Daily Report

June 12, 2013

Pacific Pivot, Maybe

A lot has changed since the Defense Department first announced the planned “pivot to the Pacific” last year. For example, North Korea has become more volatile, forcing the Defense Department to protect its assets in Guam, Hawaii, and South Korea,...

The Cost of War

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told members of the Senate Appropriations Committee’s defense panel on June 11 that the cost of drawing down forces in Afghanistan has been “significantly more” expensive than originally anticipated. In fact, “at least 25 percent and...

Air Force, SpaceX Advance Falcon 9 Certification Process

The Air Force signed an agreement with SpaceX of Hawthorne, Calif., as part of the company’s efforts to secure certification for its Falcon 9 launch vehicle to conduct national security space launches, announced service space officials on Tuesday. Under the...

Get on With It

The United States needs to extend the life of the B61 nuclear bomb because that weapon remains vital to supporting the US’ extended deterrent and NATO’s nuclear mission, said Maj. Gen. Garrett Harencak, the Air Force’s assistant chief of staff...

First KC-135 Arrives at Key Field

The Mississippi Air National Guard’s 186th Air Refueling Wing received the first of eight KC-135s that the unit expects to have in place by the end of September, according to local press reports. The KC-135 touched down on June 10...

Just Use Tape

Mechanics assigned to the 302nd Maintenance Group at Peterson AFB, Colo., came up with a simple yet effective way to extend the life cycle of C-130 struts: just add tape. The maintainers added a heavy-duty, 36 mm abrasion-resistant tape to...

King of the Hill

Air Education and Training Command debuted an online game June 10 that allows airmen to vote on cost-saving ideas. The game, titled “King of the Hill,” will run for 42 days, according to an AETC release. Each day two ideas...

Virtual Collaboration

The 711th Human Performance Wing at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, recently helped the Air Force Recruiting Service with an ad for a campaign urging science, technology, engineering, and mathematics-minded people to collaborate with the Air Force. The campaign, called “Collaboratory,” encourages...

Lockheed Martin Receives $34 Million JASSM Contract

Lockheed Martin received a $34.2 million foreign military sales contract from the Air Force to support additional integration of the autonomous, precision guided Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile onto the Finnish air force’s F-18C/D aircraft. This contract includes test missiles, software...

Cycling Classic Raises Thousands for Wounded Airmen

AFA’s 2013 Cycling Classic, held June 8-9 in Arlington, Va., raised $18,500 for the association’s Wounded Airmen Program. The money came from the pledges made by participants in the Team Sabre ride on June 9. TEAM MaD Dad, led by...