That is the question Congress wants answered—with more detail than the Air Force has so far provided. The Senate had wanted to direct USAF to purchase up to two dedicated aeromedical evacuation aircraft. Instead, lawmakers opted to have USAF respond by May with a “comprehensive evaluation” that compares the current designated aircraft program to the former dedicated aircraft program. The comparison is to include everything from cost to customer feedback. Lawmakers state that USAF’s transition from dedicated to designated AE “is not without challenges.” They urge full candor. When USAF announced in 2003 its plan to retire the C-9 fleet, officials said the service could handle the job more efficiently without the dedicated AE aircraft.
The push to secure free health insurance for members of the National Guard and Reserve regardless of duty status gained momentum in the past few days, as a bipartisan pair of Senators introduced legislation that would expand coverage and First Lady Jill Biden hosted National Guard leaders for discussions at the White…