The Engine That Would Not Go Quietly: General Electric and Rolls Royce continue to push to reverse the Pentagon plan to cancel the alternate F-35 Joint Strike Fighter engine. They and critics who fear downsizing to a single engine producer poses too much risk are working Capitol Hill. The political newspaper, The Hill, reports that a number of lawmakers plan “to grill” Pentagon officials over the decision. And, the list of Senators who have expressed concern now includes Sen. John Warner (R-Va.), powerful chairman of the Armed Services Committee.
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,…