The Pentagon released recruiting stats for the month of November, showing active duty recruiting up across the board. In a turn about, though, the Air Force did less well than the others, achieving 101 percent of its goal while the Army and Marine Corps made 105 percent and Navy 102 percent. The picture gets ugly when one sees that the Air National Guard only achieved 71 percent—the lowest of all reserve components. Air Force Reserve Command made 100 percent of its goal, and the Army Guard reached 110 percent. Saving ANG again is a strong retention rate—101 percent.
As Air Force leaders consider concepts of operations for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, sustainment in the field—and easing that support by using standard parts and limiting variants—should be a key consideration, according to a new study from AFA's Mitchell Institute of Aerospace Studies.