2023 USAF & USSF Almanac: Leaders

 The Air Force’s top enlisted member told lawmakers last week that the service must demolish hundreds of unneeded buildings, a move that would pay a “10-to-1 return on investment,” particularly for improving quality of life for service members, rather than spending money on their upkeep.

The Air Force and Navy’s logistics capabilities—including airlift and aerial tanking—are insufficient for the needs of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, its commander told lawmakers last week, and the requirement needs to be addressed by more than just commercial stopgaps. He also endorsed the idea of small, uncrewed sustainment craft, as they…

Neither China nor the U.S. can achieve air superiority in the Pacific, but China is increasing it fighter capabilities in the region rapidly, the head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

A defense civilian hiring freeze is undoing recent progress on child care wait lists, the Air Force’s top general for personnel issues told Congress on April 9.

The Air Force has conducted more than 50 surveillance missions around the U.S. southern border with crewed and uncrewed aircraft, as the Pentagon seeks to gather intelligence on foreign cartels, drug and human trafficking, and illegal migration. 

The acting Secretary of the Air Force rescinded a policy that scheduled extra days off for Airmen, Guardians, and their families across the service around 11 federal holidays throughout 2025.

While the U.S. Air Force plans to spend big and make Collaborative Combat Aircraft drones an essential part of its tactical fleet in the near future, the U.S. Navy is working to team manned and unmanned aircraft as well.

As the Trump administration puts the finishing touches on its 2026 defense budget, the F-35 Joint Program Office has issued a statement explaining what all is included in its $2.1 trillion, 94-year program cost estimate.

F-35A and F-15E fighter jets touched down at Kadena Air Base in recent days, marking the latest rotation of fighters as the Okinawa base awaits its new permanent F-15EX fleet.