The Air Force has been meeting goals as it expands its force of much-in-demand battlefield airmen, according to Lt. Gen. Roger Brady, deputy chief of staff for manpower and personnel. The service is gaining new members for these critical specialties from a combination of cross training from other fields and external recruiting efforts. The Air Force also has started conducting some “prep coursework” to offset the high attrition rate as prospective recruits undergo the demanding training needed to enter one of the battlefield airmen fields, explained Brady. Consequently, he said, the recruits are better prepared for the grueling tests. (Learn more about “The Ground Warriors of Airpower.”)
The use of a military counter-drone laser on the southwest border this week—which prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to abruptly close the airspace over El Paso, Texas—will be a “case study” on the complex web of authorities needed to employ such weapons near civilian areas and the consequences of agencies…

