Guard Over the Pacific

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. 

When President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January, he could reverse policies regarding abortion and transgender service members, though recent pushes in Congress to improve military pay and quality of life will likely continue, according to a leading national security expert.

President Joe Biden’s administration plans to commit some $6 billion in aid for Ukraine in the next two months before President-elect Donald Trump takes office, a Pentagon spokesperson confirmed Nov. 7. 

NATO has taken a page from the Air Force’s innovation playbook, setting up a technology accelerator and a venture fund to nurture and financially support small companies working on cutting edge technology development in critical fields.

What direction the Department of the Air Force will take in the second administration of President Donald Trump remains unclear, but observers expect a shift away from long-term, leap-ahead programs to “here and now” resourcing for readiness and platforms now in production like the F-35 and B-21. They also said…

Just over 500 senior master sergeants are getting a promotion to chief master sergeant this year, the Air Force Personnel Center announced Nov. 7, as the promotion rate held relatively steady. 

The Space Force needs more Guardians in joint roles, and U.S. Space Command needs more non-Guardians in its ranks to make sure the U.S. military is making full use of its space capabilities, said Lt. Gen. Douglas A. Schiess, head of Space Forces-Space.

F-35 fighters from Hill Air Force Base, Utah, have deployed to Kadena Air Base, Japan, giving the strategically located base more fifth-generation airpower. 

The U.S. launched a Minuteman III missile from Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif., at 11:01 p.m. Pacific Time on Nov. 5., in an important test of the weapon's ability to strike its targets with multiple warheads.