A few weeks ago, some news media reports proclaimed that the Department of Homeland Security would be given the authority to order shoot downs of aircraft intended as terrorist weapons. McHale put that notion to rest Tuesday, saying, basically, “it ain’t so.” He did say, though, that DOD and DHS had still to work out the finer details.
The 301st Fighter Wing in Fort Worth, Texas, became the first standalone Reserve unit in the Air Force to get its own F-35s, welcoming the first fighter Nov. 5.