Lt. Gen. Craig McKinley, director of the Air National Guard, will not be losing personnel as part of the Total Force’s reduction of 40,000 airmen, but that concession came at a price. To pay for its airmen, McKinley said at AFA’s Air & Space Conference Tuesday that the Guard had to shave $1.8 billion from its accounts. The ANG managed this by cutting its flying hours, repair, and military construction accounts. Most Air Force major commands will be shedding personnel, but the Air Guard is not alone in staving off reductions—Air Force Special Operations Command will actually be increasing in size.
As Hurricane Melissa hammers the Caribbean, the U.S. Air Force’s “Hurricane Hunters” are busy flying into the massive Category 4 storm to collect atmospheric data—with one experiencing greater than expected turbulence Oct. 28.
