In light of the Air Force’s financial woes—and its inability to fund even some fundamental requirements—a reporter asked Secretary Michael Donley Friday whether the United States’ ability to project global power is in decline. “I certainly don’t believe that at all,” Donley responded during his media availability at AFA’s Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Fla. He added, “The United States is still—and as far as I can tell, will remain—an essential force for stability in international security.”
The crash of a T-38 trainer jet this May—which caused a weekslong pause in flights across the fleet—was caused by an improperly installed pin for one of the jet’s horizontal stabilizers, according to a new accident report released Oct. 30. When the pin disengaged midflight, it created the slightest amount…