Airmen of the 36th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron deployed to Andersen AFB, Guam, from Barksdale AFB, La. have achieved an 84.2 percent mission capable rate with their B-52 bombers. SMSgt. Don Perrien reports that Barksdale officials had anticipated only making a 76 percent Micap because of the age of the bombers and not having access to the unit’s full supply system. The deployed airmen have relied on “the equipment, tools, and knowledge we brought with us,” said Maj. George Johnson Jr., 36th EAMXS commander.
The Air Force wants to pump more than $12 billion over the next five years into its new affordable long-range missiles program and recently asked industry to push the flights of some of those munitions beyond 1,200 miles.