Thirty seven new airmen joined the 90th Security Forces Group at F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo., in late December as part of ongoing efforts to bulk up readiness, which has suffered as fewer airmen are pushed to work longer hours to compensate for a manning gap. “We currently do not have enough manning for every flight to post out 100 percent,” said MSgt. Robert Wilson, 90th Missile Security Forces Squadron flight chief. “In order to make up for that, we pull what we call a standby; essentially, our airmen are made to work an extra one-to-two days with other flights to meet mandatory posting requirements … When you are on your fourth or fifth day in a row of 12 hour shifts, you get to a state where you may not be as alert or motivated to do your absolute best.” As part of the Force Improvement Program, all three USAF missile wing bases are undergoing a realignment of their missile field security. The 37 first-term airmen arrived at F.E. Warren from technical training school, and while they will require training, they also “will afford relief in instances where airmen pulling ‘standbys,’ or additional days in the field, no longer have to do so,” said MSgt. Vincent Bolden, 90th MSFS weapons systems security non-commissioned officer in charge. (See also Global Strike Evolution from the August 2014 issue of Air Force Magazine.)
Air Force Gen. Jacqueline D. Van Ovost—a trailblazer and one of the first 10 women to reach a four-star rank across the U.S. military—retired and passed control of U.S. Transportation Command to Air Force Gen. Randall Reed on Oct. 4, finishing an eventful tenure at TRANSCOM.