US and coalition officials formally end Operation Northern Watch, the US-Turkey-UK operation to enforce UN resolutions by patrolling the northern no-fly zone in Iraq. It began as Operation Provide Comfort shortly after the end of Gulf War I in 1991. ONW flew its last combat mission on March 17, 2003.
Amid a high-profile recruiting crisis, Air Force leaders and experts have increasingly noted the challenging long-term trends the service will face in enticing young Americans to sign up—decreasing eligibility to serve, less propensity to do so, and less familiarity with the military. But while those same leaders say there’s no “silver…