The Government Accountability Office notes in a new report that US Strategic Command has successfully developed concepts of operations and obtained the proper resources and personnel to carry out its increased mission, however GAO faults its ability to gauge results for its new mission areas during exercises. GAO found, too, that STRATCOM has not “fully clarified roles and expectations of its service component organizations” and needed to improve working relationships with other commands. The Pentagon only agrees with three of seven GAO recommendations, noting, for instance, that STRATCOM has provided “specific guidance” to its components.
The six-week government shutdown did not affect the hours flown by Air Force pilots, a service spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine—avoiding what could have been a major blow at a time when flying hours are already lower than they have been in decades.
