Stars and Stripes carries a report that the Air Force intends to rethink its ongoing cut of some 40,000 personnel, referring to Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne’s Sept. 19 remarks before a Washington think tank. The intent of Wynne’s comments about the personnel cut were not that the service plans to halt the 40,000-person slice, but that it alone is insufficient to support the service’s recapitalization efforts. At this week’s AFA Air & Space Conference, Wynne left no doubt that the Air Force intended to continue with the cuts, drawing down to an end strength of 316,000 in 2009. That said, there is a possibility that the service would add back some 2,000 airmen—but they probably would be the highly specialized battlefield airmen not the rank and file included in the ongoing cuts—to accommodate the growth in ground forces. Meanwhile, the service plans to ask Congress for more money to continue its vital recapitalization of systems.
Work Has Begun to Adapt Qatari 747 to Fly as Air Force One
Sept. 15, 2025
The Air Force has started modifying a Boeing 747 donated by Qatar for "executive airlift," a spokesperson said Sept. 15. President Donald Trump has said he wants to fly the jet as “Air Force One” since new presidential transports, held up by delays, won't be ready until after his term…
