The chief of the National Guard Bureau, Army Lt. Gen. Steven Blum, believes Operation Jump Start is a “magnificent mission” that is “making a very, very big, positive difference.” On a week-long visit to see some of the 6,000 Army and Air National Guardsmen who are augmenting the US Border Patrol in all ways except actual law enforcement, Blum noted that morale among the Guardsmen is “extra high.” He added, “I haven’t met a soldier or airman here yet who doesn’t think they’re doing something that’s making a positive difference.”
The Air Force is leaning toward a less-sophisticated autonomous aircraft in the second increment of the Collaborative Combat Aircraft, the services chief futurist said. He also suggested that the next increment of CCA may be air-launched, a la the "Rapid Dragon" experiments conducted by the service in recent years.