The Civil Air Patrol, the Air Force’s auxiliary, is restructuring its noncommissioned officer corps to mirror the Air Force’s NCO corps. With this change, CAP will be able to develop and promote its NCOs through its ranks similar to what takes place in the Air Force, according to an Oct. 21 service release. “The NCO corps is the backbone of any organization and brings a wealth of information to the table,” said Maj. Gen. Chuck Carr, CAP national commander. “This is the start of success,” he said. The Air Force approved the restructure last week, states the release. “It is no small task to create a framework for a professional volunteer force, and I’m very proud of the way everyone came together to create a workable proposal,” said Daniel Ginsberg, the Air Force’s assistant secretary for manpower and reserve affairs. CAP’s previous NCO set-up did not allow for upgrade training for promotion, states the release. (Washington, D.C., report by SSgt. Carlin Leslie)
Pentagon officials overseeing homeland counter-drone strategy told lawmakers that even with preliminary moves to bolster U.S. base defenses, the military still lacks the capability to comprehensively identify, track, and engage hostile drones like those that breached the airspace of Langley Air Force Base in Virginia for 17 days in December…