Improving manning in the Air Force’s ICBM wings and having the right skill levels at the right places are important to rehabilitating the ICBM mission, said Lt. Gen. Stephen Wilson, head of Air Force Global Strike Command. “We want to be effectively manned across the mission,” said Wilson during an AFA-sponsored talk in Arlington, Va., on June 24. At the blessing of Air Force Secretary Deborah James, AFGSC will increase its manning by some 1,100 positions, said Wilson. This will include some 300 billets in security forces, several hundred civilians, more personnel in maintenance, and proper manning for a new helicopter group. The command is also looking at acquiring better tooling for crew chiefs and revamping gear for missile field security forces, said Wilson. (For more from Wilson’s talk, read Bombers Around the World and Normalizing ICBM Sustainment.)?
Billy Mitchell: Lessons a Hundred Years Hence
Dec. 16, 2025
Exactly 100 years ago, on Dec. 17, 1925, Brig. Gen. Billy Mitchell was convicted by court-martial for violating an order that required approval before he could engage with the media. Mitchell’s provocative thoughts and unorthodox methods sought attention for a cause that he saw as uniquely American.
