Safety remains at the forefront of reintegrating F-15s into the daily operations defending North American airspace, says Maj. Gen. Hank Morrow, head of 1st Air Force and the Continental US NORAD Region. “The critical step,” he says, will be “the initial cadre” of F-15 pilots who regain their landing currency and will then manage the “re-currency” for the rest of their units. “Landing currency will get us back in the air, but restoring the other demanding currencies requires particular attention, judgment, and hands-on risk management,” he says. “Oversight and certification of this program as it relates to [Air National Guard] units remains with the wing’s leadership and instructor pilots.”
The Air Force achieved its goal of recruiting 32,750 Active-Duty enlisted Airmen for 2026 five months ahead of schedule, military officials said this week—its biggest recruiting year in more than two decades.