Declining Experience

Sept. 29, 2010

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org

Since 1991, there has been a 69 percent decline in the number of Congressional lawmakers who have served in the military, says Maj. Gen Robin Rand, USAF legislative liaison. Only three percent of lawmakers today have direct experience with the Air Force, he noted during a speech Tuesday in Arlington, Va. USAF relies heavily on making its case to “more experienced” professional staff, who can get the attention of their respective member of Congress, said Rand, who was guest speaker of the Air Force Association-sponsored Air Force Breakfast Series. Rand moves on to his new assignment as special assistant to the vice chief of staff on Oct. 18; Brig. Gen. Lori Robinson is replacing him in the legislative liaison office.

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org

Trending Stories

Air Force to Unveil Training, Grooming, and Fitness Changes Next Year

USAF’s ‘Re-Optimization’: Top Leaders Rule on What’s In, What’s Out

NRO’s Proliferated Satellite Constellation Outperforming Expectations

100th KC-46 Joins the Air Force Fleet

Related

AETC Readies for 1st Production T-7 Trainer

Dec. 5, 2025
Air Education & Training Command is poised to receive its first T-7A Red Hawk in the coming days, the start of a process that will end with pilots finally getting trained in the eagerly anticipated jet.

Northrop Shows Off New Project Talon Collaborative Combat Aircraft

Dec. 4, 2025
There is a new entrant in the highly competitive field of collaborative combat aircraft—semi-autonomous drones meant to fly alongside manned combat aircraft. Northrop Grumman unveiled its new Project Talon aircraft to a small group of reporters at the facilities of its subsidiary Scaled Composites.

What the Air Force Must Do to Prepare for the Next War

Dec. 4, 2025
The United States Air Force is flying less than historic norms and funding for acquisition and readiness is on a path to further hollow out this too small and old force to that is incapable of sustaining an enduring combat air campaign.

Support for NATO Reaches New High in Reagan Institute Polling

Dec. 4, 2025
More than three-fourths of Americans would support using force to support NATO’s collective defense, according to the Ronald Reagan Institute’s latest annual National Defense Survey. The report comes as the Pentagon prepares to unveil its new National Defense Strategy, the lodestar for multiyear planning. It is expected to emphasize security…

Thunderbird F-16 Crashes in California, Pilot OK

Dec. 3, 2025
An Air Force F-16 Thunderbird crashed Dec. 3 near Death Valley, Calif., with the pilot ejecting safely. In a statement, the Thunderbirds—officially the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron—said the incident occurred at approximately 10:45 a.m. local time “during a training mission over controlled airspace in California.”

MDA Picks Diverse Contractor Pool to Compete for Homeland Defense Projects

Dec. 3, 2025
The Missile Defense Agency chose a diverse pool of more than 1,000 companies to compete for task orders through its Scalable Homeland Innovative Enterprise Layered defense effort—a $151 billion contract mechanism to experiment, test, and prototype capabilities for Golden Dome and other homeland defense needs.

100th KC-46 Joins the Air Force Fleet

Dec. 3, 2025
The U.S. Air Force’s KC-46 Pegasus fleet hit a major milestone Dec. 2 with the delivery of its 99th and 100th aircraft at Travis Air Force Base, Calif.