The Active Duty 96th Air Refueling Squadron at JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, inactivated as an associate unit to the Hawaii Air National Guard’s 203rd ARS in a ceremony Sept. 3, according to a release. The squadron stood up to augment KC-135 manning to meet increased tanker requirements in the Pacific region, forming an active association in 2010. Unit airmen took part in operations Inherent Resolve over Iraq and Syria among other operations, flying some 1,800 sorties over 6,500 flying hours, and providing more than 36 million pounds of fuel to US and partner-nation aircraft, officials stated.
Amid a high-profile recruiting crisis, Air Force leaders and experts have increasingly noted the challenging long-term trends the service will face in enticing young Americans to sign up—decreasing eligibility to serve, less propensity to do so, and less familiarity with the military. But while those same leaders say there’s no “silver…