The Air Force plans to reduce the number of airmen who support retiree funerals from 10 to seven, beginning Nov. 1. SSgt. Madelyn Waychoff reports that three factors affected this decision: the service’s drawdown of airmen, a continuing high operations tempo, and an increasing number of retiree funerals. Those seven airmen from a base honor guard will serve as pallbearers, flag folders, flag presenter, bugler, spare and firing party.
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.