A recent special-operations exercise in the Caribbean showcased an Air Force operating concept designed to counter near-peer militaries—and, experts said, might be a message to unfriendly governments and criminal groups in the Americas.

On Aug. 30, special operations airmen from the Kentucky National Guard stormed the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport on the island of St. Croix. Troops parachuted into the Caribbean Sea with an inflatable boat and more pararescuemen floated onto the airfield; together, they quickly took over the grounds and established a U.S.-controlled base for cargo planes to land and deliver resources.

“Within minutes, the Airmen had cleared the runways, established perimeter security and implemented air traffic control, allowing the C-130 to land and offload crucial assets,”

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