The Air Force Association bestowed its Lifetime Achievement award on retired CMSAF Paul Airey, presenting the award to the 85-year-old top airman at the Senior NCO Academy in Alabama last week. Airey is the first enlisted person to receive the prestigious award, reports Carl Bergquist. According to AFA Chairman of the Board Bob Largent, the award to Airey is “past due.” At the ceremony, current CMSAF Rodney McKinley said, “In my opinion, Chief Airey is the most respected enlisted airman in the Air Force.”
Trainees in Basic Military Training and technical school no longer have the option to try alternate PT drills if they fail an initial assessment, according to a policy change the Air Force made in April. The move is part of a larger shift out of the classroom and into hands-on,…