Nine of the men who have held the Air Force’s top enlisted position met recently in the nation’s capital. Retired CMSAF Paul Airey, who enlisted in the service 63 years ago and was the first Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, sees similarities between the airmen of his day and today, noting they have the “same drive and determination.” Airey said, “The difference is the education and the knowledge today’s young people have.” Retired CMSAF Sam Parrish, the eighth in the line of top enlisted men, commented that the service is “still growing and developing,” but that airmen “are beginning to understand the importance of their service and their service’s history.”
The Space Development Agency says it’s on track to issue its next batch of missile warning and tracking satellite contracts this month after those awards were delayed by the Pentagon’s decision to divert funds from the agency to pay troops during this fall’s prolonged government shutdown.

