Michael Wynne, the nominee to become the next Air Force Secretary, told the Senate he wants to “reinvigorate the Air Force relationship with the Air National Guard to try and put this behind us.” The word “this” refers to a...

That sentiment did not sway John Thune (R-S.D.), who reminded Wynne that, as acting deputy secretary of acquisition, logistics, and technology, Wynne himself had played a “major role” in developing the BRAC recommendations. Thune, who had fought hard to get...

Speaking at the “Strategic Space 2005” conference in Omaha, Neb., several military officials took umbrage at the substantial cuts Congressional appropriators wanted to make to major Air Force-managed space programs. They asserted that cuts to these space programs would affect...

Within a day of the religious intolerance lawsuit filed by Air Force Academy graduate Mikey Weinstein (DR, 10/07/05), Colorado Rep. Joel Hefley (R) asserted that the religious guidelines developed by the Air Force—and ridiculed by Weinstein as too little—go too...

NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said that the alliance will increase its force in Afghanistan to as many as 15,000 troops—and expand its activities to include counterinsurgency operations in the southern portion of the country. Until now, NATO...

Members of the California ANG’s 129th Rescue Wing, Moffett Field, are back at home after undertaking a dangerous three-day rescue effort, some 1,000 miles from the northern California coast. An MC-130 flew out to sea to intercept a Liberian tanker...

Gen. (sel.) Duncan McNabb will take command of Air Mobility Command during a ceremony on Oct. 14 at Scott AFB, Ill. He replaces Gen. John Handy, who retired Sept. 8. (DR, 10/05/04)

The Air Force wants to generate a single system that can accommodate mission planning for all three USAF bombers—B-1B, B-2, and B-52. The service has turned to a team led by Boeing, with BAE Systems, Northrop Grumman, and USAF’s Oklahoma...

We’ve heard this so often, it must be true: The Army does not want to permanently increase the size of its force. Congress awarded a temporary increase of 30,000 soldiers in last year’s defense bill, but many lawmakers have clamored...

It has been no secret that Gen. Robert Foglesong, commander of US Air Forces in Europe, will retire; the question was how soon. Well, he unburdened himself—sort of—to several local news media in his native state of West Virginia, saying...

Last Belle Crewmember Dies: Robert Hanson, 85, the last surviving member of the crew of the B-17 Memphis Belle, died Oct. 1 of heart illness at his home. Hanson was the radio operator for the famous bomber that was one...

Lockheed Martin officials have been sweating bullets over the last few weeks, as lawmakers bandied talk of wide-ranging budget cuts to fund the huge hurricane relief effort. Talk naturally turned to defense programs, including the company’s venerated Joint Strike Fighter...

Missouri Congressman Ike Skelton, ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, paid a visit recently to the Norfolk, Va., headquarters of US Joint Forces Command to see just what the command leading the Pentagon’s transformation effort is doing. Skelton...

Bill Told the Ladies Home Journal that Iraq is a “Quagmire”: Former President Bill Clinton said that Iraq “looks like a quagmire” and that “the odds are not great of our prevailing there.” Now, he did explain to LHJ that...

The Pease Development Authority, the public entity that manages land around the former Pease Air Force Base near Portsmouth, N.H., has received the title to the final 268 acres of the base. The organization had leased the acreage from the...

The Pentagon has created a new policy—following Congressional direction—to reimburse service members for “privately purchased protective, safety, or health equipment.” As always, there’s a catch, or three: To claim the money, troops must have their receipts; troops must turn in...

For the Iraqi airmen of Squadron 23 at Ali Base, learning to fly and maintain the three C-130s given them by the US Air Force has entailed a crucial first step: mastering the English language. Iraq Air Force leaders decided...

Air Force Reserve Command officials unveiled a new Web-based official orders system—Air Reserve Order Writing System-Reserve—that they say should be available for use by Nov. 1. Individual mobilization augmentees can use the system from any computer to start the orders...

October 6, 2005 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total ISR 12 6 – 18 CAS/Armed Recon 52 24 – 76 Airlift – – 170 170 Air refueling – – 34 34 Total 64 30 204 298 OIF=Operation Iraqi Freedom OEF=Operation...