Some 120 Air Force Reserve Command security forces airmen who recently traveled to Camp Smith, Tex., for two weeks of combat training got “sustainment training with a twist,” said Maj. Wes White, operations officers of the 610th Security Forces Squadron, NAS JRB Fort Worth, Tex. Participating in one of three AFRC Patriot Defender exercises this year, the Reservists earned their three-year sustainment credit by taking standard refresher training, such as vehicle searches, and today’s combat type training, such as convoy and urban operations.
The F-35 Joint Program Office has officially announced plans to issue multiple sole-source contracts to Pratt & Whitney to upgrade the fighter’s F135 engine—a widely expected move after Pentagon officials indicated they would do so earlier this year instead of developing an entirely new engine.