The Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff doesn't see a need for a new roles and missions debate, preferring to let the services pursue their own new capabilities—such as long-range fires—and sort them out afterwards. Gen. John E. Hyten, in an interview set to appear in the September issue of Air Force Magazine, said the deconfliction of missions will come in joint all-domain command and control, not in limiting what systems the services pursue, because offensive systems may also be offensive ones. Hyten also talked about priorities in a flat budget, paying a "premium" to keep a limited number of legacy systems to reduce near-term risk, budget transparency, how to accelerate space capabilities, and whether the industrial base is up to the task of peer competition.

Air Force F-35As from Hill Air Force Base, Utah, have patrolled the skies of the Middle East continuously for the past 16 months. During the 34th Fighter Squadron's eight-month deployment, the squadron tested new tactics for the fifth-generation F-35A that will lay the groundwork for the jet’s future. It also operated from two locations in theater, a first for the jet in combat, and did not lose a sortie to maintenance. “Successfully implementing split operations was the biggest takeaway for us,” Cavasos said. “To be able to bed down in a forward location means that we now have unpredictability against potential adversaries. They are so used to us showing up in country, staying in the same place for half a year, doing the same things and leaving. They know it. We know it. Now we proved we can be more agile. That principal can carry over operationally to other regions and any potential adversaries there.”

The 8th Fighter Wing is addressing concerns about the condition of dormitories at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, after anonymous footage appearing to show mold, mildew, and/or water damage in two of these buildings was recently posted by the popular, but unofficial, "Air Force amn/nco/snco" Facebook page. In response to questions from Air Force Magazine, wing spokesperson Maj. Emily C. Grabowski said that while Kunsan’s climate has been more humid than normal—a condition that can exasperate moisture-related building issues—these problems are typically manageable. Grabowski outlined ways the wing is combating these kinds of problems. Chief Master Sgt. Ronnie Woods, the wing’s command chief, acknowledged the base’s local climate is challenging to the Wolf Pack’s quality of life, he said the whole wing needs to be part of the solution.

Airmen with the 304th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron are quarantining in New Zealand, before the Air Force begins one of the most unique Operation Deep Freeze seasons in recent history. Because of COVID-19, the 30 Airmen are in quarantine after arriving Aug. 6 at Christchurch. The team, made up of Active duty and Reserve Airmen from the 62nd and 446th Airlift Wing and one supply troop from the 627th Air Base Group at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., will leave quarantine next week and head to Antarctica—the only continent on the globe free of the new coronavirus. “Antarctica is the last place on Earth that has been, and continues to be, COVID-free,” the squadron’s commander Lt. Col Brandon Tellez said in an Air Force Reserve Command release. “The [National Science Foundation] teamed up with my unit and we’ve come up with a plan to mitigate any potential transfer of the virus to any of the people we’re taking down there.”

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.