The Clovis (N.M.) News Journal reports that Cannon AFB, N.M., will experience a “bumpy ride” for the next few years as the Air Force closes out F-16 operations at the base and turns it into an Air Force Special Operations Command facility. First, Cannon’s base workforce of active duty, civilians, and contractors will drop from nearly 4,500 to around 3,200. The AFSOC changeover then brings “rapid growth beginning in 2008. Long-term, the base workforce and family members should grow by around 17 percent above today’s total of around 8,900.
Lawmakers are growing impatient for an overdue fighter recapitalization study from the Air Force, and members say they'll demand more detailed justifications for future aircraft retirements.