The B-2 bomber program was classified “too long” before Congress and the public were allowed to know about it, and when the information was revealed, “there was sticker shock” that undermined support for the project, Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said Monday. Speaking at a Pentagon press briefing, James said she moved to release select information about the bomber’s industrial team and cost to avoid repeating mistakes on previous projects terminated prematurely and “in the spirit of more transparency.” James said cost will be controlled on the bomber by restraining programmatic changes. On the B-2, where “everything was new,” the contract had to adapt to the discoveries inherent in inventing large-scale stealth. “The dollars kept changing” on the B-2, and that will be avoided on the B-21, she said.
How Miss America 2024 Took the Air Force Somewhere New
Dec. 20, 2024
When 2nd Lt. Madison Marsh became the first ever active service member crowned Miss America on Jan. 14, top Air Force officials recognized a rare opportunity to reach women and girls who otherwise might not consider military service as an option.