The Lexington Institute’s Loren Thompson believes the Air Force simply “has become so politically correct that nobody can figure out what it’s saying.” Thompson complains about the C-17 snafu, among other things, writing that although USAF only cited a need for two additional airlifters, it was, in fact, “formulating plans to seek dozens more” but left “outsiders” to “read its mind.” Although Thompson maintains that Chief of Staff Gen. Michael Moseley is actually “more articulate than any of his recent predecessors,” he says the Air Force culture is more committed to “secrecy” than it is to gaining support for its mission.
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.