USAF officials want to fill 40 critical positions with former service personnel who have served in specific career fields: airborne or ground cryptology linguistics; combat control; tactical air command and control; survival, evasion, resist, and escape operations; pararescue; explosive ordnance disposal. The last field listed in an Air Force news release is a strange bedfellow for these combat-type jobs—premier or regional band. Go figure.
The Air Force’s BACN may be cooked—the service plans to retire its entire E-11A Battlefield Airborne Communications Node fleet in fiscal 2028 and equip aircraft to use satellite communications instead.