The Air Force has reconsidered dropping the designation Distinguished Graduate from its Squadron Officer School program and plans to reinstitute DG status with the class that starts April 16. According to an Air Education and Training Command release, the service took 38 months to re-evaluate the issue. Air University dropped DG in 2004 when it implemented the Top Third Graduate Award instead. Now, SOS will convey both awards.
The Air Force has embraced new technical approaches like open mission systems and rapid software updates for cutting-edge aircraft like the B-21 and Collaborative Combat Aircraft. Increasingly, though, the service is also working to apply these to its older, “legacy” aircraft, officials said this week.