Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina has come under fire for his service as an Air Force Reserve colonel sitting as a judge on the Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals. Attorneys for A1C Charles Lane are trying to throw out Lane’s cocaine conviction, arguing that Graham (one of three judges who reviewed Lane’s case) is disqualified to serve due to his being “politically accountable” to his constituents for his decisions and cannot therefore be impartial. According to USA Today, Lane’s attorneys requested that Graham recuse himself, but he did not and joined the other two judges in upholding the airman’s sentence. Now, Graham’s position is up to the US Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces. The decision could have ramifications for the few other lawmaker-reservists.
An important U.S. Air Force E-3 Sentry AWACS command and control plane was among the aircraft damaged in a March 27 Iranian missile and drone attack on Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, people familiar with the matter told Air & Space Forces Magazine.