Gen. 
William Looney yesterday stepped down as commander of Air Education and Training Command during a change of command ceremony at Randolph AFB, Tex., and retired from the Air Force after 36 years of service. Looney led AETC since June 2005. On July 1, he conducted his final flight from Randolph in the cockpit of an F-15. Succeeding Looney at AETC is Gen. Stephen Lorenz, formerly head of Air University, who received his fourth star yesterday during a separate ceremony. (Includes Randolph report by TSgt. Mike Hammond)
The Pentagon is counting on Congress to navigate a legislative tightrope and pass a party-line bill to fund nearly a quarter of its $1.5 trillion budget request for fiscal 2027, including billions of dollars for top priorities like Golden Dome, the F-35, munitions, and unmanned systems. Experts and lawmakers from…