The Air Force will likely experiment with a new way of filling manpower needs called “sponsored reservists,” said outgoing Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz. Britain’s armed forces “have a contract for their refueling where their contractor provides both the platform and some of the crews. And, while some of the crews are active duty, some of them are ‘sponsored reserves’,” said Schwartz in a mid July exit interview. “And, we’ve toyed with that here as well,” he added. Sponsored reservists “are employees of the company and who can flip from their civilian certification to military credentials . . . simply by appropriate authorities executing the right orders,” he explained. Broadly, with regard to the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, “there clearly are imaginative things to do” to get needed capability with reduced resources, he said.
Airman Charged in M18 Shooting Death Found Dead
Oct. 27, 2025
The Airman arrested in connection with the M18 pistol discharge that killed a fellow member of Air Force security forces on July 20 in Wyoming was found dead earlier this month, an Air Force spokesperson confirmed.

