Trainers at JBSA-Lackland, Tex., are implementing a new program to provide opportunities for professional development to airmen held in limbo between basic training and technical school. The 324th Training Squadron’s Holdover Airman Development Program, begun earlier this year, helps airmen earn university credit through study and testing, engage in community service, and develop leadership skills, according to Lackland’s Dec. 6 release. “We understand when holdover airmen come to the 324th TRS, this is the last place they want to be,” said Lt. Col. Paul Lips, the squadron’s commander. “We wanted them to utilize their time here to grow and develop as airmen so they could reach their maximum potential,” he added. Since the program’s inception, airmen have earned more than 1,000 university-equivalent credit hours, formed a competition drill team, and progressed through an organized airman leadership program of study, states the release. (Lackland report by Mike Joseph)
Air Force Eyes New-Build F-16s to Boost Fighter Force
Sept. 16, 2026
The Air Force will consider acquiring new F-16 Fighting Falcon jets to answer capacity shortfalls in its aging fighter fleet, according to multiple people familiar with the matter. These discussions are happening as the Air Force is building its proposed fiscal 2028 budget and the five-year spending plan that goes…
