Daily Report

The Senate voted to give the National Guard Bureau chief a permanent seat on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, despite unanimous opposition from the current sitting Chiefs, their Chairman, and vice chairman. Senators approved the measure—an amendment added to the...

International and industry partnerships will become even more “crucial” as the Defense Department begins to reduce the size of its forces and looks to cut costs wherever possible, said Lt. Gen. Richard Newton, USAF’s assistant vice chief of staff. Speaking...

USAF General Heads Investigation into Afghan-Pakistan Border Incident: Brig. Gen. Stephen Clark, Air Force Special Operations Command's director of plans and requirements, will oversee the investigation into the Nov. 25 incident near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border that inflicted casualties on Pakistan military personnel. Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis, US Central Command commander, gave Clark until Dec. 23 to provide his initial report. "This is a CENTCOM-led investigation with full NATO cooperation," wrote Mattis. The Afghan and Pakistani governments also will name representatives to the investigation team, according to a CENTCOM release. "The investigation team will focus their efforts on the facts of the incident and any matters that facilitate a better understanding of the circumstances surrounding the deaths and injuries of the Pakistan forces," states the release. The initial report is expected to include details about what Afghan, coalition, and Pakistani units were involved and who did, or did not, cross the border and why. It will also attempt to determine the battle damage that occurred and the cause of deaths and injuries, and to provide recommendations for improving near-border operations. (Includes AFPS report by Cheryl Pellerin and AFPS report by Jim Garamone)

The Air Force has cleared Raytheon’s Miniature Air Launched Decoy Jammer for low-rate initial production, according to the company, which anticipates making initial deliveries in 2012. “MALD-J will save the lives of aviators because commanders will be able to use...

Airmen with the 455th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron supporting a deployed contingent of EC-130H Compass Call aircraft at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, have helped these platforms and their aircrews amass impressive statistics in combat operations. Through the maintainers’ efforts, the EC-130s...

Gen. Craig McKinley, National Guard Bureau chief, said he’d like to see an independent study to determine once and for all the lifetime costs associated with maintaining a Guardsman compared to the long-term costs of an active duty airman or...

The Air National Guard likely will get smaller—just as the Air Force’s active duty component and Air Force Reserve will—due to the coming budget crunch across the Defense Department, said Lt. Gen. Bud Wyatt, Air National Guard director. It also...

Boeing will upgrade the visual systems in a total of 12 F-15C mission training centers located at Kadena AB, Japan; JB Langley-Eustis, Va.; and RAF Lakenheath, Britain, under a recent $20 million contract, announced the company Tuesday. These MTCs will...

Vandenberg Hall, one of two historic dormitories on the Air Force Academy campus in Colorado Springs, Colo., is getting a facelift. The $227 million renovation of the 950,000-square-foot facility is slated for completion in the third quarter of 2012, a...

Past and present members of the Flying Tigers gathered at MacDill AFB, Fla., earlier this month for the latest in the series of reunions held since 1947. This year, five of the surviving original Flying Tigers pilots attended. So did...