According to the latest recruiting and retention numbers, the Air National Guard exceeded its recruiting goal for the month of May, achieving 113 percent. The Air Guard has come up short for six of the first eight months of Fiscal 2006. The data released by the Pentagon June 9 shows that ANG recruiting is second to last for the year among the six reserve components. However, ANG retention still runs high. The active Air Force and Air Force Reserve Command each met their May recruiting goals and are on target—or better for AFRC—for the year.
Secretary of Defense Austin Lloyd III met with his counterparts from Australia, Japan and the Philippines to discuss bolstering defense ties on May 2. The discussion included plans for joint F-35 exercises with Japan and Australia in the coming years.