The Air Force has successfully completed the upgrade and transfer of its Military Personnel Data System to the Defense Enterprise Computing Center operated by the Defense Information Systems Agency, according to an Air Force Personnel Center release. Originally expected to require 23 days, the process took only 17 days, states the March 27 release. “We’re pleased that the MilPDS upgrade took less time than anticipated, and we are well on our way to getting information updated in the system,” said Joe Thele, Air Force Personnel Operations Agency director. AFPC Commander Maj. Gen. A.J. Stewart shut down MilPDS on March 4 so that the upgrade could commence. MilPDS is the primary records database for airmen’s personnel data. It was becoming old and more difficult to maintain, and there was concern that, without the overhaul, the service might lose irreplaceable data. (Randolph report by Debbie Gildea)
Amid NATO’s continued push to ramp up air defenses in Eastern Europe, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall swung by seven allied countries to boost relations last week, including those on Russia’s and Ukraine’s doorstep.