: US Cyber Command and 24th Air Force are working to build cyber awareness and connectivity across the Air Force and with the combatant commanders, said Maj. Gen. Richard Webber, 24th AF commander. The goal is to develop a “cyber tasking order” that helps articulate clear requirements for the cyber mission, Webber told attendees at AFA’s Global Warfare Symposium in Los Angeles. Trained USAF cyber planners in positions known as cyber operations liaison elements are working with mission planners and air and space operations centers to articulate the cyber tools that are available to commanders, he said. Currently, 24th AF has embedded a COLE with Air Forces Central. These airmen are supporting the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft mission in Afghanistan by keeping the necessary circuits and routers open and flowing with vital intelligence, said Webber. Similar work has also gone well at Patrick AFB, Fla., assuring the space launch mission, and at US Transportation Command at Scott AFB, Ill., to secure cargo and passenger movement worldwide. Soon, Webber said, a cyber representative element will be within CENTAF’s air tasking order process, which will be a major victory for “operationalizing” the cyber mission, he noted during his Nov. 18 address.
Air Force Changes Rules for Pregnant Aircrew—Again
April 3, 2025
The Air Force is changing its policy for pregnant aircrew, generally reverting to rules set in 2019 that barred female aviators from flying during the first trimester—or from flying in aircraft with ejection seats at all—due to potential risks to the pilot and her unborn fetus.