Florida’s Eglin Air Force Base is at the forefront of fighting one of the largest threats to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan—the improvised explosive device. The base has opened an Advanced Improvised Explosive Device Training Facility, which includes a mock airport, library, gas station, and bank. It is part of the school that trains USAF bomb squad members.
The Air Force ramped up operations and maintenance spending to keep its F-35A fighters flying over the past six years, but readiness continues to lag behind goals, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office.