Schoomaker likes USAF’s push to create more Battlefield Airmen that travel with ground troops and help mesh air operations with ground operations. Schoomaker said he saw some of these airmen in Iraq working with forward Army units and was impressed by their effectiveness. “[Air Force Chief of Staff Gen.] John Jumper is committed to building a thousand more battlefield airmen to populate our brigades,” said Schoomaker. “I want a continued drive to achieve this kind of interdependence and interoperability.”
Air Force Moves to Purchase T-7 Engines, Not Boeing
July 28, 2026
Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.orgThe Air Force plans to buy the engines for its new T-7A...