Watch: The New Ops Normal for Families from AFA’s vASC 2020

Sept. 30, 2020

Video: Air Force Association on YouTube

“The New Ops Normal for Families” panel at the Air Force Association’s 2020 virtual Air, Space & Cyber Conference featured Sharene Brown, wife of Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr.; Mollie Raymond, wife of Space Force Chief of Space Operations Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond; Rahn Bass, husband of Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force JoAnne S. Bass; and Rachel Rush, wife of Space Force Senior Enlisted Adviser Chief Master Sgt. Roger A. Towberman. The discussion was recorded in August.

Watch, Read: Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett’s Keynote at AFA’s vASC 2020

Sept. 30, 2020

Video: Air Force Association on YouTube

Air Force Secretary Barbara M. Barrett kicked off the Air Force Association’s 20202 virtual Air, Space & Cyber Conference on Sept. 14, 2020, with this keynote address. Here is a transcript of that speech:

“Chairman Murray, Gen. Wright, thank you for the invitation to speak at the AFA Air, Space & Cyber Conference.

“Less than a month after the Air Force was established, the nascent service launched a tradition of breakthrough technological development with the X-planes. X-1 broke the sound barrier with Chuck Yeager famously at the stick. X-7 tested the viability of ramjet engines on anti-aircraft missiles. X-13 demonstrated the first successful vertical takeoff based on jet thrust alone. X-15 launched from a B-52. This was the first crewed hypersonic flight vehicle. X-26 contributed to stealth designs as far back as 1967. And the X-36 provided a tail-less fighter jet, which could perform extreme aeronautical feats, and influenced today’s fifth-generation fighters, advancing cutting edge technology, breaking unprecedented barriers, collaborating interagency and with industry. This is the 73-year record of achievement on which we continue building. This morning, to set the stage, I will briefly recap some of the department’s achievements spanning the four strategic priorities revealed at February’s AFA, and preview how we plan to build the U.S. Air and Space Forces of 2030.

“First, we are building a bold new U.S. Space Force. The Space Force is an agile and fast organization with an entirely new structure, including field commands, deltas, and squadrons, removing unnecessary layers. Born digital, Space Force is embracing 21st Century digital transformation. The Space Force published the United States’ first authoritative space doctrine. Space Force is in action. Space professionals increased data bandwidth by expanding emergency medical services to COVID-19 patients. Space Force has supported 20 launches by interagency and industry partners since February’s AFA. Recently, space professionals assisted the Air National Guard, fighting fires that were devastating parts of the American West, and the Space Force is pioneering innovation. The X-37B, a direct descendant of fabled X-planes, launched on its sixth mission this May and won the prestigious Collier trophy for advancing technology that pushes the boundaries of flight and space exploration. America unequivocally depends upon space. U.S. Space Force stands ready to deter and, if necessary, defend our interests in this increasingly contested domain.

“Second, we are strengthening relationships with our global allies and partners. Around the globe, Airmen participated in 35 joint and coalition training exercises. More than 16 nations, along with numerous indigenous communities, engaged with the Department of the Air Force as we released our Arctic strategy, in which we recognize the vital cooperation Air and Space Forces have with pivotal Arctic allies like Canada, Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Finland, and Sweden. Airmen flew C-17 and C-130s following the deadly explosion in Lebanon, delivering humanitarian aid, water, MREs, and medical support to the people of Beirut. Seventy-four international cadets from 31 countries are enrolled at the Air Force Academy. And we salute the 61,358 Air and Space professionals who deployed to locales from Afghanistan to Syria and from Iraq to Thule, protecting our freedoms and cementing the U.S. as the partner of choice around the globe.

“Third, we are growing strong leaders and resilient families. Reciprocity and occupational licensure for spouses has expanded to 45 states. We have increased professional military education opportunities for pregnant and postpartum women. More family-friendly assignments for parents with child custody orders. And, while there is still much to be done, the Department of the Air Force is improving diversity and inclusion. An Air Force task force has already implemented changes, including updating dress and appearance regulations, modifying grooming requirements, authorizing diacritical markings like accents and hyphens, and increasing ROTC scholarships at historically black colleges and universities, as well as Hispanic-serving institutions. Our Air and Space professionals and the families who stand by them are our greatest asset and our future. We are committed to cultivating a culture of trust, respect, and inclusivity, and developing leaders to overcome the demands of the future.

“Finally, we are accelerating modernization of the Air and Space forces. We are innovating with urgency and modernizing with alacrity. AFWERX, the Air Force innovator, was recognized by Fast Company as one of the 100 best workplaces for innovators in the country. The only government agency on that list, proving the Department of the Air Force is an organization that people want to work for. The new KC-46 Pegasus transported patients for the first time, stepping up international aeromedical evacuation missions with the Air Force’s newest tanker. Over the last 12 months, your U.S. Air Force and Space Forces have been on the move. And just as Airmen broke barriers with X-airplanes, we continue advancing.

“Let me share with you some of the ways we are leading. As the Space Force concludes its first year as a standalone service, the department is fielding an agile, innovative, bold force to defend the nation, and our allies, and American interests in space. The department is developing a space culture and doctrine informed by the Joint Force. It’s accelerating the delivery of new space capabilities and capacity. It’s restructuring the force for an era of strategic competition, and it’s employing the best talent management practices to transfer and recruit uniquely skilled military and civilian personnel.

“Tomorrow, here with AFA, Geneneral Raymond will lay out more about how Space Force is posturing for long-term space domain competition. The Space Force joins the Air Force in forging alliances spanning generations. President Reagan once inquired, ‘What kind of people do we think we are?’ He answered, ‘Free people, worthy of freedom, and determined not only to remain so, but to help others gain their freedom as well.’ Cooperating with allies and partners is the best way to help others attain and retain their freedom. The Air and Space Forces will enhance future collaboration by expanding security cooperation agreements, building new shared capabilities in both air and space, increasing interoperability with the systems of our allies, and growing relationships through exercises and education.

“While bonds formed across borders are critical to national defense, it is also essential that the department maintains faith with our Airman and space professionals, including Active duty, Guard, Reserve, and civilians, as well as their families. Air and Space Forces owe our people a culture of trust, where every individual feels valued and is empowered to fulfill their highest potential. That’s why the department is infusing a culture of diversity and inclusion through deliberate discussion and action, why we’re developing new processes that reveal and eliminate racism and unconscious bias, why we’re improving access to childcare, and upgrading the quality of the Exceptional Family Member Program, and we’re redesigning leadership development and talent management for great power competition. These three priorities— building the Space Force, strengthening alliances, and growing strong leaders—drive implementation of the National Defense Strategy, while the fourth priority, modernizing the Air and Space Forces allows us to effectively and decisively defend the nation and our allies.

“Shortly, General Brown will discuss why the Air Force has to accelerate change, or lose. Let me share my perspective on how we are accelerating improvements across the force to win. Potential adversaries are investing in air, space, and cyber technologies with asymmetric advantages, including hypersonics, AI-enabled weapons, modern-day X-plane equivalents. Correspondingly, the Air Force is investing in groundbreaking capabilities to deter and if necessary, defend, the American way of life. Gen. Hap Arnold once observed, ‘An Air Force is always verging on obsolescence.’ The Department of the Air Force prevents obsolescence by innovating, by adapting, by how we design, develop, build, test, and deploy our capabilities. Dr. Roper, the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology, and logistics, will expand on this subject tomorrow here at the AFA. But let me offer a preview.

“Digital engineering enables companies to design, build, and test aircraft, satellites, or weapon systems completely online. Imagine iterating thousands of potential designs, developing composite materials without mixing chemicals, testing with countless sets of conditions in air or space, and delivering the product for manufacturing as a digital file no larger than an email attachment. Digital engineering benefits do not end there. By lowering development costs, barriers to entry are reduced. By establishing digital prototyping, problems are identified and solved quickly and timetables are collapsed. By reducing R&D infrastructure, nimble startups spanning all industries can contribute to national defense. As an added benefit, this empowers veteran-, minority-, and women-owned businesses. And by expanding testing scenarios, final products are safer and more effective when they’re deployed. Advancements are underway in hypersonics, AI-enabled command and control, a supersonic Air Force One, flying cars, on-demand CubeSats, and future missions to Mars. Your U.S. Air and Space Forces are capturing the upside of these innovations. The result? Revolutionary transformation, positioning America to continue leading in aeronautics and astronautics.

“To inspire companies to embrace the possibilities presented by digital engineering, today the Department of the Air Force is announcing a new weapon system designator, the eSeries aircraft. Satellites, weapons, and more that are digitally engineered will receive an ‘e’ prefix. The first e designator is awarded to an aircraft that was designed, built, and tested using digital engineering, the eT-7, the Red Hawk. Take a look.

VIDEO: “Can something fly thousands of hours before it takes off? Be laid out and assembled hundreds of times before any metal is even cut? Can something be designed, built, and tested not by thousands of people, but by fewer than 200? Using leading-edge design tools across a digital landscape, connected virtually across the globe? It can. It was. Introducing the Department of the Air Force’s new eSeries. A revolutionary approach to creating ePlanes, eWeapons, and eSatellites, all of which are to be designed digitally and built virtually before they take to the skies. The proof? The T-7A Red Hawk jet and advanced pilot training system, the first in the new paradigm of how air and space dominance is designed, coded, and built. The new eSeries. What’s next is what’s now.’

Barrett: “The eT-7 is just the first in our vision of a long line of ePlanes and eSats. For 73 years, the entire history of the Air Force, X-planes have represented technological innovation. Today, the ePlane and eSat will join them in making history and ensuring Airman and space professionals have modern tools to protect our nation. Ladies and gentlemen, your Air and Space Forces are on the move to make America stronger, our homeland safer, and our alliances and partners enduring. Thank you.”

Watch: Leading During a Pandemic, from AFA’s vASC 2020

Sept. 30, 2020

Video: Air Force Association on YouTube

Chief Master Sgt. Nathaniel M. Perry Jr., Chief Master Sgt. Mary Polanco, Chief Master Sgt. Brian P. Kruzelnick, and Chief Master Sgt. Tony Whitehead joined a discussion on “Leading During a Pandemic: What Our Airmen Need to Excel” during the Air Force Association’s virtual Air, Space & Cyber Conference. The panel was moderated by AFA Chairman and former Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Gerald Murray.

MQ-9 Software Upgrade Doubles Hellfire Capacity

Sept. 30, 2020 | By Brian W. Everstine

An MQ-9 on Sept. 10 doubled its missile capacity, carrying eight AGM-114 Hellfires for the first time thanks to a new software upgrade.

The 556th Test and Evaluation Squadron flew the Reaper at Creech Air Force Base, Nev., demonstrating the new capability that is part of the MQ-9 Operational Flight Program 2409—an upgrade that will be fielded by the end of the calendar year, according to a 53rd Wing release. With the new capability, the Reaper can carry two missiles, each across four stations. It is also compatible with 500-pound bombs or fuel tanks.

“History has proven the MQ-9’s ability to provide aerial continuity and attack support for air and ground forces during counter-insurgency and Close Air Support,” said Lt. Col. Michael Chmielewski, commander of the 556th Test and Evaluation Squadron, in the release. “Doubling the firepower of this high-endurance aircraft with Hellfires improves the lethality and agility of the MQ-9 over many combat roles, with an arsenal of highly versatile, accurate, and collateral-friendly weapons for all Combatant Commanders.”

New requirements from Air Combat Command and Air Force Special Operations Command drove the development of the new capability. With the additional capacity, aircrews will be able to improve their dynamic target ability while also defending isolated personnel, Chmielewski said.

The AGM-114 Hellfire is the key weapon for the Air Force’s remotely piloted aircraft fleet, and it’s regularly used in counter terror operations. It is the missile first fired by a Predator RPA in 2001, when the aircraft’s name was changed from RQ-1 to MQ-1 to reflect the multimission role of the plane.

STRATCOM Hopes Experiments Will Speed Nuclear Command Upgrades

Sept. 30, 2020 | By Rachel S. Cohen

U.S. Strategic Command is testing out parts of its future nuclear command, control, and communications enterprise in the Air Force’s Advanced Battle Management System demonstrations, an official tells Air Force Magazine.

STRATCOM’s NC3 Enterprise Center got up and running early last year to better plan for future satellites, radios, aircraft, and other systems that connect nuclear platforms and weapons to the military and national leaders. It is working on a wholesale overhaul of the aging NC3 network as the Pentagon buys a new nuclear arsenal, hoping to modernize it for the digital age.

NC3, the technology that helps military officials move nuclear aircraft and submarines around the globe and trigger weapons if necessary, sits alongside a parallel effort to update conventional command and control. Officials have considered the possibility of a dual-use command system for conventional and nuclear assets, and the two types of warfare are growing more closely intertwined.

“Our core vision of NC3 Next-Generation is completely consistent with the concepts underlying [joint all-domain command and control],” Rear Admiral Ronald R. Fritzemeier, the center’s director, told Air Force Magazine on Sept. 29. “Fundamentally, JADC2 and NC3 Next-Gen will be … very closely interrelated. At some level, you would say, is that a JADC2 thing, or is that an NC3 thing, and the answer is yes.”

The military is exploring how to keep its connection to nuclear forces intact under threat, and how to keep hackers and jammers out as the nuclear enterprise connects to the Internet for the first time.

STRATCOM has “a number of activities” ongoing to try out new technology and concepts, Fritzemeier said. Where the Defense Department has talked about its future development efforts lasting over the course of decades, agencies are looking to move faster. It’s a more piecemeal approach to improve combat capability sooner, instead of waiting years for a full system to be ready.

“When we see stuff that looks good, … we can insert it right away,” he said, without offering examples. “Many [of] the technologies that we’re talking about are, frankly, relatively mature. We’ve just not employed them from an NC3 standpoint. … The old 10-year program now needs to be the new six-month demonstration that you actually leave behind as an operational capability.”

Some of that exploration has taken place under the umbrella of the Air Force’s battle management exercises.

“Some of the issues or things that they’re focused on are not necessarily quite the same priority for us, but they’re consistent. In some cases, we’re just a partner, and we’re watching and looking for the results. In other cases, we’re actually helping to insert demonstration-type capabilities into that work,” Fritzemeier said.

He declined to say what NC3 systems are taking part in the demos.

STRATCOM wants to try out technology on its own as well. There’s nothing specific planned, Fritzemeier said, but the NC3 Enterprise Center is trying to mimic the Air Force and Navy’s outreach to Silicon Valley companies and other nontraditional defense contractors, and set up its own experiments.

Virtual or live-fly events could shape STRATCOM’s understanding of what it needs in a new jet that replaces the Air Force’s E-4B flying command center, which can order intercontinental ballistic missile strikes if Airmen in command centers underground can’t do it themselves.

Fritzemeier told Inside Defense on Sept. 25 that an analysis of what could follow the E-4B is complete. The Pentagon wants to combine the E-4B “Doomsday” plane with the Navy’s E-6B airborne command post into a new aircraft dubbed the “Survivable Airborne Operations Center.” It’s possible that a future aircraft could ferry high-level officials around as an executive airlift platform as well.

Upgrades to the NC3 enterprise are still largely under wraps. Elizabeth Durham-Ruiz, the center’s former director, said last year they had found ways to “align” certain programs to make them more coordinated and capable. She declined to provide examples. Those changes, which the Office of the Secretary of Defense reviewed, could affect how quickly systems are replaced or the capabilities they offer.

Moving forward, STRATCOM could move part of the NC3 Enterprise Center to U.S. Space Command, which was revived last year and oversees daily operations of satellites, orbital radars, and similar systems. Putting a piece of the center in SPACECOM would create a more direct line to the officials who manage nuclear communications satellites and other space-related pieces of the NC3 enterprise, to get a better understanding of their needs.

Bipartisan Lawmakers Blast Proposed European Force Structure Changes

Sept. 30, 2020 | By Brian W. Everstine

Bipartisan lawmakers on Sept. 30 blasted the Pentagon for failing to provide details of its planned force structure changes in Europe, saying the proposed removal of almost 12,000 troops from Germany could harm U.S. alliances.

Under the proposal, first announced in July, DOD would shift F-16s from Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany to Italy, move U.S. Africa Command headquarters out of Germany to an undetermined location, keep two USAF wings in England, and return thousands of troops to the United States at a time when Congressmen agreed deterrence against Russia is important. But DOD officials did not provide any additional details on a possible timeline or cost associated with the move.

“The level of detail we’re getting here is just not acceptable for us to exercise our oversight,” committee chairman Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) said. “It is a very frustrating briefing at this point.”

The Pentagon is conducting “zero-based reviews” of its combatant commands to align them with the National Defense Strategy, and that review coincided with a White House decision to reduce the overall troop levels in Germany. Committee ranking member Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) said his view of the overall plan is that “a couple staffers in the White House decided they wanted to sell the President on an absolute troop cap for Germany” without understanding the consequences, and then Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper and DOD planners are “trying to put lipstick on the pig” and “my concern is the underlying strength and unity of the [NATO] alliance has not been a foremost consideration.”

“There needs to be an overall strategic plan coordinated with allies rather than have a bunch of rationalizations after the fact,” Thornberry said.

Defense Department witnesses—James H. Anderson, the acting under secretary of defense for policy, and USAF Lt. Gen. David W. Allvin, the director of strategy, plans, and policy for the Joint Chiefs of Staff—said the bulk of the details lawmakers are requesting are still being determined. This includes major issues such as the future of Spangdahlem Air Base after it loses its fighter mission to Aviano Air Base, Italy, as well as the cost of the move and what it means for Airmen.

“In the context of moving to greater rotational forces, there’s still a role for logistics hubs and air bases that can and should be retained,” Anderson said. “That is part of our thinking on the European force structure reposturing. … I know that we’re going to retain the hubs. I want to caveat this a little bit, I’m not familiar with the exact nature of what’s being planned for that particular base.”

Allvin said the cost estimates of the move, and building up Aviano, are ongoing and would not be available for some time. The rationale behind moving the F-16s about 400 kilometers southeast is that it would enhance Aviano’s ability to reach the Black Sea and Eastern Mediterranean, and is “another axis of approach” for U.S. European Command.

Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), who while in USAF served as the deputy commander of Third Air Force and commander of the 435th Air Base Wing at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, said he worried the uncertain future of Spangdahlem would put too much pressure on Ramstein, which would not be able to pick up the full airlift mission.

“I’m worried about pulling out of Spangdahlem. … That airlift hub is critical,” he said.

Anderson said he is confident the force posture changes will serve the interests of the National Defense Strategy, and the Pentagon will “come up with a plan going forward that will enhance our posture.”

Several lawmakers, however, expressed frustration that the details were not worked out either before the announcement or in time for enough rationale to be provided in the hearing. Rep. James Langevin (D-R.I.) said of the AFRICOM move that he has “trouble connecting the dots,” saying he’s not sure how moving the headquarters fixes any existing problem. Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-Ala.) said removing permanent forces from the continent and depending more on rotational deployments and dynamic force employment of sending aircraft and other assets on short term rotations “looks like we’re pulling back, and we think we should be stepping forward” on the continent.

The hearing takes place as Senate and House leaders are expected to begin conference discussions on the fiscal 2021 National Defense Authorization Act after the election in November.

Ramifications for the NATO alliance and the decision-making process at the Pentagon on the overall force structure plan, “has to inform our conference negotiations with the Senate this year, and I presume in years to come,” Thornberry said.

Senate Passes Stopgap Spending Bill Hours Ahead of Federal Shutdown Deadline

Sept. 30, 2020 | By Rachel S. Cohen

The Senate voted 84-10 on Sept. 30 to pass a stopgap spending measure that would keep the federal government open through Dec. 11, pending President Donald J. Trump’s likely approval.

Congress opted not to finish the appropriations process before fiscal 2021 begins Oct. 1, so federal agencies are restricted to the same amount of money they received in 2020 and cannot start any new spending programs. Lawmakers use continuing resolutions to punt on starting the fiscal year on time nearly every fall.

The Department of the Air Force wants about $169 billion in fiscal 2021, split between $153.6 billion for the Air Force and $15.4 billion for the Space Force.

Air Force Magazine reported Sept. 24 that a three-month continuing resolution would stymie the Space Force’s growth as a separate military branch, push back production of the E-11A Battlefield Airborne Communications Node jet, and delay Space Force construction projects.

“[Continuing resolutions] immediately disrupt major exercises and training events, affect readiness and maintenance, curtail hiring and recruitment actions, and adversely impact contracting negotiations,” Air Force spokesman Capt. Jacob N. Bailey said in a Sept. 24 email.

Congress could wait even longer on a 2021 appropriations package. If the delay stretches to a full year, the Air Force warned a 12-month CR would block 48 new programs from starting, cut short production increases to seven aircraft and weapons, stop 19 military construction projects, stifle the service’s response and recovery efforts for the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and limit the Air Force’s plan to grow its workforce by 1,500 people.

Air Force Changes More Grooming Rules to Drive Inclusion

Sept. 30, 2020 | By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

The Department of Air Force on Sept. 15 approved more tweaks to its dress and appearance rules for Airmen and space professionals in an effort to boost inclusion in both services, according to a Sept. 29 release.

The following changes immediately took effect:

Higher hair bulk standards for both sexes. The hair bulk standard for male service members, previously 1.25 inches, is now 2 inches. The same standard for women also jumped from 3.5 inches to 4 inches.
Male service members can get a little more creative with their haircuts. “Men’s hair may have one (cut, clipped, or shaved) front to back, straight-line part, not slanted or curved, on either side of their head, above the temple,” the release stated. These hair parts, however, may not be more than 4 inches long or a quarter-inch wide, it noted.

The update to Air Force Instruction 36-2903, “Dress and Personal Appearance of Air Force Personnel,” also clarified that USAF and Space Force personnel may dye their hair in “natural colors”—including “brown, blonde, brunette, natural red, black, or grey”—regardless of what color hair they were born with, the release said. This means that a naturally blonde service member wouldn’t be limited to a different shade of the same color when choosing a new hue, and that those with naturally dark hair may also lighten up their locks within the permitted hair color range.

“For more information, service members should view Air Force Guidance Memorandum 2020-02 and check Air Force Instruction 36-2903 for updates, which are available on the public website of the Air Force’s Personnel Center at https://www.afpc.af.mil/Career-Management/Dress-and-Appearance/,” the release advised.

These are just the latest in a recent series of inclusion-minded, appearance-related rule changes.

Earlier this year, the Air Force Surgeon General approved five-year shaving waivers for USAF and USSF personnel who suffer from razor bumps, and the Department of the Air Force permitted women service members to wear pants with their mess dress uniforms as an alternative to the previously mandated skirt.

Air Force to Reduce Tuition Assistance for Troops

Sept. 29, 2020 | By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

Starting Oct. 1, the Department of the Air Force will only pay for $3,750 of college tuition for Airmen and space professionals each fiscal year, regardless of whether they’re engaged in undergraduate or graduate studies, a Sept. 29 release said. That’s an $750 per-fiscal-year decrease from fiscal 2020 reimbursement rates.

Troops facing extenuating circumstances are allowed to apply for waivers, and credit-hour limits aren’t changing, the release noted.

“Previously, military tuition assistance limits were $4,500 per fiscal year, but adjustments were required to ensure the program remains fully available and fiscally sustainable while meeting an increase in participation rates, the number of courses taken, and course costs,” the release stated.

The service told Air Force Times that it attributed the jump in participation to the COVID-19 pandemic, and that as of Sept. 24, 80,430 troops had taken advantage of the department’s tuition assistance program this fiscal year.

However, Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force JoAnne S. Bass refuted that reasoning in a Sept. 30 Facebook comment on a thread concerning the change.

“While we know there has been an increase in Airmen going to online schools during COVID-19, that wasn’t a factor in the TA adjustments,” she said. “I would know, I was in the room where it happened.”

In an additional comment on the same thread, she noted that approximately 80 percent of the Department of the Air Force personnel who utilized its tuition assistance funds “last fiscal year used less than $3,750,” and that only about 20 percent of them actually hit the $4,500 cap.

“These new adjustments include exemptions to policy that are meant to mitigate the impact to that 20% as much as possible,” she wrote.

Bass also clarified that the decreased tuition assistance cap wasn’t the result of funds being reallocated. On the flip side, funding for this departmental resource was raised “to $168M this year (up ~$19M),” she wrote.

“Changing to $3,750 allows more Airmen to take advantage of the TA benefit,” she added.

Applications still will be routed via the Air Force Virtual Education Center web platform, and service members can apply for financial assistance “up to 45 days” before their class starts, the release stated.

The department anticipates the updated tuition assistance caps to help stretch out available funds in a fair manner; however, if the money earmarked for fiscal 2021 runs out “at year end,” troops whose applications haven’t yet been approved will have to reapply for tuition assistance once fiscal 2022 funds become available.

Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower, Personnel, and Services Lt. Gen. Brian T. Kelly said in the release the change is intended to prevent history from repeating itself, noting that sequestration caused a temporary suspension of military tuition assistance in 2013.

He also underscored that military tuition assistance isn’t the only financial resource available to Airmen and space professionals who are trying to streamline costs while pursuing degrees.

“Air Force officials noted comparing school costs, researching other resources such as Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits, Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support’s, or DANTES, subject standardized tests, or DSST, college-level examination programs, or CLEP, pursuing Community College of the Air Force degrees, and other funding sources such as scholarships and grants as parts of the overall education benefit that can help minimize expenses,” the release stated.

Service members are encouraged to reach out to their nearby education and training office and college counselors to search for more education funding sources, and to refer to “Air Force Instruction 36-2670 Total Force Development and Air Force guidance memorandum 2020-02” for more information about the policy change.

Editor’s Note: This story was updated on Sept. 30 at 9:22 p.m. EDT to reflect new comments from CMSAF Bass, and at 5:29 a.m. EDT to correct the updated military tuition assistance cap amount, as well as the decrease it reflects from the fiscal 2020 cap.