NJ ANG Wants a Cushion: The BRAC 2005 commission spared the New Jersey Air National Guard’s 108th Air Refueling Wing at McGuire AFB, N.J., although USAF wanted to totally strip its KC-135s, taking only eight of the wing’s aerial refuelers. State and wing officials recognize that leaves them with some excess manpower, so they are joining other ANG units in the search for new missions. The Asbury Park Press reports that New Jersey is eyeing a crisis response group-type mission and even working with the Air Force Reserve Command unit at McGuire.
NATO Allied Air Command is making moves now for its member nations’ air forces to be able to service each others’ fighters, fly them with each others’ weapons, and integrate more closely together than they have in decades, a top official said April 24—ahead of an influx of F-35s and a coming…