In this episode of Veteran Voice, we explore three significant developments affecting the U.S. Army's operations and readiness. First, we examine the decline in manned aircraft and flight hours since 2000, a trend driven by force structure changes and modernization efforts, despite an increase in aircraft availability. Next, we discuss the recent completion of U.S. troop withdrawal from Niger, a strategic loss for counterterrorism missions in the Sahel region following last year’s coup.

Finally, we shift focus to the deployment of U.S. Army soldiers to a remote Alaskan island equipped with mobile rocket launchers in response to increased Russian military activity near Alaska. We highlight the importance of maintaining readiness in a region of growing tension.

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