The
last two decades of war and continuous operations have taken a significant toll on airmen, their families, and equipment, Secretary Michael Donley said in his speech on the state of the Air Force at AFA’s Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Fla. “We have a responsibility to rebuild to the full spectrum of readiness and training if the force is going to be prepared for the future, including any unexpected contingencies that may arise,” said Donley in his Feb. 22 address. However, “the modernization we need so badly would likely be delayed even further” under sequestration, he said.
The U.S. continued to move a significant amount of airpower toward the Middle East in recent days as talks to forge a nuclear deal with Iran hung in the balance. Flight tracking data indicate there was unusually heavy movement of dozens of fighter jets and other assets that might be…



