The Air Force has its new Airman Battle Uniform in production and plans to provide them to airmen deploying to Southwest Asia in the spring. A USAF news release states that Battlefield Airmen will each get four sets of the ABU, while other airmen will receive two sets and two of the current Desert Combat Uniforms. The Air Force plans to issue the new ABU to airmen in basic training by October 2007 and make it available for purchase by June 2008. The service wants to make the new ABU mandatory by October 2011.
The Air Force displayed all the firepower it has amassed on Okinawa in an unusually diverse show of force this week. IIn a May 6 “Elephant Walk,” Kadena Air Base showcased 24 F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters, eight F-15E Strike Eagles; two U.S. Army Patriot anti-missile batteries near the runway; and…