Air Force 
Center for Engineering and the Environment officials at Lackland AFB, Tex., are planning a new $21.8 million facility at the base that will serve as the primary in-processing and information center for all USAF recruits entering basic military training. “The building will be the first thing that Air Force recruits and their families see,” said Ben Kindt, AFCEE capital investment execution branch chief. The 70,000-square-foot building will feature modernized information stations, a multi-story glass atrium, and an outdoor 3,000-person auditorium to support BMT graduation-week activities. Its front entrance, dubbed the “Gateway to the Air Force,” will have six pillars—each representing one of the Air Force’s core values (Integrity First, Service Before Self, and Excellence in All We Do) and one of its operational domains (air, space, and cyberspace). Award of the construction contract is anticipated in August. (Lackland report by Robert Ginsberg)
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.
