Air Combat Command could get more F-22s in the fight if its new "Reforge" fighter pilot training construct pans out, ACC commander Gen. James M. Holmes said during a June 22 AFA Mitchell Institute Aerospace Nation streaming event. Holmes said more early F-22s also could become "Red Air" adversary aircraft under the plan. He also discussed leasing advanced trainers to prove the Reforge construct. “Part of what we’re trying to do is see if we could create more capacity without spending more money,” Holmes said. If Reforge works, fewer F-22s would be needed for basic skills training in the jet. “We can take some of that training-coded iron and turn it into combat-coded iron."

Senior leaders were briefed on a new plan for Air and Space Expeditionary Forces at the service's top-level Corona meeting earlier this month, Air Combat Command boss Gen James M. Holmes said during a June 22 Mitchell Institute virtual event. Holmes and Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations Lt. Gen. Mark D.Kelly presented the plan, which Holmes said is still being refined. As of now, it would break the deployable Air Force into “six bins, on a 36-month schedule,” meant to provide national leaders with a more ready-to-go large force while still managing day-to-day commander needs, while giving Airmen more predictable “white space” on their calendars for training and family time, Holmes said.

OKINAWA, Japan—About 45 people experienced symptoms of smoke and chlorine gas exposure June 22 at Kadena Air Base, after a fire at the 18th Wing Hazardous Materials Pharmacy sent hazardous particles and plumes of smoke billowing into the air. Most of the individuals had mild symptoms and were treated and returned to duty, according to a base press release.

House lawmakers are criticizing the Space Force for being too vague about its future personnel plans as the new service turns six months old. Congress approved the creation of a Space Force last year, and is now taking a piecemeal approach to cleaning up the details as the service begins to mature. “The committee commends the Department of Defense for the establishment of the Space Force within the Department of the Air Force,” House Armed Services personnel subcommittee members wrote in their version of the fiscal 2021 defense policy bill. “However, the current planning seems to lack some specificity and details that may be needed to help ensure the timely and successful execution of the force structure plan for the Space Force.”

House lawmakers want to ban the Air Force from retiring the E-8C Joint STARS fleet until the service finds a suitable replacement, while seeking more information on the complex network meant to take the jets’ place. The House Armed Services tactical air and land forces subcommittee’s version of the fiscal 2021 defense policy bill looks to amend Congress’s earlier views on the E-8C replacement. Hoping to learn on the go, the Air Force is adding new communications, analysis, and targeting tools into periodic ABMS demonstrations. Now, lawmakers want more details on what goes on during those exercises.

Defense Undersecretary for Acquisition and Sustainment Ellen M. Lord said the department is on the hook for billions of dollars in COVID-19-related costs, saying the Pentagon submitted its request to cover the claims to the Office of Management and Budget. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, passed in March, enables federal agencies to reimburse contractors for additional expenses required to keep work moving through the outbreak. As most of the country has been reopening following months of lock down measures, Lord said she has seen an “enormous amount of recovery” in the defense industrial base. In April, Lord forecasted there would be about a three-month delay to defense acquisition across all major programs, and as of June 22 she said that prediction still holds.

Congress wants the Defense Department to report back on North Korean weapons programs as well as growing ties between Russia and China, citing potential risks to U.S. national security. Specifically, the committee asked the DOD to research North Korea’s chemical and biological weapons capabilities, and then report to Congress by the end of October, and to assess North Korean domestic development and resources, and if any countries may collaborate with North Korean efforts. The mark also asks the Director of National Intelligence and the Defense Secretary to deliver a report on China and Russia’s relationship by March 2021.

The District of Columbia Air National Guard’s support of the law-enforcement response to civil unrest in the nation’s capital following the May 25 death of George Floyd in police custody concluded at midnight on June 22, DC National Guard spokesperson Senior Master Sgt. Craig Clapper confirmed to Air Force Magazine via email. DCANG aircraft were never involved in the mission, Clapper confirmed.

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.