The Missouri Air National Guard’s 241st Air Traffic Control Squadron is closing its Airfield Operations Officer training course at Rosecrans Air National Guard Base in St. Joseph. This Air Guard training program for active duty officers who enter air traffic control is no longer needed, said squadron officials. “Overall, I am proud of what we have accomplished with the program,” said Maj. John Howie, 241st ATCS commander. “We produced quality officers for this career field.” In the summer of 2006, the Air Force reformed its training for airfield operations officers, with the Air Guard agreeing to provide the mission qualification training. The two-year program featured one year of training in tower, radar, and airfield management and one year of professional development before reassignment to an active duty Air Force base. (St. Joseph report by SSgt. April Bachler)
The Air Force wants to pump more than $12 billion over the next five years into its new affordable long-range missiles program and recently asked industry to push the flights of some of those munitions beyond 1,200 miles.