Paul Airey, the first Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, received a memorable birthday present when Tyndall AFB, Fla., officials renamed the NCO Academy there in his honor. The dedication ceremony also marked the beginning of the academy’s 50th year of service. Airey, who retired at Tyndall in 1970, said, “I am proud and a little in awe,” while CMSgt. Thomas Schwenk, commandant of the NCOA, called him a “trailblazer for the enlisted corps.”
A combined Navy and Air Force program is seeking to build a smaller version of a ubiquitous air-to-air missile that could give advanced aircraft, such as the Collaborative Combat Aircraft, greater magazine depth in a high-end fight.