Air Force Research Laboratory workers are busy at Kirtland AFB, N.M., developing the first portable, non-lethal deterrent weapon—called the Personnel Halting and Stimulation Response, or PHaSR. The weapon uses a two-wavelength laser system which temporarily impairs aggressors by “dazzling” bad guys so they can’t see the PHaSR-wielding troops. AFRL has delivered the first two prototypes to the Human Effectiveness Directorate at Brooks City-Base, Tex., and the Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate at Quantico, Va., for testing.
Trainees in Basic Military Training and technical school no longer have the option to try alternate PT drills if they fail an initial assessment, according to a policy change the Air Force made in April. The move is part of a larger shift out of the classroom and into hands-on,…