Gen. Lance W. Lord, the soon-to-retire Air Force Space Command commander, heaped accolades on the airmen of the 341st Space Wing, Malmstrom AFB, Mont., during a recent visit, remarking that, in 2005, they had achieved a 99.792 percent alert rate—the highest for the wing in the past 10 years. Lord says two things contributed to the record rate: commitment by the airmen and commitment by the nation to modernize the ICBM force. During the past 10 years, he said, the Pentagon has spent more than $8 billion on the missile fleet.
The Air Force displayed all the firepower it has amassed on Okinawa in an unusually diverse show of force this week. IIn a May 6 “Elephant Walk,” Kadena Air Base showcased 24 F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters, eight F-15E Strike Eagles; two U.S. Army Patriot anti-missile batteries near the runway; and…