The time is now to rebuild our northern tier defenses. Modern adversaries like Russia and China spent the past three decades developing and fielding advanced weapons capable of striking the U.S. homeland. Today, their advanced nuclear and nonnuclear missiles have...
November/December 2025
Vol. 108, No. 11
The blueprint is coming into focus; the road map remains cloudy. Golden Dome is one of the most ambitious defense projects ever mounted. It seeks to develop a missile defense shield for the entire continental United States (CONUS) against ballistic,...
Reflections on a 39-year career. Gen. David W. Allvin completed two years as Chief of Staff, half the statutory tour length, but long enough, he says, to have made a mark on the Air Force. “We can’t always pick...
WORLD: Readiness
Wilsbach Is Air Force’s 24th Chief of Staff By Greg Hadley Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach was confirmed as the 24th Air Force Chief of Staff Oct. 30 by unanimous consent. Shortly before, his predecessor, Gen. David W. Allvin, was “clapped”...
Special Mission, Special Fleet
From the President to returning hostages, the 89th Airlift Wing hauls some of the nation’s most precious cargo. JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. The 89th Airlift Wing is best known for its fleet that transports leaders to red carpet arrivals around...
Guest Editorial: More Flying Hours: Build Skills & Loyalty
America’s Air Force today is smaller and older than it was in my day, but what worries me more than size or age is just how ready we are to fly, fight, and win in a future war. I graduated...
WORLD: Air
A New Kind of CCA? Meet the Supersonic X-BAT By John A. Tirpak Shield AI has entered the increasingly crowded field of Collaborative Combat Aircraft, announcing Oct. 23 its “X-BAT” vehicle that stands out from others by having both vertical takeoff...
WORLD: Space
USSF Seizes Opportunity to Reform Space Acquisition By Courtney Albon The Space Force has a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to change the way it develops and delivers space capabilities, said Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman at AFA’s Air, Space,...
WORLD: CCA
Collaborative Combat Aircraft Missions Come into Focus By John A. Tirpak Air Force Secretary Troy Meink is leaning toward a less costly, less sophisticated concept for Increment 2 of the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) autonomous fighter escort program. Yet it...
WORLD: Department-Level Exercises
Fail Today, Win Tomorrow: Reflecting on Pacific Wargames By David Roza The Department of the Air Force swung for the fences this summer with a massive six-week exercise stretching from Japan to New Mexico where more than 12,000 Airmen and 700...
WORLD: Personnel
New Religious Accommodation Rules for Beards By Matthew Cox Armen, Guardians, and other service members that wear beards for religious reasons will be deemed nondeployable as part of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s sweeping crackdown on shaving waivers—a move that would...
Faces of the Force
Tell us who you think we should highlight here. Write to letters@afa.org Virginia Air National Guard’s 192nd Wing recently welcomed its first full-time chaplain, Capt. KMarie Tejeda, marking a milestone in its commitment to the spiritual well-being of Airmen. Beyond...
Letters
We love letters! Write to us at letters@afa.org. To be published, letters should be timely, relevant and concise. Include your name and location. Letters may be edited for space and the editors have final say on which are published. Blending...
Verbatim
Peace, Not War From this moment forward, the only mission of the newly restored Department of War is this:warfighting, preparing for war and preparing to win, unrelenting and uncompromising in that pursuit not because we want war, no one here...
AFA Almanac 2025
A compendium of facts and figures about the Air & Space Forces Association.
HEROES AND LEADERS: Edward G. Lansdale
Early Influencer. Ed Lansdale was one unusual Airman. Not a flyer, he joined the Army in World War II and became an intelligence officer. He worked for the storied OSS—Office of Strategic Services—and, essentially, became a spy. In 1947, Lansdale...
AFA IN ACTION: Meet AFA’s New Board Chair: Kathleen Ferguson
The Air & Space Forces Association has a new Chair of the Board, Kathleen Ferguson. She succeeds Bernie Skoch, who completed his tenure as AFA’s Chair of the Board on Sept. 30. Ferguson, who was appointed to the seat by...
AFA IN ACTION: M2M Cyclists Exceed Fundraising Goal for Wounded Warriors
The Air Force Heritage Memorial to Memorial (M2M) Bicycle Ride continues to pick up speed—both on the road and in its impact. On Sept. 18, 2025, hundreds of Airmen, Guardians, Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and civilians gathered at the Wright Brothers...
