Gen. Michael Moseley, the top uniformed official of the Air Force, penned an op/ed last week, extolling the contributions of the US Air Force over the years and noting that, although many things have changed during his 35-year career, one is constant: “the extraordinary dedication, courage, and skill of the men and women we call airmen.” Moseley goes on to describe the many daily activities of airmen—active, Guard, and Reserve—writes: “The ability of our surface combatants to look up into the sky, knowing there’s nothing to fear is priceless. Yet, air, space, and cyberspace dominance is not an entitlement—it’s a direct fight that must be won as a predicate to any other activity. The battle for air, space, and, now, cyberspace superiority has been—and will always be—the first battle of any war.”
Depot-level maintenance took longer than expected for nearly three-quarters of Air Force aircraft from fiscal 2019-2024, according to a new report, as unplanned repairs rise across the aging fleet. The report, from the Government Accountability Office, also found that the extent of the delays has been masked because officials often revise their target timelines after unplanned work occurs.