The Guam Initial Response Readiness Exercise, an island-wide program that teams Pacific Air Force’s 36th Wing at Andersen AFB, Guam, with Naval Base Guam, kicked off in 2005 to coordinate training on war plan deployments and joint disaster response efforts. Starting next week, this year’s installment (now planned for every quarter) will be an expanded effort featuring Guam Army and Air National Guard along with Guam’s Civil Defense and Homeland Security joint team, as well as the formation of Joint Task Force Homeland Defense-Guam.
The Air Force is renaming its traditional aviation bonus program in 2024 and continuing a new, experimental second program, ordered by Congress, aimed at getting aviators to extend their commitment sooner and for longer. While the programs can’t be doubled-up, aviators may be able to move from one to the…