Airmen from the Illinois and Minnesota Air National Guards are working together at Bagram AB, Afghanistan, where they have formed the C-130 element of the 455th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. The term for this type arrangement is “rainbowing.” The practice enables the Air Guard to reduce the frequency of deployments for its airmen. Another thing they have in common is that all the ANG airmen are volunteers. According to Maj. Todd Bean, 455th commander, the Guardsmen have sustained a mission capability rate of more than 95 percent.
Space Force acquisition leaders say they’re worried the lapse in funding for the Small Business Innovative Research program could impede the service’s efforts to leverage commercial technology and innovation.
