There is more flying to be done by the Arizona Air National Guard’s 161st Air Refueling Wing than its frequent training facility at Williams Gateway Airport, in Mesa, Ariz., can accommodate. Or so state Guard officials told Serco, the company that runs the control tower at Williams, reports the Arizona Republic. The 161st ARW calls Phoenix Airport home, but uses nearby Williams for most of its touch and go practice approaches. The Air Guardsmen want Serco to extend its open-for-business time by one hour, until 10 p.m.
Amid a high-profile recruiting crisis, Air Force leaders and experts have increasingly noted the challenging long-term trends the service will face in enticing young Americans to sign up—decreasing eligibility to serve, less propensity to do so, and less familiarity with the military. But while those same leaders say there’s no “silver…