The Air Force has decided that Jan. 1, 2007, will be the date when enlisted airmen must make the switch back to wearing US insignia with circle. The service announced earlier this month that it planned to make this change, which officials call a return to enlisted heritage. The Air Force also plans to eliminate the option for senior noncommissioned officers to wear their rank on shoulder boards, beginning Oct. 1, 2006.
The Air Force ramped up operations and maintenance spending to keep its F-35A fighters flying over the past six years, but readiness continues to lag behind goals, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office.