The Air Force expects to complete Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell training for the first two tiers of service personnel—”experts” like clergy, medics, attorneys; and “leaders”—in the next few months. So far 2,100 individuals have received the training, which is focused on respect and “maintaining Air Force standards” rather than changing individual belief systems, said Gen. Norton Schwartz, Chief of Staff, during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing Thursday. “We will certainly strive to move through the larger body of airmen as quickly as we can,” he said. They constitute the third tier. President Obama signed the repeal of the Clinton-era law banning homosexuals from openly serving in the military in December, but the ban remains in effect until senior defense leaders sign off on an implementation plan. Schwartz said other than a few “one offs,” which he declined to discuss publicly, the Air Force has not had any major problems so far. (See also Gates: Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Manageable)
The Air Force wants a new, affordable, air-launched standoff cruise missile ready to field in 2033. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center announced April 6 it will hold an industry day event to conduct market research on the Standoff Attack Weapon, or SoAW, on June 17 at Eglin Air…