Daily Report

June 13, 2012

Schwartz to Senate: Let Military Nominations Proceed

Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz urged the Senate to put politics aside and allow the nominations of senior Air Force officials for high-level posts to move forward. “The issue is [whether] the nominees in question [are] suitable for the...

AFSOC Stands Up Special Tactics Wing

Air Force Special Operations Command activated the 24th Special Operations Wing in a ceremony at Hurlburt Field, Fla., June 12. The new wing, AFSOC’s third, is meant to help the command meet the growing demand for the unique capabilities that...

Air Force Investigates BMT following Instructor Removals

The Air Force is conducting a review of its Basic Military Training enterprise at JBSA-Lackland, Tex., including whether there are leadership shortcomings, reported the Beaumont Enterprise of Beaumont, Tex., June 12. This comes after the service removed 35 BMT instructors—roughly...

Inching Towards a Decision

The Air Force released the final environmental impact statement for the four proposed F-35A Pilot Training Center locations, opening a 30-day public review period, announced service officials. Luke AFB, Ariz., is the Air Force's preferred basing alternative, though the service is considering basing F-35A training at "one or more existing Air Force or Air National Guard installations," according to a June 11 release from the Arizona Air National Guard's 162nd Fighter Wing in Tucson, one of the other alternative locations. The other two are: Boise Air Terminal Airport AGS, Idaho, and Holloman AFB, N.M. The Air Force issued its draft EIS earlier this year and aims to make its definitive basing choice this summer, states the release. The training requirements include "existing training airspace and ranges, which permit flare countermeasures, supersonic flight, and the use of munitions," states the release. USAF already operates the joint initial F-35 schoolhouse at Eglin, AFB, Fla. (Final EIS executive summary; caution, large-sized file.) (See also USAF's webpage with links to the Final EIS documents.)

The Day the Earth Didn’t Stand Still

Ten years ago today, June 13, 2002, the United States’ withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty took effect. Abrogating the 1972 arms control pact had been a foreign policy goal of the Bush Administration after it took power in January...

Great Partners from the Great Lakes

Michigan Air National Guard A-10 and KC-135 aircraft from the 127th Wing at Selfridge ANG Base, north of Detroit, recently flew to Estonia, joining four partner air forces in building interoperability with the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania...

New Boss at ISAF Joint Command

Army Lt. Gen. James Terry took command of the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command in Afghanistan during a ceremony at ISAF headquarters in Kabul on June 12. Marine Corps Gen. John Allen, ISAF commander, presided at the ceremony, according...

Achtung, Stuka!

Military divers began raising an ultra-rare World War II German “Stuka” dive bomber from the Baltic Sea floor this week, reports the Associated Press. Fishermen originally discovered the intact JU-87 in the 1990s off the German Baltic island of Ruegen...