The Air National Guard unit to become the first “reserve associate” will have an initial cadre of airmen begin work next month with an Air Force Reserve Command unit at Tinker AFB, Okla., reports Reservist Lt. Col. Rich Curry. Already the commanders of the two units have come together for a dual-command KC-135 tanker mission. The Oklahoma ANG’s 137th Airlift Wing is losing its C-130s (a BRAC 2005 action) and will share operating and maintaining duties on KC-135 tankers belonging to AFRC’s 507th Air Refueling Wing.
Depot-level maintenance took longer than expected for nearly three-quarters of Air Force aircraft from fiscal 2019-2024, according to a new report, as unplanned repairs rise across the aging fleet. The report, from the Government Accountability Office, also found that the extent of the delays has been masked because officials often revise their target timelines after unplanned work occurs.