Joint Forces Command officials find there are questions about the role of airpower—and the perceived role of airpower—in joint operations. And, some of the “implications” laid out in JFCOM’s Capstone Concept for Joint Operations (CCJO) led to a lively exchange Sept. 14 at AFA’s Air & Space Conference between Maj. Gen. David Edgington, Joint Forces Command chief of staff, and Gen. Roger Brady, commander of US Air Forces in Europe. Edgington detailed how the CCJO is a response to the Joint Operating Environment (JOE) document, released last year. One of JFCOM’s findings was a need to create general purpose forces that can operate independently at ever-lower echelons. He noted, “There was no division commander who I talked to … who didn’t say he had air when he needed it.” He added, “But the perception at the senior level is that … they need more airpower.” Continue
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…