President Bush on Jan. 4 took advantage of the congressional recess to officially appoint Gordon England to be the Deputy Secretary of Defense. England’s nomination has been stalled in the Senate since March. The recess appointment lasts until January 2007. Now, at least, we feel somewhat better about England’s right to succeed Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. (Although it is still strange that the line now runs to the Intel guy and pals, instead of to the service secretaries. Hmmmm.)
The last remaining T-1 Jayhawk at JBSA-Randolph, Texas, took its final flight to the "Boneyard" at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., on July 15. The 99th Flying Training Squadron will train pilots using T-6 and simulator until it gets T-7 Red Hawk in fiscal 2026.