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In this episode of SureFire Field Notes, Travis Hanson of the famous Team O’Neill Rally School talks about one of the most fundamental skills many drivers fail to master, looking where you want the car to go, because where you are looking is where the car is going.
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The 60th Maintenance Group completed the first in-house drone training for Small Unmanned Aerial Systems used for aircraft maintenance in the Department of Defense Jan. 27-31, 2025.
Over the course of five days, the drone training program’s 32 objectives focused on operational competency and flight safety, highlighting the fundamental safety rules for flying on an active airfield. This hands-on course allowed students to apply classroom knowledge in real-world scenarios, gaining valuable experience that directly supports the mission.
“Setting up the program required navigating complex regulations and overcoming significant challenges to qualify Travis Airmen to use drones for remote aircraft inspection,” said U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sergeant Max Dombroski, 60th MXG. “It really is a big step forward.”
Prior to this program, maintainers conducted inspections using a man lift or by walking along aircraft wings with harnesses and fall restraint equipment.
“Being able to use the drone has increased my confidence in my own personal safety,” said Senior Airman Mathew Closas, 860th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron airlift/special mission aircraft maintenance specialist. “This allows me to focus solely on the inspection.”
The drones are equipped with several technological advancements, including multi-spectral cameras, which enhance inspections by detecting hidden discrepancies, tracking structural issues such as cracks and corrosion, and identifying damage beneath the aircraft’s surface.
SrA Amrullo Nazarov, 60th MXG home station coordinator team lead and drone training instructor, said “that this program will improve fleet health, help prevent delays and boost readiness. And hopefully make its way throughout the Air Force and that’s exciting.”
Tech. Sgt. Merci Ovard, 60th MXG home station coordinator flight chief highlighted the significant potential applications of drones for preventative maintenance, emphasizing that using automated predictive model will enable early identification of potential issues.
“We have only just scratched the surface with this technology,” said Ovard.
While the drone itself was approved for airworthiness by Air Mobility Command in October 2024, the course was developed by team members assigned to the 60th MXG and approved by Air Force Special Operations Command in the fourth quarter of 2024.
“In the first week of use alone, drone pilots identified a sheared bolt in a C-17 Globemaster III stabilizer panel, preventing $280,000 in damages,” said Ovard. “The SUAS Aircraft Inspection Program has redefined inspection efficiency and accuracy. This initiative will save Travis AFB over 7,000 man-hours annually, significantly easing the workload on maintenance personnel.”
Story by Gary Edwards, 60th Air Mobility Wing
While flying aboard a C-17 from Joint Base Andrews to Stuttgart on February 10, 2025, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth signed a memorandum renaming Fort Liberty in North Carolina to Fort Roland L. Bragg. The new name pays tribute to PFC Roland L. Bragg, a World War II hero who earned the Silver Star and Purple Heart for his exceptional courage during the Battle of the Bulge. This change underscores the installation’s legacy of recognizing those who have demonstrated extraordinary service and sacrifice for the nation.
By John Ullyot, DOD Press Secretary
We are excited to announce that NorArm Tactical is now an official dealer for Norwegian made suppressors from A-TEC, a company renowned for their high quality products and the preferred choice for arms manufacturers such as Heckler & Koch.
We have added a small number of their suppressors on our webstore for now, but more will be added gradually and we are also able to get any A-TEC suppressor you may need on short notice if you reach out.
Important. Suppressors are only available for sale in Norway. For governmental law enforcement and military units outside Norway, please contact our Training Wing at training@norarm.com for inquiries regarding export.
U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND AREA OF RESPONSABILITY (AFNS) —
The 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron executed the Ninth Air Force’s largest-ever no-notice Rapid Airfield Damage Recovery exercise, setting a benchmark across the branch. The multi-day RADR exercise played a part in the broader Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) directed operation Agile Spartan 25-1.
The primary goal of RADR is to ensure airfields return to full functionality as efficiently as possible to maintain flight operations following an attack. The exercise involved Airmen assessing damage, clearing debris and repairing the airfield.
Squadron leadership developed a scenario by utilizing intelligence on real-world adversary munition capabilities in the theater. From there, the 379th ECES explosive ordnance disposal unit was tasked with cratering a mock runway using controlled detonations.
“We were alerted of a [simulated] attack and had to repair the airfield to facilitate the return of aircraft from a forward operating location,” said 1st Lt. Daniel Cunningham, 379th ECES operations flight deputy. “With minimal preparation time, we organized a team to evaluate the damage and construct a plan for complete repair within 48 hours.”
A typical RADR exercise would involve two simulated craters. This exercise had nine real craters, the largest being 60 feet by 35 feet, an unprecedented size for an exercise in a deployed location. This escalation in scope was specifically designed to test the limits of a single squadron’s capabilities, challenging predefined operational thresholds.
“We took the foundations of RADR framework and expanded on it, leaving us with a unique situation that required us to be innovative with the resources and constraints we had to work with,” said Master Sgt. Tyler Jones, 379th ECES heavy repair superintendent. “The scale of this exercise was uncharted territory for us.”
Adding an additional level of complexity, the exercise planning team simulated the loss of Jones, thereby removing his leadership and experience. This ‘inject’ forced personnel to step above their typical role, fostering leadership and accelerating growth in preparation of a contested zone.
“Losing [Jones] forced the squadron to come together with different units executing as a team,” said Staff Sgt. Noah Scott, 379th ECES pavements and construction equipment supervisor. “In a real-world scenario, there’s a possibility of losing anyone. If we lost the person in charge we’d have to adapt to continue the mission. This scenario threw us in a high-stress environment, ensuring everyone stepped up.”
With the time limit in place, Airmen within the squadron whose day-to-day duties did not encompass the skills required for RADR, were called upon to assist in the recovery process. Pavements and construction equipment specialists conducted on-the-spot training, demonstrating the flexibility of the Mission-Ready Airman concept.
By the 23rd hour of the exercise, the minimum operating strip was fully restored, allowing simulated aircraft to return more than 24 hours ahead of schedule. As the 379th Air Expeditionary Wingcontinues to shift from an expeditionary to an enduring mindset, Airmen participating in the exercise spent an additional four hours shifting expedited repairs for the exercise into permanent repairs that will enhance future recovery efforts.
“Repairing nine large craters with time to spare showcased Air Force Civil Engineer’s ability to adapt and rapidly respond to a large-scale attack,” said Lt. Col. Jonathan Needham, 379th ECES commander. “This team far exceeded my expectations and set a new standard for civil engineers across the Air Force. I am honored to lead such a talented and driven group of Airmen.”
By Airman 1st Class Zeeshan Naeem
379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
An unspecified number and type of drones have reportedly been used in the attempted assassination of General Jorge Alejandro Gutiérrez Martínez, the newly appointed commander of Mexico’s 42nd Military District.
The attack took place near the town of Dolores, between Guadalupe y Calvo and La Leghuguilla in the state of Chihuahua in northwestern Mexico. Four people were said to be wounded, including Gen. Martínez, two soldiers and a policewoman.
(Gen. Martínez photo via El Financiero)
The following video of the attack has been proliferating across numerous social media platforms and accounts. It appears to show a coordinated attack by multiple drone operators against the small military convoy carrying Gen. Martínez and his security detail. However, it should be noted that other sources attribute this video from a different attack in Tamaulipas.
Regardless of its provenance, the video’s content is pretty clear.
Some of these posts claim the drone(s) used was a Mavic 30T, but at this juncture there is no way to confirm this independently.
Although the results of the attack were lackluster at best (except, of course, from the perspective of the four casualties that took shrapnel), it is attracting a substantial amount of attention. First, due to the rank of the intended victim. Second, and much more sensationally, due to recent reports that narco-traffickers are planning drone attacks on US Border Patrol and other LE and military elements on the border.
For instance, the New York Post recently published excerpts from an “internal memo” which warned, in part,
“On February 1, 2025, the El Paso Sector Intelligence and Operations Center (EPT-IOC) received information advising that Mexican cartel leaders have authorized the deployment of drones equipped with explosives to be used against US Border Patrol agents and US military personal currently working along the border with Mexico…”
Officer safety notifications of this nature (though not this content) are commonly distributed in the LE world to notify LEOs of emerging or imminent credible threats in an AO, a jurisdiction, or against law enforcement in general.
Additional reports of border security personnel exchanging gunfire with Cartel members have ratcheted up tension regarding border issues, though cross-border drone use and attacks against USBP agents are not all new. Mexican transnational criminal organizations have been using drones for years now in a number of ways. And though direct attacks by weaponized drones against either rival organizations or local security forces have not been reported in any great numbers, a comparison to drone use by Ukrainian and Russian forces is inevitable.
And probably righteous. If it hasn’t happened yet, it certainly will, though the wisdom of sustained, direct attacks on US military and law enforcement personnel is dubious from a strictly business Cartel perspective.
Some past examples of Cartel drone use include:
These examples are just a tithe of what could be reported, though to date, we haven’t seen a systemic and coordinated combined arms style attack utilizing drones and Cartel gunmen such as the ones that are now commonplace in Ukraine.
See the referenced NY Post article.
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