When Texas finally decided to go on the offensive and deal with the drug cartels on Mexican soil, Dyess Air Force Base joined them. Their B-1B Lancer bombers and C-130 Hercules transports quickly became the tip of the spear that drove into the heart of the cartels. The Lancers struck first, disrupting local defensive positions through the simple expedient of heavy explosives. “Shock and Awe” a previous generation had called it, and the Lancers rained it down with abandon. The Hercules squadrons carried entire platoons of men into the firestorms they left behind, often flanked by other Hercules modified for cybernetic warfare, direct ground attack, and numerous other missions. They overwhelmed one drug cartel after another, before moving onto the next targets as others secured the areas they had neutralized. Dyess AFB was the tip of the spear, and they struck deep into the underbelly of the drug cartels. Texas never forgot that, and when it came time to return to space, Dyess Spacebase was one of the Republic’s primary launching points.