The use of crop-duster aircraft as combat aircraft is nothing new, and it seems the United States is simply following a global trend, because the agricultural aircraft are relatively cheap and easy to maintain.
U.S. Air Force (USAF) Special Operations Command (SOC) loves its latest crop-duster, the OA-1K, which is actually based on the Air Tractor (based in Olney, Texas) crop-duster and fire-fighting aircraft. The USAF boasts that its new Skyraider-2 is “cost effective”. Air Tractor calls their combat crop-duster the AT-802U Sky Warden (the AT-802 first flew in 1990).
In January 2025, the finalized version of the crop-duster on steroids arrived on Hurlburt Field, Florida. In February, USAF-SOC christened the OA-1K the “Skyraider-2”.
On 03APR2025, the USAF-SOC officially accepted its first OA-1K during a ceremony on Hurlburt Field: “Skyraider-2 represents not just a new platform, but a modular solution to our national security needs. It will redefine how we approach joint campaigning, crisis response and the evolving landscape of modern warfare.”-Lieutenant General Michael Conley, SOC commander.
I edited this together from two USAF promotional videos:
The Skyraider-2 is already being offered for sale to Central American and Caribbean countries. On 27AUG2024, the OA-1K was flown to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, being presented during the Industry Day/Air Chiefs conference for the air forces of those countries.
Actually, most A-10C units are turning in their Thunderbolt-2s for the F-35 Lightning-2. The OA-1K Skyraider-2 is specifically a ‘special operations’ aircraft, the crew are known as Air Commandos.
This is the AT-802U trainer version.
Training on the OA-1K will officially take place on Will Rogers Air National Guard Base, in Oklahoma. Interestingly, the training version has been arriving on Will Rogers Air National Guard Base since July 2024, months before the official acceptance of the OA-1K.
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP, aka Border Patrol) truck, manned by U.S. Army Soldiers, parked behind a sign marking the border between the U.S. and Mexico, near Mount Cristo Ray-Sunland Park, New Mexico, 20FEB2025.
Operation Southern Guard; the initial deployment of more than 1-thousand-6-hundred active-duty military personnel brings the total military Title 10 forces along the border to nearly 4-thousand personnel.
U.S CBP agent captured an illegal after notification from U.S. Soldiers/National Guard patrolling nearby Santa Teresa, New Mexico, 01FEB2025.
Boeing P-8A Poseidon border patrol operations, I edited from a video via Mass Communication Specialist Second Class Jacquelin Frost, 18FEB2025:
Officers with U.S. Northern Command (USNorthCom) discuss national security concerns, including border enforcement, with Mexico’s Secretariat of the Navy (Marina), Admiral Raymundo Morales Angeles, on 07FEB2025.
ARIZONA
The U.S. Army’s Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion-10th Mountain Division arrive on Libby Army Airfield (a joint military/civilian operation with Sierra Vista Municipal Airport) at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, 11FEB2025. I edited video recorded by Specialist Jerron Bruce:
CALIFORNIA
On 19FEB2025, crew from the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Haddock captures 20 illegals approximately 21 miles west of Point Loma, then handed them over to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (Border Patrol) in San Diego:
U.S. Marines with 7th Engineer Support Battalion-1st Marine Logistics Group, in support of 1st Combat Engineer Battalion-1st Marine Division, deploy concertina wire along the southern wall near San Ysidro, 13FEB2025. I edited a video via Lance Corporal Diego Berumen:
Is FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) USACE (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) hiring migrant workers to tackle the ‘HazMat’ fire clean-up in California? In one section of this FEMA video (via Kevin Nha) you can hear instructions being giving to the workers in ‘Mexican’ Spanish, for debris removal at Loma Alta School/Oak Knoll Montessori in Altadena, 02FEB2025:
CUBA, GUANTANAMO BAY
On 25FEB2025, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth visits Naval Station Guantánamo Bay during an illegal migrant holding operation as a part of Operation Southern Guard. I edited this from video via Corporal Cassidy Shepherd:
On 04FEB2025, ‘high-threat’ illegals began arriving on U.S. Naval Station Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, via C-17 Globemaster-3. Video via Chad McNeeley:
FLORIDA
On 18FEB2025, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) reported capturing a human smuggler, and returning the 23 illegals being smuggled to the Bahamas.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conduct arrests of illegals in West Palm Beach, 11FEB2025. Video by Corey Bullard:
MARYLAND
ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) in Middletown, Maryland, 13FEB2025. Video by John Blackburn:
NORTH CAROLINA
On Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, Marines with 1st Battalion-6th Marine regiment-2nd Marine Division deploy to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, onboard a KC-130J Super Hercules, as part of President Trump’s plan to use Guantanamo to house violent illegals captured in the U.S., video via Sergeant Rowdy Vanskike, 02FEB2025:
On Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, Marines with 1st Battalion-6th Marine regiment-2nd Marine Division deploy to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, onboard a U.S. Navy C-40A ‘Clipper’ (Boeing 737), video via Lance Corporal Landon Lingle, 03FEB2025:
TEXAS
Riverine operations of the never ending Operation Lone Star, video report via Master Sergeant Amber Monio and Staff Sergeant Derek Gutierrez, 23FEB2025:
About 1-hundred Texas National Guard personnel with Operation Lone Star went through U.S. Customs and Border Protection training from 18-20FEB2025, in McAllen. Video report via Master Sergeant Amber Monio:
The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) arrested a ship captain for employing illegals, among other crimes, near South Padre Island.
California and Texas National Guard patrol along the southern borders of New Mexico and Texas, video report via Sergeant First Class Christy Van Drunen, recorded between 25JAN-05FEB2025, released on 13FEB2025:
Georgia Army National Guard inspect a train entering the U.S. near Uvalde, 12FEB2025.
Captured illegals are put aboard a U.S. Air Force C-130 on Biggs Army Airfield, Fort Bliss, 12FEB2025. Video by Corporal Adaris Cole:
This U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) video, via Todd Packard, claims to show “routine daily” arrest operations in El Paso, on 03FEB2025:
The USCG captured 11 Mexicans illegally fishing in U.S. territorial water. They had illegally fished approximately 1,595 pounds of red snapper along with nine sharks!
USCG HC-130J Super Hercules, deportation operations on Biggs Army Airfield, Fort Bliss, Texas, 02FEB2025.
VIRGINIA
U.S. ICE video, via John Blackburn, recorded during early morning of 04FEB2025:
Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister/Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, and United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, conduct press conference and report that their main concern is increasing taxpayer funding for the purpose of supporting the U.S. military industrial complex, and expanding Poland’s military industrial complex.
Video via U.S. Department of Defense, 14FEB2025, Warsaw, Poland:
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and United States Secretary of State Marco A. Rubio conduct press conference on 16FEB2025, blaming Iran for the regional wars launched by Israel.
Video via U.S. Department of State, Jerusalem, Israel:
Since the beginning of January 2025, Air & Army National Guard units have been pouring into the U.S. Capital of Washington-District of Columbia (DC). Never mind all the other government security organizations who are also deploying there. This is just a little bit of what the National Guard is doing.
New York National Guard in-process for Joint Task Force-District of Columbia (JTF-DC) at the DC Armory, Washington DC. Photo via Sergeant First Class Steven Eaton, 18JAN2025.
As many as 8-thousand militia personnel, from at least 40 states, deployed to Washington DC for Joint Task Force District of Columbia (JTF-DC), as part of the 60th Presidential Inauguration.
On 18JAN2025, Idaho based 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team (wearing ‘Snake River Brigade’ patch) gets sworn in as deputies, along with other Guard units from other states. I edited from a video via Technical Sergeant Missy Sterling:
Connecticut National Guard discuss preparations for assigned Joint Task Force-District of Columbia (JTF-DC), 17JAN2025. Photo via Private First Class Emmanuel Gibson.
On 17JAN2025, Virginia Army National Guard used buses and HMMWV to deploy to Washington DC, video via Staff Sergeant Marc Heaton:
17JAN2025, about 1-hundred Oklahoma National Guard personnel deployed for the 60th Presidential Inauguration. Video interviews, via Matthew Hilborn, explains why:
On 17JAN2025, a Kentucky Air National Guard C-130 delivered Idaho Army National Guard personnel to Joint Base Andrews, in Maryland. About 350 Idahoans deployed. Video via Technical Sergeant Andrew Enriquez:
District of Columbia Army National Guard inspect their dress uniforms as part of the 60th Presidential Inauguration. Photo via Staff Sergeant Simone Sampson.
On 17JAN2025, Tennessee Air National Guard Security Police and Army National Guard Military Police deployed, video interviews via Sergeant Olivia Gum:
National Guard board a C-17 Globemaster-3, Photo by Sergeant N.W. Huertas, 16JAN2025. About 500 Florida militia personnel will take part in JTF-DC.
On 16JAN2025, Maryland Army National Guard personnel reported for duty in the DC Armory, video via Thomas Lamb:
Pennsylvania Army National Guard gets food from the USO, after arriving for JTF-DC, 16JAN2025. Photo via Sergeant First Class Shane Smith.
Massachusetts Army National Guard helps to in-process other Guard units, in the DC Armory, 16JAN2025. Photo via Staff Sergeant Tyrone Williams.
Wyoming National Guard takes part in riot control training, in preparation for Joint Task Force-District of Columbia, 15JAN2025. Photo via Staff Sergeant Cesar Rivas.
On 15JAN2025, Virgin Islands deployed Army National Guard personnel to the upcoming 60th Presidential Inauguration. Video via Technical Sergeant Andrew Enriquez:
I edited together videos via Vincent De Groot and Technical Sergeant Adam Welch; on 15JAN2025, Iowa deployed Air National Guard medics to the upcoming 60th Presidential Inauguration:
South Carolina Army National Guard board busses bound for Washington DC, 15JAN2025. Photo via Sergeant Duran Jones.
On 15JAN2025, Alaska National Guard C-17 Globmaster-3 delivered National Guard militia personnel from Puerto Rico, I edited video via Staff Sergeant Natalie Filzen:
I edited down a long video (via Staff Sergeant Katherine M. Jacobus); on 15JAN2025, about 140 Illinois Air National Guard Security Police and Army National Guard Military Police deployed, they explain why:
“By their deeds you will know them…..”-Matthew 7:16, New Messianic Version Bible
Adir=Mighty
U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, and Israeli Minister of Defense Avigdor Lieberman, stand by one of Israel’s first two F-35 ‘Adir’ jets during a ceremony on Nevatim Air Base, Israel. U.S. Air Force photo by Technical Sergeant Brigitte N. Brantley, 12DEC2016.
On 12DEC2016, two F-35 Lightning-2s arrived on Nevatim Air Base, Israel, where they were rechristened F-35I (I for Israel) Adir. U.S. President Barack Hussein Obama the Second‘s Secretary of Defense, Ashton Baldwin Carter, praised Israel and revealed long-term plans to “dominate the skies” over The Middle East. I edited this video from videos recorded by U.S. Navy Petty Officer Second Class Glenn Slaughter, the U.S. Department of Defense, and U.S. Embassy photographer Ziv Sokolov:
Ever since the delivery of the first two F-35-Is to Israel, the United States Air Force (USAF) has routinely attended wargames in Israel using its F-35 Lightining-2, the most recent being in January 2023. The large-scale bilateral multi-domain wargame is called Juniper Oak, and is meant to enhance ‘interoperability’ between U.S. and Israeli armed forces.
U.S. Air Force personnel and aircraft on Nevatim Air Base, Israel, during Juniper Oak, 24JAN2023. USAF photo by Senior Airman Jackson Manske.
Juniper Oak is just one of several U.S.-Israeli wargames. However, Israel also routinely sends their F-35-Is to the U.S., for wargames over North America, such as Red Flag.
An Israeli F-35I Adir on Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, 15MAR2023, for wargame Red Flag. USAF photo by William R. Lewis.
Israeli F-35-Is also take part in NATO wargames, such as a wargame called Falcon Strike which involves Israel, Italy, United Kingdom and United States.
An Israeli F-35I Adir lands at Amendola Air Base, Italy, 05JUN2021, during the Falcon Strike wargame. USAF photo by Airman First Class Brooke Moeder.
“‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!’ She has become a dwelling for demons and a haunt for every impure spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal. For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.”-from Revelation 18, King James Bible
Welcome to borderland hell under the U.S. President, highly incomplete (just the tip of the iceberg) list of videos and links to news/government agency reports as of 30 April 2022:
U.S. Coast Guard District 7 video, from 27APR2022, of a Haitian boat approximately 60 miles northwest of Cuba. The boat was intercepted with 64 illegals onboard:
On 19APR2022, the U.S Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued a taxpayer funding video report justifying its reliance on hi-tech equipment, why Singapore is an important partner in policing smuggling that is targeting the U.S., and continued border policing operations with a focus on “rescuing” victims of human smuggling:
On 11APR2022, the USCG District 7 “rescued” 67 illegals from Haiti, 15 miles southeast of Anguilla Cay, Bahamas:
On 10APR2022, the USCG District 7, handed over 88 illegals from Haiti to the Haitian Coast Guard. Video by Lieutenant David Steele:
USCG District 7 photo, 09APR2022.
On 09APR2022, approximately 17 miles northeast of Punta Maisi, Cuba, the USCG District 7 captured, oh I mean ‘rescued’ 89 illegals from Haiti. The USCG claims the Haitian ‘voluntarily’ left the boat and ‘agreed’ to be sent back to Haiti (at U.S. taxpayer expense, of course)!
Italy:
U.S. Army photo by Cameron Porter, 05APR2022.
The U.S. Army’s Logistics Readiness Center, in Livorno, began sending humanitarian aid to Moldova, to help that tiny country deal with Ukrainian refugees.
ARIZONA: Yet again, U.S. Customs and Border Protection had to ‘rescue’ illegals stranded/injured on the Baboquivari Mountains. Video by Ozzy Trevino, 14APR2022:
U.S. Army photo by Sergeant Savannah Roy, 08APR2022.
The U.S. Air Force delivered a new MQ-1C-25 drone (unmanned aerial vehicle UAV) to Fort Huachuca. U.S. Army soldiers from Fort Stewart, Georgia, will use it to patrol the border with Mexico for the next two months. The ‘-25’ indicates the MQ-1C is the new Extended Range Gray Eagle.
U.S. Army photo by Brandon Mejia, 16FEB2022.
The U.S. Army’s Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) is about 48 miles from the border with Mexico (if you’re heading to Los Algodones), and borders with California. YPG Conservation Law Enforcement Officer Sergeant Shawn Baker says there has been a huge increase in ‘trespassing’ in the past few years, based on the number of new vehicle trails, aerial photos, and ‘in-person contacts’. Sergeant Baker stops short of blaming illegal immigrants, but warns that YPG has a lot of unexploded bombs spread across the desert, some going back to World War Two.
Near Yuma’s border with Mexico, CBP reports 10-thousand illegal crossings per week:
Kentucky Army National Guard photo by Sergeant First Class Lerone Simmons, 28APR2022.
On 28APR2022, U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Major James Porterfield, Command Senior Enlisted Leader of NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) and USNorthCom (U.S. Northern Command), got a tour of a Mobile Surveillance Camera (MSC) site near San Diego. The MSC is operated by the 381st Military Police Company, Indiana Army National Guard. USNorthCom is tasked with providing Mobile Surveillance Camera operators, Intelligence analysts, and aviation support operations via various state National Guard units.
Taxpayer funded College of the Canyons helps illegals:
‘Free’ taxpayer funded medical care for hundreds of thousands of illegals begins 01MAY2022:
FLORIDA:
USCG District 7 photo, 18APR2022.
The USCG claims they ‘rescued’ 84 illegals, in various homemade boats, about 17 miles south of Marathon on 18APR2022, and returned them to Cuba on 27APR2022.
USCG District 7 photo, 16APR2022.
About 17 miles south of Ramrod Key, the USCG ‘rescued’ 67 illegals from Cuba on 16APR2022, sending them back to Cuba on 18APR2022.
USCG photo, 01APR2022.
On 01APR2022, the USCG District 7 ‘rescued’ 70 illegals from Cuba, approximately 45 miles south of Marathon. The USCG says they were sent back to Cuba.
The body of a Texas Army National Guardsman, Specialist Bishop Evans, who died trying to rescue illegals from drowning, is recovered, Tennessee politician Diana Harshbarger says “The rest of the country needs to wake up!”:
U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer Third Class Michael Clark, 12APR2022.
Canada’s Ambassador to the U.S., Kirsten Hillman, discusses traffic control operations for cargo ships with Laird Hail, Director of the Puget Sound Vessel Traffic Control System, on Base Seattle, 12APR2022. Canada and the U.S. work together regarding ocean going vessels using the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Washington DC:12APR2022, Russia-Ukraine crisis forces U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken to meet with UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. Apparently the number of refugees fleeing the war are at crisis levels, and finding countries willing to take enough in is now a problem:
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has many sub-programs for helping provide food for their National School Lunch Program. One of those sub-programs is in coordination with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), it’s called the USDA DoD Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program (aka USDA DoD Fresh).
This fiscal year, there is already a record $470-million in requests for food from USDA DoD Fresh, and in just one week of November a record 20-thousand-958 orders were shipped. Last year, the requests for USDA-DoD supplied fresh veggies hit $371-million. It’s all blamed on CoViD-19 overreactions by local and state governments, resulting in schools shutting down completely and food orders being canceled: “Then as they came back in March, April and May, we began to see where USDA DoD Fresh was meeting their needs because of the fact that [schools] could get weekly deliveries of fresh produce, and the vendors were able to give them individually wrapped products like baby carrots in a bag, orange slices, and apple slices.”-Katherine Staley, Chief of Program Integrity and Monitoring Branch with USDA Food Distribution Division
Katherine Staley also implied that apparently the sudden shutdown of schools and cancelation of civilian food vendor contracts caused many of those vendors to ‘go away’, and now many school districts are scrambling to find civilian food suppliers: “While states figure out how to get the other items, we are a failsafe. Our contracts are in place, our vendors are up and running and ready to go. It’s a team effort making this work.”
Staley pointed out that while many of the civilian food venders might be getting their food from foreign imports, all of the USDA DoD Fresh food “…is U.S. produced. It…supports American agriculture.”
48 states plus Guam, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, and Washington DC, use the USDA DoD Fresh program.
After decades of wasting taxpayer’s money on ‘advanced’ aircraft projects that went nowhere, U.S. Air Force officials have finally pulled the heads outta the….clouds and approved the purchase of a much more practical fighter aircraft, or have they?
Boeing photo.
In July 2020 (under the administration of President Donald Trump), the United States Air Force (USAF) shelled-out $1.2-billion for eight F-15EX, much cheaper than the development nightmare known as the F-35, of between $77-million to $110-million purchase price per F-35, and that does not include the billions of dollars spent on the decades of development! Add to that the per flight operating costs of the F-35, which currently are $3-thousand dollars more than the old F-15C Eagle. Total lifetime cost of one F-35 is expected to be more than $1-trillion! To top it off, insult-to-injury, the S/VTOL concept of the F-35 was directly influenced by the Soviet/Russian Yakovlev 141! Unfortunately the F-15EX will not take the place of the F-35, but act as a complementary aircraft to the F-35.
On 02FEB2021, the USAF completed its first flight of the F-15EX, over Saint Louis, Missouri. The aircraft was piloted by Matt Giese, Boeing’s chief test pilot for the EX.
Official Boeing first flight video:
In August 2020, it was announced that Oregon Air National Guard’s 173rd Fighter Wing (FW) and 142nd FW would be the lucky units to get the new EX-citement Eagle. The 173rd will act as the ‘formal training unit’ for F-15EX conversion. Lieutenant Colonel Nathan Rice says conversion shouldn’t take too long because “The F-15EX is almost 90% compatible with the F-15C Model.”
One of the advanced features of the EX Eagle is the 20-thousand hours life-span of the airframe: “….a long time, about double the service the life of an F-15C. Not only is the airframe designed to last for a long time, the F-15EX also has an ‘Open Mission System’ which allows the computer and avionics software to be more adaptable and more easily updated in the future. This adaptability is key, as we know that technology is continuing to accelerate.”-Colonel Jeff Edwards, 173rd FW commander
Two F-15EX fighters will be sent to Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, by the end of the first quarter of 2021, for testing. The USAF plans to eventually buy at least 144 F-15EX Eagles.
Official Boeing video explaining advance technologies on the Advanced F-15 test-bed:
Even though it’s listed as a USDA program, it is actually operated by the DoD’s 
