Considering all the negative hype over DOD’s new National Security Personnel System, the fact that nearly two-thirds of the guinea pigs at Tinker AFB, Okla., received “threes” on the NSPS five-point scale is a welcome relief. The Washington Post reports that 69 percent of the 2,500 Tinker civilian employees rated under an NSPS trial run got a “three” and that makes them “valued performers.” That rating also would give each the maximum annual pay raise, but this was just a test.
The Air Force displayed all the firepower it has amassed on Okinawa in an unusually diverse show of force this week. IIn a May 6 “Elephant Walk,” Kadena Air Base showcased 24 F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters, eight F-15E Strike Eagles; two U.S. Army Patriot anti-missile batteries near the runway; and…