The head of the Nevada Air National Guard, Brig. Gen. Robert Fitch, calls his civilian-life employer, “extremely gracious” when it comes to extending him leave for military duties, even weeks of overseas travel. Gerry Gilmore reports that Fitch’s nomination of Sierra Pacific Resources earned the company one of the 15 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Awards that will be given out this year. The company’s president and chief executive officer, Michael Yackire, said such support for Guardsmen is “the right thing to do.”
The Air Force is planning to spend $2.19 billion over the next five years to acquire new C-37 jets for transporting military and civilian leaders. That’s on top of another $1.17 billion in projected funding for the VC-25B “Air Force One” replacement.