Helen Weaver, a historian for the past 37 years at the Air Force Historical Research Agency at Maxwell AFB, Ala., and a government employee overall for 52 years, is retiring Friday. Weaver entered government service fresh out of high school in 1957 by joining the VA’s office in Montgomery, Ala. After several Air Force jobs at home and abroad and a stint with the Navy, she returned to Maxwell in 1972, joining the AFHRA. In her current position, which she’s had since 1978, she helps track the lineage of USAF units by keeping tabs on them for changes. Weaver said she has enjoyed all the years, especially the ones at the historical agency, and her job has been very rewarding. Her immediate plan after retiring is to travel. (Maxwell report by Carl Bergquist)
The emphasis on speed in the Pentagon’s newly unveiled slate of acquisition reforms may come with increased near-term cost increases, analysts say. But according to U.S. defense officials, the new weapons-buying construct provides the military with enough flexibility to prevent runaway budget overruns in major programs.

