Rumsfeld bristled when one reporter asked for a comment on critics who maintain the war on terrorism limited the ability of the National Guard to repond to this natural disaster at home. His answer: “That’s just flat wrong.” Earlier in the Tuesday briefing, Rumsfeld noted that there are more than 300,000 Guardsmen who are not deployed overseas right now. “They are available for relief and security efforts in the United States, should they be necessary,” he said.
As Air Force leaders consider concepts of operations for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, sustainment in the field—and easing that support by using standard parts and limiting variants—should be a key consideration, according to a new study from AFA's Mitchell Institute of Aerospace Studies.