Air Force Magazine sat down for an exclusive interview with Chief Master Sgt. Roger Towberman, Senior Enlisted Adviser for the Space Force and command senior enlisted leader of USSPACECOM, to discuss everything from building a unique Space Force culture to new opportunities for enlisted Airmen, and how policies such as fitness standards might differ from the U.S. Air Force.

Northrop Grumman will test a system that will allow fourth- and fifth-generation fighters to talk to each other, as well as “attritable” aircraft, during the next iteration of the Advanced Battle Management System experiment. The system could also be applied to the KC-46 tanker.

The Arctic is becoming a frontline for America’s homeland defense, but the U.S. military needs to train more and improve its ability to communicate in the region, the head of U.S. Northern Command said. In every other area of the world, U.S. military units can deploy relatively easy and begin operating. However, the Arctic provides unique challenges, and if the units aren’t prepared, “they’re not going to be successful,” NORTHCOM boss USAF Gen. Terrence O’Shaughnessy said during a May 4 Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies virtual event. “We have to find a way to get the team out there exercising and practicing” in the Arctic, he said.

An Oregon Air National Guard F-15C on a May 2 homeland defense mission diverted to Joint Base Andrews, Md., due to an in-flight emergency and skidded off the runway, damaging the aircraft. The aircraft, from the 142nd Wing in Portland, was assigned to the North American Aerospace Defense Command’s Operation Noble Eagle homeland alert mission. Aircraft conducting that mission are usually armed with air-to-air missiles. The F-15C was forced to divert around 1:30 p.m., an Andrews spokesperson said in a statement. When it touched down, the aircraft’s landing gear malfunctioned and the aircraft “came to rest on its fuselage.”

Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve approved 29 Purple Hearts for Soldiers who sustained traumatic brain injuries in the January Iranian ballistic missile attack on al-Asad Air Base, Iraq, but recommended against the two packages submitted for Airmen. OIR Commander Lt. Gen. Pat White reviewed 80 award packages, including two for USAF. White recommended against awarding the medal in 51 of those cases. Air Forces Central Command boss Lt. Gen. Joseph Guastella Jr. was the final authority for the two USAF cases, according to U.S. Central Command. “It is important to note that a Traumatic Brain Injury diagnosis does not automatically qualify a service member for Purple Heart eligibility or awarding, and the CJTF-OIR process was designed to be a fair and impartial proceeding that evaluated each case in accordance with applicable regulations,” CENTCOM spokesman Commander Zachary Harrell said in a statement.

For the first time since the early days of the war in Afghanistan, Air Forces Central Command is not providing a regular update on the number of airstrikes in that theater, or from ongoing operations in Iraq and Syria. AFCENT, in a statement, said it is not posting the monthly airpower summaries because of a “multiplicity of diplomatic relational concerns, including how the report could adversely impact ongoing discussions with the Taliban regarding Afghanistan peace talks.” The monthly charts typically include a tally of the number of weapons released, along with the number of mobility and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance sorties.

The Air Force Reserve’s 514th Flight Test Squadron has created a “taxi service” aimed at delivering aircraft to and from the Ogden Air Logistics Complex, Utah, without exposing aircrews to the new coronavirus. When an aircraft is maintained or modified at Ogden, a pilot from the tail's owning base usually flies it to Hill Air Force Base and back. After the pilot drops off the aircraft—and then again when it’s time to pick it up—they usually fly commercial. “With many units concerned about exposing their combat aircrew [to COVID-19] due to travel, our ability to pick up and drop off aircraft also enables their missions by decreasing their exposure," 309th Aircraft Maintenance Group Commander Lt. Col. Nathan Litz said in a release.

On March 23, the Air Force Association's Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies will host a virtual Nuclear Deterrence Series event featuring Scowcroft Group Principal Frank Miller. At a time when nuclear modernization programs are accelerating around the world, proposals to recapitalize the U.S. nuclear arsenal are at the forefront of debates over defense spending. Miller will share his insights into the prospects for U.S. nuclear modernization programs and the value of nuclear deterrence in today's competitive security environment. The think tank will post event video on its website and YouTube page after the live event.