The Military Coalition’s Guard and Reserve Committee again is asking Congress to lower the reserve retirement age because the “vintage” retirement system does not recognize the “increase in service and sacrifice of Guard and Reserve service members” under the Operational Reserve Policy. TMC, comprising 35 military and veteran service organizations, including the Air Force Association, also wants to ensure a continuum of health coverage options for the Guard and Reserve. In all, TMC has about 10 items on its 2007 agenda to better conditions for the Guard and Reserve, including increasing end strengths and improving readiness.
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,…