Air Force Academy and Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps cadets have been taking in sights and sounds of the Air Force in action under a program called Operation Air Force, which is in its second year. The participating cadets—all in the top 20 percent of their classes—fall into different year groups, but usually only the senior level cadets get to deploy overseas. Some 52 senior cadets were sent to three air bases in Southwest Asia for their orientations. (Read here about the SWA group; here for those that visited Edwards AFB, Calif.; here for Buckley AFB, Colo.; and here for Eglin AFB, Fla.)
Lt. Gen. Dan Caine, nominee to be chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the Defense Department needs to upgrade its electronic warfare capability and its EW training ranges; just as his predecessor said at his own confirmation hearing.