James had a few choice comments for Administration officials who think they can tinker with the Air Expeditionary Force mix of capabilities. “We do not want to be put in the position, as an Air Force, that we cannot ensure air dominance in the future,” asserts James, adding, “It really concerns me that people are talking about changing the AEF.” In his view, the AEF system has proved itself for more than 10 years. Any tinkering could affect not only the active Air Force but the Air Guard operations tempo and, ultimately, retention, says James. The ANG director maintains: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it; don’t do us any favors. We haven’t let you down and we don’t intend to.”
The last remaining T-1 Jayhawk at JBSA-Randolph, Texas, took its final flight to the "Boneyard" at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., on July 15. The 99th Flying Training Squadron will train pilots using T-6 and simulator until it gets T-7 Red Hawk in fiscal 2026.