The Air Force plans to stop separating new active duty officers into two groups—reserve and regular. Depending on how an officer entered the service, he or she received a reserve or regular commission. An officer with a reserve commission had to be selected for appointment to the regular Air Force, usually at the time he or she made major. Since May 2005, all new officers have entered active duty in regular status. And, on May 1, 2006, USAF plans to automatically convert all current officers, unless they have some medical condition that prevents their service worldwide.
Air Force Gen. Jacqueline D. Van Ovost—a trailblazer and one of the first 10 women to reach a four-star rank across the U.S. military—retired and passed control of U.S. Transportation Command to Air Force Gen. Randall Reed on Oct. 4, finishing an eventful tenure at TRANSCOM.