Democratic lawmakers have sent a letter to President Bush, protesting the Pentagon plan to raise Tricare fees for military retirees. They note that, according to Administration officials, the fee increase would “force 600,000 veterans out of the Tricare system.” (Perhaps that is the plan.) The legislators call the proposal “unconscionable” and maintain it will only “exacerbate” a growing recruiting and retention problem.
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.