Lt. Gen. Jerry Martinez on Thursday took command of 5th Air Force and US Forces Japan, the Air Force announced. Martinez replaces Lt. Gen. John Dolan, who left in August to become the director of operations for the Joint Staff. Martinez, who received his third star in the promotion, previously served as the director of operations for Air Mobility Command. He is a command pilot with more than 4,000 hours in aircraft such as the C-17 and KC-135. He has also served as the deputy chief of staff for operations for Headquarters Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum in the Netherlands.
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,…