A Coming Trend: The Air Force has created its first active-duty associate squadron—the 30th Airlift Squadron at the municipal airport in Cheyenne, Wyo. This is part of USAF’s ongoing effort to re-invent the Total Force concept. The 30th AS, which falls administratively under the active 463rd Airlift Group at Little Rock AFB, Ark., will work operationally with the Wyoming Air National Guard’s 153rd Airlift Wing at Cheyenne, where the active and Guard airmen will share the aircraft assigned to the 153rd AW. Right now the 30th AS has only an initial staff of 10 airmen, but it should have its full complement of 74 by October.
The Air Force displayed all the firepower it has amassed on Okinawa in an unusually diverse show of force this week. IIn a May 6 “Elephant Walk,” Kadena Air Base showcased 24 F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters, eight F-15E Strike Eagles; two U.S. Army Patriot anti-missile batteries near the runway; and…