Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne says that the Air Force is beginning to put pressure on the Army to stop using airmen “in lieu of” soldiers. He already is on record saying that “every airman a rifleman” doesn’t work over the long haul because it takes airmen away from their primary missions. Wynne also notes the monetary cost associated with continued ILO taskings, telling lawmakers last week that sending missile technicians to serve as interrogators means that USAF no longer has missile technicians when they return because the service has to retrain them. He said that can take a year and a half. He noted that snow plow operators from Minot AFB, N.D., are driving convoys in Southwest Asia, so USAF has to contract for snow plow operators.
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.