The term “snail mail” to apply to regular mail as opposed to e-mail may take on a whole new meaning for thousands of military retirees who live overseas and receive their government stipends and Tricare pharmacy prescriptions via State Department APO/FPO addresses. State plans to divorce itself from the DOD APO/FPO mail system, going on Dec. 3 with a new Diplomatic Post Office address that will lock out some 4, 800 military retirees. According to The Military Coalition, which sent a letter of protest to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton earlier this month, the retirees will be forced “to use foreign mail systems that in some parts of the world can be slow, unreliable or expensive.” TMC asks Clinton to explore “possible alternatives” before the plan goes into effect “to not penalize military retirees for choosing to live abroad.”
The Air Force's new Aircraft Readiness Unit will maintain and provide Collaborative Combat Aircraft for operations, but won’t serve as a “schoolhouse” teaching fighter pilots how to manage these escort drones.