Air Force teams at Eglin AFB, Fla., and Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, are among the nine groups across the US military recognized as the winners of the 2014 Secretary of Defense Environmental Awards, announced the Pentagon on Monday. Eglin’s Natural Resources Team won in the natural resources conservation, individual/team category for offering “long-range solutions that ensured regulatory compliance while maximizing the use of land and water ranges to maintain mission readiness,” states DOD’s April 21 release. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s F-35 Environmental, Safety, and Occupational Health Support Team at Wright-Patt took the prize in the category for environmental excellence in weapon system acquisition, large program individual/team. It “increased efficiencies in aircraft development, project prioritization, resource access, and other critical mission areas” that contributed to environmental and overall excellence in weapon system acquisition, states the release. DOD launched the awards program in 1962 to honor a selection of individuals, teams, and installations each year for their outstanding achievements in environmental performance. (See also our coverage of the Air Force’s 2013 winners.)
Trainees in Basic Military Training and technical school no longer have the option to try alternate PT drills if they fail an initial assessment, according to a policy change the Air Force made in April. The move is part of a larger shift out of the classroom and into hands-on,…