During a town hall meeting at Maxwell AFB, Ala., on Wednesday, the Air Force’s top officer and enlisted leader addressed a range of airmen’s concerns about the service. One airman voiced concerns about the major social changes the services and the nation are experiencing, apparently a reference to the acceptance of homosexual and transgender service members. Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein urged the questioner to “focus on your character, who you are as an airman, a husband, a father.” That “will take care of the rest,” he said. CMSAF James Cody said the service has to adjust to the changes the national leaders determine are needed and individuals must decide for themselves whether they can remain with that organization. “If you decide you can’t stay… that’s a proper decision,” Cody said. In response to questions about housing, Goldfein said the Air Force leadership opposes the changes in the basic housing allowance proposed by the Senate, and although the current policy of private contractors providing base housing has been mainly positive, some contracts have not been successful. “Our goal is to put airmen into quality housing,” he said. Asked about the the threat of terrorism on bases, Goldfein said the service leadership is examining who should be armed and changes in physical security.
The Air Force awarded a $13.08 billion contract to the Sierra Nevada Corporation on April 26 for its Survivable Airborne Operations Center aircraft, the successor to the service’s E-4B “Doomsday” plane. Like the E-4B, officially called the National Airborne Operations Center, the SAOC will be meant to withstand a nuclear attack and keep…