The Air Force held a special Pentagon ceremony Sept. 17 at which some of the service’s wounded warriors helped pin six new battle streamers on the Air Force flag. With Air Force Secretary Michael Donley, Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz, CMSAF James Roy, and guests from other services in attendance, three airmen—Lt. Col. Greg Harbin, a forward air controller; TSgt. Michael Williams, an explosive ordnance disposal specialist; and SSgt. David Flowers, an EOD journeyman—attached the streamers that Schwartz said they “earned.” The ceremony also served to dedicate the Pentagon’s new Airman’s Hall, which features a multimedia presentation about USAF heroes and leaders. (Air Force report by MSgt. Paul Dean)
Fixing the Air Force’s chronic combat pilot shortage will require more aircraft in the fleet, more flying hours to squadron operations, and retaining more pilots within Reserve components, according to a new paper from AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies.