The Air Force is restarting activities put on hold by the federal government’s partial shutdown now that it has funding flowing into its coffers once again. All Air Force civilian employees are off furlough and service officials are working to ensure they receive retroactive pay “as quickly as possible,” service spokeswoman Capt. Erika Yepsen told the Daily Report on Oct. 17, the first day after the 16-day shutdown ended. Permanent change-of-station moves have resumed, as of Thursday, and the Air Force is reinstating already-approved military tuition assistance for courses starting on or after Oct. 17, she said. “New applications for courses starting on or after today may be submitted,” too, said Yepsen.
President Donald Trump projected confidence Nov. 19 that a proposed sale of F-35s to Saudi Arabia will sail through the Foreign Military Sales process, an early test of the Pentagon’s acquisition reforms. The deal is also likely to face scrutiny from ally Israel over how it could affect the balance…
