US Air Force pilots stationed in South Korea have sent letters to the Pentagon to protest the lack of aerial training ranges in South Korea, according to the Korea Times. US Forces Korea in August shut down the Koon-Ni Range, which was a short flying time from Osan Air Base, after more than 50 years in operation. USAF had been subject to complaints and lawsuits from villagers near the range for several years, before US and South Korean officials in 2003 decided to turn control over to Seoul by August 2005. In return, Seoul was to provide USAF access to another range. According to the Times, South Korean officials have met stiff resistance from residents in other likely areas.
Trainees in Basic Military Training and technical school no longer have the option to try alternate PT drills if they fail an initial assessment, according to a policy change the Air Force made in April. The move is part of a larger shift out of the classroom and into hands-on,…