The Air 
Force exceeded its accession goal for June, according to the Pentagon’s most recent recruiting and retention statistics, released Tuesday. The active duty component brought in 1,935 new recruits, four more than its goal. USAF’s reserve components also fared well. The Air National Guard attracted 501 accessions, six fewer than its original goal. However, Air Guard officials intentionally slowed down June accessions since the ANG is exceeding its Fiscal 2010 recruiting goals, according to the Defense Department. Meanwhile, Air Force Reserve exceeded its goal of 754 accessions by 24. Across the DOD, the Army, Marine Corps, and Navy—and their respective reserve components—all met or exceeded their recruiting goals, with open exception. Only the Army National Guard fell short. But like the ANG, it purposely slowed its June accessions since it is also exceeding its recruiting goals this fiscal year.
Since President Donald Trump first unveiled his “Golden Dome” missile defense initiative in late January, much of the focus for it has been focused on space—how the Pentagon may deploy dozens, if not hundreds, of sensors and interceptors into orbit to protect the continental U.S. from missile barrages. But the Air…