April 10, 2006 | Air & Space Forces Magazine

Vandy Honors the Gipper:

Pentagon officials and former First Lady Nancy Reagan will formally dedicate facilities for the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense System at Vandenberg AFB, Calif., in honor of former President Ronald Reagan. According to the Lompoc (Calif.) Record, USAF Lt. Gen. Henry Obering,...

Praise for Space Acquisition 101:

The work-so-far by Air Force Undersecretary Ronald Sega to push a straightforward, four-stage space program development cycle—science and technology, technology development, systems development, and then systems production—has won praise from the budget hawks at the Government Accountability Office. Cristina Chaplain,...

“Bad” Programs Led to Block Approach:

Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) at an armed services subcommittee hearing questioned Air Force officials about forthcoming “more bad news” on delays and overruns with both the Space Based Infrared System-High satellite program and the National Polar-Orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System...

Reserves Need Help to Cope With BRAC:

The Chief of the Air Force Reserve, Lt. Gen. John Bradley, told lawmakers at a Senate Armed Services subcommittee hearing that the reserve components do not have the force management tools in place to offset end strength reductions predicated by...

Pentagon Wants Longer Mobilizations:

To ensure it has easily accessible and more readily deployable reserve forces, the Pentagon wants them “operationalized,” per the Quadrennial Defense Review. That term and a QDR-noted increase in mobilization authority from 270 days to 365 days have raised eyebrows...

Reserve Hogs Smoke the Competition:

Air Force Reserve Command’s 442nd Fighter Wing at Whiteman AFB, Mo., came out on top of the recent “Hawgsmoke 2006” competition at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.—where A-10 pilots tested their gunnery and close air support skills. Four pilots from the 442nd’s...

Taking on Cyberspace:

To further its efforts to include “cyberspace” as a real domain where it must conduct operations, the Air Force not only added the term to its mission statement but also has created the Air Force Cyberspace Task Force, headed by...

Make No Mistake—It’s a Crime:

The Air Force’s top two leaders have issued a new “Letter to Airmen” that says, “Sexual assault is a crime and will be treated as such in our Air Force.” They issued the letter in concert with Sexual Assault Awareness Month, noting the “significant strides” the service has made over the past year to prevent and respond to sexual assault.

Wolf Pack Loggie Nabs Award:

The Air Force has selected TSgt. Gerardo Medrano of the 8th Logistics Readiness Squadron at Kunsan AB, South Korea, as the 2005 Air Force Logistics Plans NCO of the Year—which recognizes an airman who has had a positive impact on...

ICBM Leadership Meets at Hill:

Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center Commander Lt. Gen. Michael Hamel recently convened an ICBM Development Offsite meeting at Hill AFB, Utah, to focus on the state of missile acquisition and its challenges in the years ahead. Senior leaders...

US and Korean Forces Support Viper Salvage:

The US Navy rescue and salvage ship USS Safeguard collaborated with South Korean to conduct a recovery operation to find components of a USAF F-16 from the 8th Fighter Wing, Kunsan AB, South Korea, that crashed March 14. The operation...

NORAD Reaches Out to General Aviation:

Air Force pilots, commanders, and air controllers representing Continental US NORAD regions met at a major general aviation fly-in at Lakeland, Fla., to discuss ramifications of post-9/11 changes to air defense identification zones and temporary flight restrictions. NORAD is trying...