The Lexington Institute’s Loren Thompson believes the Air Force simply “has become so politically correct that nobody can figure out what it’s saying.” Thompson complains about the C-17 snafu, among other things, writing that although USAF only cited a need for two additional airlifters, it was, in fact, “formulating plans to seek dozens more” but left “outsiders” to “read its mind.” Although Thompson maintains that Chief of Staff Gen. Michael Moseley is actually “more articulate than any of his recent predecessors,” he says the Air Force culture is more committed to “secrecy” than it is to gaining support for its mission.
U.S. Northern Command plans to sign an agreement with its European and Pacific counterparts to enhance coordination and close security seams in the Arctic, a strategically vital region that spans all three commands. The agreement comes at an important moment in NORTHCOM's evolution, as its mission grows more complex.
