President Bush late last week sent the BRAC commission report to Congress. Apparently, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld decided to accept the commission’s slightly slimmed down version of closure and realignment actions and not recommend that the President send it back to the Commission for rework. Now what? Congress gets to take its formal look. Quite a few lawmakers are very cross about the BRAC actions in their states. They could make real trouble. Congress must reject the report in full, or it automatically becomes law. The deadline: 45 days from Sept. 15.
The 301st Fighter Wing in Fort Worth, Texas, became the first standalone Reserve unit in the Air Force to get its own F-35s, welcoming the first fighter Nov. 5.