During a recent visit to RAF Alconbury and RAF Molesworth, United Kingdom, Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James emphasized the importance of the European theater moving forward. “I have full confidence that the airmen of US Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa are well positioned to be forward, ready, now,” James said. “I expect the operations tempo of the Air Force to remain high for what I consider to be the foreseeable future,” she said. “Of course we are winding down combat operations in Afghanistan as we enter a new phase, but it’s a very busy rest of the world.” James said Air Force readiness “is not where I’d like it to be,” but even in spite of budget cuts and force reduction plans already in place, the Air Force is “making a big push to get those readiness levels up.” (USAF release.)
The 13th Fighter Squadron from Misawa Air Base, Japan, deployed its new F-35A fighters to a major exercise for the first time, sending them to Pacific Air Forces’ premier air combat training event: Red Flag-Alaska.