The 361st Recruiting Squadron from McChord AFB, Wash., brought in 151 recruits from Oregon and Washington on July 19, thereby setting a record for the largest delayed-entry-program swear-in at an air show. The ceremony took place during the McChord Air Expo that ran July 19-20. Lt. Col. Greg Thomas, Thunderbirds commander, led the young men and women in the recitation of the oath of enlistment. The air expo also set a record for attendance with 377,616 visitors, eclipsing the base’s previous record of 150,000 attendees set in 2005. So far this year, the Air Force has done well recruiting overall, either meeting or surpassing its goals through June. (McChord report by Lt. Col. Andrew O’Neel)
Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, held meetings with defense leaders from the Philippines, Japan, and South Korea during a trip to the Indo-Pacific this week.