George Sarris, a senior civilian aircraft mechanic at Offutt AFB, Neb., believes there are continuing maintenance issues that represent safety-of-flight concerns for the RC-135 aircraft flown out of the base, reports the Kansas City Star. Sarris and several other mechanics who work on the specialized reconnaissance aircraft took their concerns to the newspaper when they felt stymied by the Air Force. However, officials at the base told the newspaper that problems with Offutt’s elderly RC-135 aircraft identified by civilian and military mechanics have and are being fixed. And, they point to Offutt’s long-standing record for zero maintenance errors. Sarris maintains that he has suffered reprisals as he began pushing his complaints higher and higher up the command chain, prompting Sen. Charles Grassley to ask for an inspector general investigation.
Watchdog Says Military Can Make Cyber Ops More Efficient
Sept. 17, 2025
The Government Accountability Office called for paring down the military's sprawling cyber enterprise in a recent report, amid renewed discussion about standing up a separate cyber force.