Paul McHale, the Pentagon point man for Homeland Defense, said Tuesday in Washington that Noble Eagle combat air patrols are still necessary even in the now unlikely event that terrorists could take control of a civilian aircraft and turn it into a weapon as they did on Sept. 11, 2001. The stateside CAPs, predominantly flown by the Air National Guard, will continue, noted McHale, “with varying degrees of intensity.”
Upon assuming his post, new Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force David Wolfe said he will prioritize high standards and pledged to ensure Airmen of all specialties get the equipment they need to project U.S. airpower.

