Army Lt. Gen. Steven Blum, the head of the National Guard Bureau, believes he has the answer for rising military personnel costs—exchange National Guardsmen for active duty personnel. How will this help? The Guardsmen who only serve part-time are generally more experienced and cost much, much less. Blum told the San Antonio Express-New that his idea stems from the nation’s early days, when there was a small standing Army and a large part-time militia.
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.