Does Stevens See an End to Galena?: Sen. Ted Stevens has uncharacteristically thrown in the towel on a state military base matter. The powerful Alaska Republican said in a Thursday press conference that he believes the BRAC panel will vote to close the USAF operation at Galena AS, Alaska. It was added to the Pentagon list by the commission. Stevens bluntly told reporters that he hopes a vote to close Galena would move Eielson Air Force Base off the endangered list. The Galena site is a small airstrip used by F-15s from Elmendorf Air Force Base for emergencies and touch-and-go training.
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,…