The President of Romania says he and the US have struck a deal for a US military presence in his country. According to Reuters news service, Traian Basescu has agreed to let the American military use sites on the Black Sea coast and possibly others. Basescu says US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice will visit Romania next month to put ink on paper. Romania allowed US forces to use one of its air bases during the buildup for the war in Iraq. (Read our article about the shift from Western Europe to the south and east.)
The six-week government shutdown did not affect the hours flown by Air Force pilots, a service spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine—avoiding what could have been a major blow at a time when flying hours are already lower than they have been in decades.
