The airmen of the 40th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron that maintain the B-1B bombers flying combat mission over Afghanistan haven’t missed one of more than 165 launches during the present expeditionary rotation, according to an feature article by Air Force journalist TSgt. Jason Smith. The airmen are performing the same type of work they would at home base, but they work at “a faster pace,” said SrA. Kevin Waxman, one of the unit’s crew chiefs. Capt. Andrew Hackleman, with the 40th EMXS, called the B-1B “a complicated and maintenance-intensive weapon system, and the crew chiefs work tirelessly, 24/7, keeping the jet safe and reliable for aircrew.”
Trainees in Basic Military Training and technical school no longer have the option to try alternate PT drills if they fail an initial assessment, according to a policy change the Air Force made in April. The move is part of a larger shift out of the classroom and into hands-on,…