Daily Report

April 30, 2013

Fanning Sworn in as Air Force Undersecretary

Eric Fanning on Monday became the Air Force’s undersecretary, filling a position that’s been vacant since June 2012. “I look forward to being part of the Air Force family,” said Fanning, who took the oath of office during a ceremony...

Farewell Combat Talon I

A “massive crowd” turned out at Duke Field, Fla., to bid farewell to the Air Force’s five remaining MC-130E Combat Talon I special-mission airplanes, marking the end of the aircraft type’s nearly five decades of service, according to a base...

Not a Forgone Conclusion

The cost of extending the life of the Air Force’s B61 nuclear bombs might not reach the $10 billion figure cited by Defense Department independent cost estimators, said Neile Miller, acting head of the National Nuclear Security Administration. The Energy...

Edwards Airmen Wrap KC-135 Life-Extension Tests

Testers at Edwards AFB, Calif., this month completed a series of evaluations of the KC-135 tanker’s Block 45 upgrades, according to a base release. These improvements are meant to extend the aircraft’s service life for decades and help bridge the...

Staying Proficient

Members of the Expeditionary Depot Maintenance team at Robins AFB, Ga., trained earlier this month at Warrior Air Base—a simulated deployed environment at Robins—to remain proficient in their skills, according to base officials. The highly specialized unit of some 60...

Arnold Council Steps Up for Local Air Force Civilians

The Arnold Community Council—an organization established to support the Arnold Engineering Development Complex in southeastern Tennessee—is working with state and local officials to organize community and career fairs for Arnold’s Air Force civilian employees impacted by cutbacks or pending furloughs...

Lawmakers Want Progress on Veterans’ Claims

A bipartisan group of 26 lawmakers, all military veterans, sent a letter to President Obama urging reforms within the Veterans Affairs Department. The April 25 missive calls on Obama to “publicly acknowledge the problems within VA and the necessity for...

Barksdale Gains Eight-Year-Old Crew Chief

Eight-year-old Hunter Tomlin became an honorary B-52 crew chief at Barksdale AFB, La, according to a base release. Hunter—who has neurofibromatosis, a genetic disorder that attacks the body’s nerves and tissues—had the opportunity to meet with crew chiefs from the...

Reaching More Vets

There are currently some 8.9 million veterans enrolled in the Veterans Affairs Department’s healthcare system; however, there are 22.4 million veterans who are eligible for these benefits, Tommy Sowers, the VA’s assistant secretary for public and intergovernmental affairs, told lawmakers....

Holloman Airmen Test Deployable Hygiene System

Airmen with the 49th Materiel Maintenance Squadron are testing a new hygiene system at Holloman AFB, N.M., that is designed for airmen at forward-deployed locations, according to a base release. The unit was the first to receive the system, which...