Lt. Gen. Scott Rice pinned on his third star and assumed his new role as director of the Air National Guard on Tuesday. Rice, who previously served as the adjutant general of the Massachusetts National Guard, replaced Maj. Gen. Brian Neal, who has served as the acting director since Lt. Gen. Stanley Clarke retired in March. National Guard Bureau Chief Army Gen. Frank Grass, who presided over the ceremony, said Rice “has all the right tools to do this job,” though he cautioned it was not going to be easy.
Airmen and Guardians in the Active and Reserve component, as well as civilian employees, in “mission critical and high-risk populations” are now required to receive influenza vaccinations annually to “preserve force readiness,” according to a recent Department of the Air Force memo.