Coming to Eglin, None Too Soon

The Air Force has formally named Eglin AFB, Fla., as the training site for the new F-35 Lightning II and begun an environmental impact analysis. USAF officials let this cat out of the bag almost a year ago, so we wonder if this timely announcement’s true purpose is to smooth the feathers ruffled by the service’s more recent plan to move Eglin’s test wing to California. Hmmmm. By the time the 33rd Fighter Wing divests itself of its last F-15 fighter in 2010—the due date for the base’s first F-35—the wing will change parent commands, from Air Combat Command to Air Education and Training Command.