BRAC commissioners continued to press Pentagon officials about their proposal to remove all active forces from New England and close Otis ANGB, Mass. DOD offered renewed assurances that the area would be adequately protected with forces based elsewhere. Commissioners seemed unconvinced. Retired Adm. Harold Gehman Jr., former head of JFCOM, noted, “To remove essentially all active-duty military activity—not just air—out of the New England area causes me some discomfort.”
The Air Force displayed all the firepower it has amassed on Okinawa in an unusually diverse show of force this week. IIn a May 6 “Elephant Walk,” Kadena Air Base showcased 24 F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters, eight F-15E Strike Eagles; two U.S. Army Patriot anti-missile batteries near the runway; and…