Air Force Gen. Craig McKinley, National Guard Bureau chief, said Tuesday that he expects a solution will be reached over what has become a controversial transfer of some C-130 transports from the reserve components to the active duty. “We are going to find a compromise that meets the needs of the states and … the Air Force,” he told defense writers in Washington, D.C. He added, “I hope we get there quickly; I hope it is an integrated solution.” McKinley did not discuss details, preferring to let the Air Force leadership be the ones to make any announcement. But it’s already been revealed that the solution might entail the temporary transfer of the Air Guard and Air Force Reserve C-130s instead of a permanent switch. He said, too, he expects the decision to reflect that C-130 inventory must be reduced to shed excess capacity.
In the wake of a major Chinese military shakeup, the head of U.S. Space Command warned of China’s “breathtakingly fast” advances in space during visits to Japan and South Korea. Gen. Stephen N. Whiting’s trip to the Indo-Pacific is his first overseas visit since taking command of SPACECOM in January.