Daily Report

March 4, 2013

New Task Force Mulls Total Force Makeup

The Air Force leadership established a senior-level task force to determine the best mix of Active Duty, Air National Guard, and Air Force Reserve Command units in order to meet current and future Air Force requirements within available resources. Lt....

Out of the Public Eye

Due to the budget sequester, the Air Force has cancelled all aviation support to public events for at least the remainder of Fiscal 2013, and is standing down the Thunderbirds aerial demonstration team to preserve flying hours for readiness needs,...

Reserve Cyber Group Stands Up

Air Force Reserve Command activated the 960th Cyber Operations Group at JBSA-Lackland, Tex., the Air Force’s first such group, announced AFRC officials. The group stood up on March 1, states the command’s March 2 release. “The 960th is the one...

F-35s Cleared to Return to Flight

The F-35 joint program office lifted the cautionary flight suspension of the F-35 fleet after engineers completed analysis of a cracked F-135 turbine blade. “Prolonged exposure to high levels of heat and other operational stressors on this specific engine were...

Johnson Tapped to Lead Air Force Academy

President Obama nominated Maj. Gen. Michelle Johnson for promotion to the rank of lieutenant general and for assignment as the Air Force Academy’s next superintendent, announced academy officials. If the Senate confirms her nomination, Johnson would succeed Lt. Gen. Michael...

Voluntary Force-Shaping Measures May Suffice in Fiscal 2013

Air Force personnel officials think the service will be able to reduce its Active Duty end strength to the congressionally authorized Fiscal 2013 level of 329,460 airmen by the end of the fiscal year by using voluntary separation measures, said...

For Nuclear Security, Eyes On, Hands Off Doesn’t Work

Federal personnel overseeing the nation’s nuclear weapons complex must reassert the lines of authority over the contractor security forces protecting the nuclear facilities and clarify roles and responsibilities, said Brig. Gen. Sandra Finan, Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center commander. “That...

KC-46A Development Generally Stable, But

The Air Force’s KC-46A tanker development program is “generally stable,” but still faces several key challenges, according to Government Accountability Office auditors. GAO’s new KC-46 report, issued on Feb. 27, highlighted two areas of concern. First, both Air Force and...

Newest HC-130J, MC-130J Deliveries

Lockheed Martin last month delivered the Air Force’s seventh HC-130J combat rescue airplane and 15th MC-130J special-mission aircraft, announced company officials. The HC-130J, aircraft number 5716, arrived at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., on Feb. 28 from the company’s manufacturing facility in...