Adm. Samuel Locklear, commander of Joint Task Force Odyssey Dawn, said he has not seen any significant movement from the Libyan regime’s battered air forces, though he acknowledged that the Libyan fleet was already in poor shape even before coalition air and cruise missile strikes began last weekend. Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi “had a lot of equipment that was aged. Much of it was sitting parked on the runways and could not be used. He was, however, effectively employing a tactical air force . . . on the order of several dozen [helicopters],” said Locklear Tuesday from his command post aboard the USS Mount Whitney in the Mediterranean. He didn’t think Qaddafi’s remaining air assets would have any negative impact on the coalition. Locklear also said he continues to carefully monitor Qaddafi’s ground forces, especially the elite 32nd Brigade. (Locklear transcript)
Now Enlisted Airmen Can Stay in Uniform Longer
Dec. 8, 2023
The Air Force is extending the amount of time Airmen can spend at most enlisted ranks by two years, as the service looks to combat sluggish recruiting and balance its force structure. The High Year of Tenure (HYT) program sets limits on how long service members can spend in each grade…