The new boss of Pacific Air Forces, Gen. Howie Chandler is telling his airmen that the “fairly austere” 2007 budget environment forced the Air Force to do “some things we didn’t necessarily want to do.” He believes the budget situation has improved somewhat, such that airmen will see “leadership going back to look at some of the things we did in 2007 and correcting some of those things.” Speaking recently at a stopover at Kadena AB, Japan, Chandler expressed concern about keeping the morale of the volunteer force high. He said, “The airmen and their families have my pledge that as we balance readiness and ability to fight, we will do our absolute best to ensure airmen have the conditions they need both on and off the job.” (Kadena report by SSgt. Christopher Marasky)
A half-dozen pilots from one of the Air Force’s premier F-16 units, the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., have been awarded one of the service’s highest decorations for their role in Operation Midnight Hammer, the June 2025 strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities.