It Was a Good Thought:

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org

New Air National Guard commander Lt. Gen. Craig McKinley said that a philosophical difference over economics has spelled the end of an experiment that placed young active duty airmen in a community with experienced Air Guardsmen to learn F-16 maintenance. The Burlington, Vt., Total Force experiment was “working magnificently,” McKinley said Tuesday at AFA’s Air & Space Conference in Washington. However, he noted, “we’re starting to have a clash between an active component that uses a business-case model of efficiency” and a Guard that integrates into the community. In actuality, he said, the Burlington test will be coming to an end, a casualty of USAF’s manpower cuts. McKinley said, “I’ve been told that we can’t continue the experiment.”

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org