, said Fort McCoy Directorate of Public Works officials.

Contract completion date is currently is Dec. 31, 2027.

See more news about the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers by visiting https://www.usace.army.mil/Media/News.

Fort McCoy’s motto is to be the “Total Force Training Center.”

Located in the heart of the upper Midwest, Fort McCoy is the only U.S. Army installation in Wisconsin.

The installation has provided support and facilities for the field and classroom training of more than 100,000 military personnel from all services nearly every year since 1984.

Learn more about Fort McCoy online at https://home.army.mil/mccoy, on Facebook by searching “ftmccoy,” on Flickr at https://www.flickr.com/photos/fortmccoywi, and on X (formerly Twitter) by searching “usagmccoy.”

Also try downloading the My Army Post app to your smartphone and set “Fort McCoy” or another installation as your preferred base. Fort McCoy is also part of Army’s Installation Management Command where “We Are The Army’s Home.”

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany – Military tradition is woven into every military ceremony. These events lead to an appreciation among the crowd and nominees, fostering a positive culture of collective recognition. Behind the Length of Service ceremony is the 86th Force Support Squadron, embracing and orchestrating these ‘wins’ at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.

The Length of Service distinguishes such individuals, including awarding ‘50 years of Service’ for Mr. Clarence “Charlie” Searchwell, as an operations assistant with the Officer Club, 86th FSS.

Charlie understood the value of time. As an immigrant from the blue mountains of Jamaica, he joined the U.S. Air Force in 1950s, New York during a divisive time where racial segregation was codified into law.

“I immigrated to America and I had to sign a piece of paper saying ‘I will serve’ – no draft, I had to serve for my citizenship,” Charlie exclaimed. “When I joined the military during segregation – I couldn’t even vote”.

Regardless of the limitations placed on Charlie, he continued to pursue his dream of playing professional soccer. This strife, dedication and resilience led him to his initial and final duty station at Ramstein AB, where he felt comfortable, respected – there he found his sweetheart where marriage and commitment scored together.

As he summarized, ‘I used up my 24 hours a day’ while maintaining his health and fitness as a professional soccer player until he was 80-years-old. The rest of his hours consisted of serving Airmen and families from dawn to dusk. He worked at the commissary until 4 p.m. and then shifted to working as a dishwasher until closing. From learning Dutch, French and German, he continues to embody community and a hardworking spirit.

“The Air Force is better today, and the most valuable thing I have is my time – that’s what I gave the Air Force,” Charlie explained. “I give you my time, that means a lot to me. Don’t waste it – you can’t buy it, borrow it, save it, but you can throw it away.”

His motto ‘You treat me right, I treat you better’ echoes in his everyday responsibilities and is tied to his character as a brother and within the veteran community.

Transitioning from service member to veteran, Charlie continues to regularly offer support across various departments throughout his time at Ramstein AB. Charlie upholds the same moral standards and work ethic he demonstrated on his very first day.

“My whole family served in the military; my brother just retired as an Air Force Lt Col,” Charlie said. “Every year on POW/MIA day I go outside to attend their ceremony, I never miss it. ”

Ever since the early 1960s, Charlie’s passion for excellence both professionally and personally continues to shine. He has become a living repository of Air Force heritage, ethos and institutional knowledge.

“I’ve known Charlie since I was 8 years old,” said Mr. Riley Pyles, Strategic Cell for U.S. Space Force Program Executive Office Military Communications & Positioning Navigation and Timing contractor. “I’m impressed by his dedication and energy, which I have witnessed him pouring into others and never asking for anything in return over the decades. He’s definitely a one-of-a-kind servant leader.”

During his time at Ramstein Air Base, he mentored and guided numerous young individuals, positively influencing their careers and lives and continues to do so. Similarly, two local nationals were awarded at the Length of Service ceremony on Dec. 4.

“Charlie is a legend around Ramstein and contributed so much more to the KMC community that many of us will ever know about,” said Mr. Jude Sorg, 86th FSS deputy director. “Biannually we conduct a length of service ceremony where individuals from 20-60 years of service are recognized, like Charlie and many others.”

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. – U.S. Marines from Combat Logistics Regiment 1, 1st Marine Logistics Group provided tactical logistics support to elements of 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force in a simulated non-permissive environment during Exercise Steel Knight 25 Dec. 1 – 14.

Steel Knight 25 was a scenario-based exercise designed to evaluate and certify the next iteration of Marines for Marine Rotational Force – Darwin. Steel Knight also served as a proof of concept for emerging tactics of a crucial warfighting function – logistics.

“Steel Knight deliberately focused on how to conduct multi-modal distribution in a contested and dispersed environment,” said Maj. Jonathan Chavez USMC, Operations Officer with Combat Logistics Regiment 1. “This focus of effort challenged not only the logistics formations to think of alternate forms of sustainment, but also enabled the Task Force and Joint Partners to integrate and solve complex distribution problems that will require a whole of effort approach going into our next near peer conflict.”

Logistics is the pacing function for operations. Without the sustainment of vital supplies, formations of all sizes experience reduced combat potential and are more vulnerable to attacks from the enemy. Traditional lines of logistics, such as long supply chains safe in the rear, are liabilities on the modern battlefield where they are easily targeted, often without risk to enemy forces.

To sustain forces across the battlespace, logistics units must forecast consumption of supplies including fuel, food, and ammo. Getting supplies and providing maintenance becomes more difficult when lines of supply are threatened by enemy weapons systems. With units, in need of logistical support, being located on different islands the problem becomes more complex. To combat these vulnerabilities, Marines across 1st MLG are magnifying their position as subject matter experts by providing novel and survivable options for commanders to fulfil the needs of combat units.

In anticipation of the next fight, 1st MLG is modernizing its tactics and adopting a philosophy of survivable and resilient sustainment, designed to thrive in the most austere, contested, or nonpermissive environments. Steel Knight 25 allowed the Marines and Sailors of 1st MLG to rehearse sustainment operations in a contested environment, based on observations from recent conflicts. Flexibility, redundancy, and survivability in logistics operations are critical to success.

1st MLG has taken decisive action over years to invest in its people and platforms maximizing survivability and effectiveness in dispersed formations without compromising any class or function of supply. Additionally, prepositioning of resources, such as cache sites, enhance the sustainability of operations across the battlespace, to achieve the greatest success rate. These pre-staged materials provide commander’s flexibility to engage the enemy knowing they will have ammunition, food, fuel, and other critical supplies to continue the fight.

Logistics units participating in Steel Knight 25 rehearsed flexible logistics operations while maintaining dispersed command and control. 1st Distribution Support Battalion, Combat Logistics Regiment 1, utilized aircraft to facilitate resupplies. Through air delivery operations, 1st DSB created a more robust sustainment network to support operations. Multi-domain webs of support ensure units in need of resupply are not limited to land resupply, but can receive critical support from the air, land, or sea.

The modern battlefield is rife with threats to logistics operations. Threats like small unmanned arial systems can target supply caches, refueling points, or combat formations without exposing the enemy to risk. In response to emerging threats, Marines with Headquarters and Service Battalion, 1st MLG prioritized survivability of their operating positions.

To increase survivability, Headquarters and Service Battalion, 1st MLG, dug trenches and earthwork ports. Between resupplies, maintenance functions, or health services support, vehicles were parked below the earth, concealed by camouflage netting.

“Our goal was to focus on implementing new ways to mask signature in an ever-changing battle space,” 2nd Lt. Kyle Hansen who served as the camp commandant for H&S Bn during Steel Knight 25 said of the operating site. He continued by stating, “H&S Bn was able to utilize thermal signature masking cammie netting to improve a defensive logistical node and establish a functioning command and control suite, that enabled decision makers to accomplish the mission.”

Though the location of the future fight is undetermined, 1st MLG has set the foundation for future success. Through practicing decentralized command, leaders are empowered to act proactively across a dispersed battlefield while providing crucial support to combat formations. By learning from contemporary examples of warfare, identifying threats to logistics networks, and refining tactics 1st MLG is underwriting the lethality of the MEF.