Elsewhere in the Pacific region, the early morning flights—takeoffs and unusually quick returns—by USAF F-15s flying routine training from Kadena AB, Japan, on the island of Okinawa, caused an outcry from island residents, reports Stars and Stripes. Bad weather and some maintenance problems twice sent fighters back to the base shortly after their sunrise takeoffs. Just this past May, Japanese officials had asked the air base to cut back on F-15 noise.
Trainees in Basic Military Training and technical school no longer have the option to try alternate PT drills if they fail an initial assessment, according to a policy change the Air Force made in April. The move is part of a larger shift out of the classroom and into hands-on,…