Friday, September 11, 2026 l Vol. 51, Number 37
SERVING TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE AND THE MILITARY COMMUNITY OF SOLANO COUNTY
515TH AMOW VISITS 621ST CRW Page 2
STEEL ANVIL 2026 Page 3
NORTHERN STRIKE 26-2 Page 6
TAILWIND
TRAVIS
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WALK
THROUGH
Senior Airman Adriana Jordan Alcaniz/U.S. Air Force file
A boom operator walks through the fuselage of a KC-135 Stratotanker at a base in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Aug. 25.
Tobyhanna Army Depot powers world-record drone flight Lindsay Grant
U.S. ARMY MATERIEL COMMAND
sharpen focus, accelerate reaction times, and enhance decision-making under pressure. The 7-by-7-foot reflective cube room provides low lighting, calming music, and guided exercises. Participants wear an electroencephalogram biosensor headband that assesses brain functions, providing insight into areas such as task management, mental clarity and relaxation. This readiness resource is already
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE — A batterypowered small unmanned aircraft system recently shattered a world endurance record, flying for more than eight hours in the desert heat – a milestone achieved using critical propulsion components assembled by the Army’s organic industrial base. During the Game of Drones 26-2 demonstration at Edwards Air Force Base, July 15-17, two brushless direct current motors assembled at Tobyhanna Army Depot, Pennsylvania, successfully powered a Group 1 small UAS to a record-breaking flight time of eight hours, 41 minutes and 43 seconds. The aircraft flew for approximately 300 miles before safely landing, surpassing the previous record by 50 minutes. The record-breaking flight represents a major milestone for Army Materiel Command and its efforts to build secure, domestic supply chains for critical defense technologies. The demonstration served as the first major outdoor operational test of the Tobyhanna-assembled motors on an active aircraft. “AMC is proud to provide materiel solutions to support innovation across the uncrewed systems spectrum,” said Army Capt. Lee Washburn, AMC military liaison for advanced manufacturing of small UAS. “From providing components to soldiers at innovation labs, to providing industry clean supply chain solutions in support of drone dominance, it is our goal to continue to participate in events that demonstrate our capabilities and help refine our components for the warfighter based upon realistic testing.” Rapid, collaborative on-site manufacturing made the achievement possible. The drone was designed in less than 10 minutes using computer prompts via adaptability software. Within 24 hours of takeoff, the aircraft was fabricated inside a mobile containerized production factory using commercial 3D printers, integrated with the Tobyhanna brushless motors and a battery from an industry partner
See MindGym, Page 3
See Drone, Page 3
Senior Airman Bryce Moore/U.S. Air Force file (2024)
Tech. Sgt. Brandie Henrichs, airman leadership instructor, prepares to use the MindGym at Whiteman AFB, Mo.,
Nov. 20, 2024. The MindGym offers a unique and immersive experience that focuses on reducing stress.
AFGSC reimagines readiness with MindGym Tech. Sgt. Shelby Thurman
AIR FORCE GLOBAL STRIKE COMMAND
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. — To ensure operational readiness and maintain the tactical edge, airmen must train their brains with the same rigor as their bodies. Air Force Global Strike Command is looking to accelerate and modernize this effort with a tactical training simulator known as MindGym. “No different than investing in modernization efforts for weapon
systems, such as the B-21 Raider, Sentinel ICBM program, and the new fleet of Grey Wolf helicopters, Global Strike senior leadership recognizes the importance of modernizing how they advance their most important asset: Global Strike airmen,” said Col. Erich Schroeder, AFGSC command surgeon. MindGym, originally developed by and in partnership with Lumena Inc., is a safe, painless, and highly controlled environment designed to