The unmanned aerial vehicle mission is “a good one” for the air reserve components, Acting Air Force Secretary Michael Donley said Tuesday during a media session at AFA’s Air & Space Conference in Washington, D.C. He noted that the Air Force will be pulling out all the stops to man and equip more UAV capability for the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, given the insatiable demand for full-motion video from ground commanders. (See below for one new initiative focused on providing more active duty UAV pilots.) However, when the wars end and the UAVs and their operators come home, there won’t be as much need for them, said Donley, requiring a flexibility that the Air Guard and Air Force Reserve have shown in switching missions.
Airmen basic rarely go on to become four-star generals, but one who did retired last week after a 42 year career that saw him rise from a lowly slick-sleeve to the head of one of the Air Force’s most important major commands.