Residents of Burlington, Vt., on March 7 will vote on whether the Burlington City Council should use “lawful means to keep the Vermont Air National Guard at home.” The point of ballot question No. 6 is to “to prevent” the ANG’s 158th Fighter Wing, housed at the Burlington Airport, from being sent overseas “to drop bombs in wars of aggression against other nations.” Local and federal elected officials have gone on record against the question. A statement from Sen. Patrick Leahy (D) and Sen. Jim Jeffords (I) notes their opposition to the war in Iraq, but says they support the Vermont ANG. Passage of the ballot question, the statement reads, would be “harmful to both the airport and the Vermont Guard.”
As Air Force leaders consider concepts of operations for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, sustainment in the field—and easing that support by using standard parts and limiting variants—should be a key consideration, according to a new study from AFA's Mitchell Institute of Aerospace Studies.