As we reported earlier, this year the Air Force plans to cut its junior officer force to continue the force-shaping efforts it began almost two years ago to trim the service down to its authorized end strength. Some 845 lieutenants—708 from the 2002 year group and 137 from 2003—now face involuntary separation. Their fate is in the hands of a special board that convened on April 10 and is still at work, according to the Air Force Personnel Center. Center officials expect to be able to release the results on May 10. (Check here for the 2002 and 2003 vulnerable career fields facing the board.)
The Air Force is spending heavily on F-22 improvements through the end of the decade, suggesting it may not retire the jet in 2030 as it previously planned. New sensors, fuel tanks, communications, and electronic warfare systems are among the upgrades that comprise the package.