BRAC commissioners voted Friday to preserve Ellsworth AFB, S.D. The big B-1B bomber base now will stay open, as will a second B-1B facility, Dyess AFB, Tex. This decision essentially destroys USAF’s plans for consolidating all of the Air Force’s Lancers in a single location—Dyess. Commissioners said closing the base would not save any money, contrary to DOD assertions. They also believe that consolidation of the B-1 fleet would hurt mission readiness. The two bases are both “very, very good,” said commissioner Harold Gehman, a retired Navy admiral.
A recent seven-day exercise sent Air Force F-22s—along with other USAF aircraft—to austere, challenging environments across Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. Agile Reaper, taking place for the second time after its inaugural edition last year, featured 800 Airmen and 29 aircraft across five different locations from April 10-16, training…