According to senior Air Force officials, who acknowledge that the Pentagon has yet to declare whether USAF will be the source selection authority for the next round in the KC-X tanker program, the service has changed its team. Gen. Norton Schwartz, Chief of Staff, told House appropriators last week, “We have made internal changes to the Air Force to strengthen that source selection process, since we’ve increased the seniority of the team.” He added that the service had done remedial training,” and, in effect, it had “moved contracting responsibilities and oversight to a higher level in the Air Force.” Air Force Secretary Michael Donley noted, too, that he had talked with senior Office of the Secretary of Defense officials “on a regular basis over the last couple of months” and expects to present the Air Force work to Defense Secretary Robert Gates “very soon.” The plan, thus far, is for a new request for proposals to appear on the street some time this summer.
Airmen and Guardians in the Active and Reserve component, as well as civilian employees, in “mission critical and high-risk populations” are now required to receive influenza vaccinations annually to “preserve force readiness,” according to a recent Department of the Air Force memo.