The Air Force has converted its first group of non-union civilian employees to the new National Security Personnel System, which is still embroiled in a legal dispute with unions. An NSPS official said last week that the process to convert the 3,100 lucky individuals of Spiral 1.1 who work at the Air Force Audit Agency, Air Force headquarters, and Tinker AFB, Okla., “went very well.” The next group, Spiral 1.2, will be ushered into the system in October, followed by Spiral 1.3 in January 2007.
F-35As from the Vermont Air National Guard have deployed to Puerto Rico in recent days, continuing a major buildup of U.S. Air Force assets in Latin America aimed at combating drug trafficking and pressuring the regime of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
