The Air Force in Fiscal 2008 put some 25 Air Battle Managers who serve on E-3 AWACS command and control aircraft into the field as Air Liaison Officers and plans to increase that number by 50 percent in 2009. The use of ABMs as ALOs where they serve with Army units to direct airpower from the ground, has grown from a handful when ABMs first received their aeronautical rating in 1999. Lt. Col. Craig MacLeod, deputy commander of training with the 552nd Air Control Wing at Tinker AFB, Okla., believes ALO duty is “a perfect second assignment for an ABM” and called it a “growth industry.” (552nd ACW report by 1st Lt. Eric Miller)
Air Force Changes Rules for Pregnant Aircrew—Again
April 3, 2025
The Air Force is changing its policy for pregnant aircrew, generally reverting to rules set in 2019 that barred female aviators from flying during the first trimester—or from flying in aircraft with ejection seats at all—due to potential risks to the pilot and her unborn fetus.