The Air Force says it may retire a total of 272 aircraft in Fiscal 2008. This includes both fixed-wing airplanes and helicopters. Scheduled to go are: 17 B-52s, 24 C-130Es, 32 F-15s, 35 F-16s, 42 F-117s (completing the retirement of the Nighthawk fleet), 48 KC-135Es, 10 MH-53J/M helicopters, 63 T-37Bs, and one U-2. Originally, the service requested permission to phase out more than 300 aircraft in 2008. In Fiscal 2009, USAF has asked Congress for permission to phase out 182 aircraft.
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,…