Four enlisted airmen assigned to Tyndall AFB, Fla., got the chance to fly in a F-4 Phantom fighter in appreciation of their outstanding performance. They were: MSgt. Karrie Warren, SSgt. Brett Dunning, SSgt. Stephen McGuire, and SrA. Jillian Goins. “Incentives like this aren’t my motivation to excel at my job, but it’s definitely a nice bonus when people like me are offered once-in-a-lifetime opportunities like this,” said Dunning, an intelligence analyst. The mid-December incentive flights were the first addition to a revamped award program for members of the Continental United States NORAD Region-1st Air Force (Air Forces Northern) who are the command’s enlisted quarterly and annual award winners. “I want our organization to raise the bar for the award incentive program the same way our award winners raise the bar in performance of their duties,” said Lt. Gen. Sid Clarke, 1st AF commander. (Tyndall report by Angela Pope)
Earlier this week, the People’s Republic of China confirmed it is halting its nuclear arms control talks with the U.S., in retaliation for the U.S. continuing to sell arms to Taiwan. The move reinforces a “pattern of behavior” from Beijing, experts say.