Rep. Peter Visclosky (D-Ind.) at the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing on Feb. 16, pursued the attack. He wanted to know whether Defense Secretary Rumsfeld had weighed his determination that canceling the alternate F-35 engine would provide “minimal risk today” against the impact over the life of the Joint Strike Fighter program. Rumsfeld’s reply: “I was not stating my personal firsthand knowledge. … It was the studies that were made by the senior civilian and military in the department and that was their conclusion.” So, if it doesn’t work out, then no one should blame Rumsfeld. Ahhhh.
Airmen and Guardians in the Active and Reserve component, as well as civilian employees, in “mission critical and high-risk populations” are now required to receive influenza vaccinations annually to “preserve force readiness,” according to a recent Department of the Air Force memo.