Some 500 senior Air National Guard officer and enlisted leaders and state Adjutants General gathered in Wisconsin earlier this month to talk about a number of subjects, including safety and quality of life issues, but the capstone event was an opportunity to help develop the Air Guard roadmap. Lt. Gen. Craig McKinley, ANG director and recently tapped to head the National Guard Bureau, noted that the now-annual summit helps the Guard leaders “to focus on very important topics … and commit ourselves to making the Air National Guard better through strong leadership.” The results of the roadmap sessions, which covered areas such as Total Force integration, emerging cyber missions, and better funding for the US air defense mission, were to go to the field for comments and further refinement before the national planning conference in the fall. Brig. Gen. Donald Haught, vice chair for the long-range planning committee, called it a “dynamic process,” and added, “The field definitely has a loud voice in the process. Their input will decide how it all works and goes together.” (NGB report by MSgt. Mike Smith)
The Chinese air force is accelerating some of its fighter pilot training but likely won't fully modernize until 2030. Tradition and the tempo of graduating aviation academy classes constrains pilot production.