Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.) said in a statement this week that Air Force Reserve Command’s 931st Air Refueling Group at McConnell AFB, Kan., would gain 40 full-time positions to offset a maintenance manning shortfall that has plagued the unit for several years. He said: “I have been working with Air Force leadership and the 931st for over four years to address the personnel shortfall at McConnell. I am excited and pleased to see this much needed project unfold and the additional jobs become a reality.” According to the statement, the maintenance shortfall at the 931st ARG, which serves as an associate unit to the active duty 22nd Air Refueling Wing at McConnell, has negatively affected operational readiness for both units.
A-10 Thunderbolt II attack planes in the Middle East are flying with fresh modifications as the Air Force looks to make the plane more versatile amid America’s ongoing blockade of Iranian ports and a tenuous ceasefire in the U.S. air war against Iran.