Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Michael Moseley said late last week at a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing that the service “will have much better fidelity” about Air Force requirements by “the end of this year and into 2008” in relation to the permanent increase of 92,000 soldiers and marines. Earlier, Moseley and Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne indicated that a review this summer would foretell whether the service would continue its plan to drop down to 316,000 airmen by 2009. The service will hit around 330,000 in 2008, at which point, Moseley told lawmakers March 29, USAF would “see if that is a reasonable place to stop.”
The U.S. military is sending more fighter jets to the Middle East to step up its war with Iran, adding to what is already the largest buildup of airpower in the region since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. For now, the operation shows little sign of coming to a quick…