Other countries have figured out that the combat edge of the Air Force is as much in its training as its equipment; maybe more, Keys asserted. As a result, countries “that are not our allies…are starting to train like us.” His point was that it’s important not to scrimp on the training, he said, but ACC was forced to do just that last year, when it had to cut flying hours due to the run-up in fuel costs. The money was later added to make up the shortfall, but in the meantime, training was deferred, “and we lost combat capability.”
As Hurricane Melissa hammers the Caribbean, the U.S. Air Force’s “Hurricane Hunters” are busy flying into the massive Category 4 storm to collect atmospheric data—with one experiencing greater than expected turbulence Oct. 28.
