The Air National Guard’s 167th Airlift Wing at Martinsburg, W.Va., is having no problem filling the extra slots created when the wing transitioned from the C-130 tactical airlifter to the mammoth C-5 strategic airlifter. The unit flew its first C-5 operational mission in April. West Virginia Metro News reports that the wing is slated to reach full operational capability by spring 2009, but the unit already has half its new manpower slots filled. The unit has been recruiting for less than two months. MSgt. Dan Jenkins, recruiting supervisor, said, “It’s all about the attitude, the people, the great working environment, the new buildings, new planes. You bring that and you’re kind of like that “Field of Dreams.” You build it, [and] they will come.”
The Space Development Agency is on track to resume its Tranche 1 launch campaign this week after a nine-month pause to fix hardware and software issues that arose on orbit following the launch of its first operational satellites last fall.