With his promotion to Brigadier General in the Air National Guard, Ernie Talbert became the first African American general officer in the 350-year history of the Delaware National Guard. A command pilot, Talbert spent six years on active duty, before joining the Delaware ANG, where he has served for the past 26 years in various operations and command assignments.
The emphasis on speed in the Pentagon’s newly unveiled slate of acquisition reforms may come with increased near-term cost increases, analysts say. But according to U.S. defense officials, the new weapons-buying construct provides the military with enough flexibility to prevent runaway budget overruns in major programs.


