The Air National Guard, alone among the military components, did not achieve at least 100 percent of its December 2007 recruiting goal. It was shy by 26 recruits. However, although Lt. Gen. Craig McKinley, ANG director, has said he expects 2008 to be a tough recruiting year, the slight downturn hasn’t yet affected the bottom line, since the Air Guard began the new fiscal year with two very good months, bringing in 134 percent and 133 percent of its goals, respectively for October and November. In December, both the active duty Air Force and Air Force Reserve Command made 100 percent of their goals.
As Air Force leaders consider concepts of operations for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, sustainment in the field—and easing that support by using standard parts and limiting variants—should be a key consideration, according to a new study from AFA's Mitchell Institute of Aerospace Studies.