The 71st Fighter Squadron completed its final deployment in late May when members of the unit and their F-15s returned home to Langley AFB, Va., after a two-week stay at Tyndall AFB, Fla. The squadron had participated in weapon system evaluation activities while in Florida. The unit is one of the Air Force’s squadrons that will be deactivated in the fall as part of a drawdown of legacy fighter assets. Lt. Col. Joel Cook, 71st FS boss, said the unit’s maintenance support during the stint at Tyndall “was the best I’ve ever seen in my 17 years of service.” (Langley photo caption by SSgt. Barry Loo)
A new report from the Government Accountability Office calls for the Pentagon’s Chief Technology Officer to have budget certification authority over the military services’ research and development accounts—a move the services say would add a burdensome and unnecessary layer of bureaucracy.
