Daily Report

Dec. 13, 2011

Obama, al Maliki Mark End of Iraq War

With the pullout of US troops from Iraq only days away from completion, President Obama and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki on Monday observed the end of the US war in Iraq after nearly nine years of intervention. “We’re...

Airpower with a Shorter Bench

Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz said the Air Force is facing toughs decisions in dealing with its share of the anticipated $450 billion cut in defense spending for the Pentagon over the next 10 years. In order to protect...

New Strategy Shaping Force

The Pentagon’s broad-based defense strategy review to shape its force of 2020 has been an “unprecedented collaborative effort” between the services, combatant commanders, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense, said Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz. Without previewing...

Return to Sender

President Obama on Monday would not discuss the case of the United States losing a sophisticated remotely piloted aircraft in Iran, but did acknowledge that the Administration seeks the stealthy reconnaissance platform’s return. “We have asked for it back. We’ll...

Pentagon Policy Chief Stepping Down

Michele Flournoy, undersecretary of defense for policy since February 2009, announced on Monday that she is stepping down early next year to return to private life. “Michele has been an invaluable advisor to me during my six months as Secretary...

Robins Upgrades Legacy C-130s

Air Force and Boeing technicians at Robins AFB, Ga., recently installed a new glass cockpit on the first C-130H transport to receive this upgrade under the low-rate initial production phase of the C-130 Avionics Modernization Program. This aircraft is now...

Second Batch of F-16s Sought for Iraq

The Pentagon has notified Congress of the proposed sale of an additional 18 new F-16 fighters to Iraq or help reconstitute that nation’s fledgling air force. Already, the United States is supplying Iraq with 18 F-16s and associated weapons, equipment,...

A Community Cornerstone Turns 375

Three hundred and seventy-five years ago on Tuesday, Dec. 13, 1636, the National Guard was born in Salem, Mass. On that fateful day, the Massachusetts General Court in Salem directed that all able-bodied men between the ages of 16 and...

Shiny and Gray

Joint Base Charleston in South Carolina, the first base to receive a C-17 two decades ago, took delivery of its 56th Globemaster III. Fresh from Boeing’s assembly line in Long Beach, Calif., Air National Guard Director Lt. Gen. Harry Wyatt...

CONECT Creates Production Link

Boeing announced on Monday the completion of all flight testing needed for the B-52 Combat Network Communications Technology program to proceed into low-rate initial production. “Completion of the LRIP flight test phase means CONECT is ready to be reviewed by...

Editor’s Note

Air Forces Central provided us with complete data on the monthly airdrop totals so far this year in Afghanistan, so we have updated our air sorties chart. Also, we have revised an entry from last month on Air Force convoy...