Considering all the negative hype over DOD’s new National Security Personnel System, the fact that nearly two-thirds of the guinea pigs at Tinker AFB, Okla., received “threes” on the NSPS five-point scale is a welcome relief. The Washington Post reports that 69 percent of the 2,500 Tinker civilian employees rated under an NSPS trial run got a “three” and that makes them “valued performers.” That rating also would give each the maximum annual pay raise, but this was just a test.
The rate of building B-21 bombers would speed up if the fiscal 2026 defense budget passes. But it remains unclear how much capacity would be added, and whether the Air Force would simply build the bombers faster, or buy more.