Effective July 1, the nation’s three Minuteman III ICBM wings will revert from their current designation as space wings back to their pre-1997 designation as missile wings. Maj. Laurie Arellano, an Air Force Space Command spokeswoman, confirmed the date to the Daily Report yesterday. Gen. Michael Moseley, outgoing Chief of Staff, announced on June 6 the change—one of many actions that the Air Force’s leadership has taken in the past year to reemphasize the importance of the nuclear mission.
The Senate passed its version of the 2026 National Defense Authorization bill late Oct. 9 with new language restricting retirements for B-1 bombers and E-3 AWACS. Now lawmakers from the House and Senate must set about resolving the differences between their two bills, which could lead to significant changes for…