The Air Force now has one organization—the 586th Expeditionary Mission Support Group in Kuwait—whose job it is to oversee USAF’s “in lieu of” forces deployed for the war on terror. “In lieu of” airmen are performing jobs that have typically been handled by soldiers, like convoy duty. The Air Force in September established the 586th EMSG to oversee what started in March 2004 as ad-hoc support to the Army.
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,…