The Air Force put on a special ceremony at Andrews AFB, Md., to welcome its new Secretary—Michael Wynne—back into the “blue.” Wynne is a West Point graduate, but he transferred to the Air Force, serving seven years on active duty. He didn’t stray far from the Air Force, though, because he worked in industry on the F-16 fighter and Atlas and Centaur space launch boosters. Hundreds in the Capital Region turned out for the Jan. 12 event, which featured the Air Force band and honor guard.
The emphasis on speed in the Pentagon’s newly unveiled slate of acquisition reforms may come with increased near-term cost increases, analysts say. But according to U.S. defense officials, the new weapons-buying construct provides the military with enough flexibility to prevent runaway budget overruns in major programs.

