Airmen 
at Tyndall AFB, Fla., now have a new fitness center. It’s not just any old place to pump iron. Rather, it’s the Air Force’s first facility built to meet the highest standards of energy efficiency and environmentally friendly design set by the US government. The center is situated on an 8.7-acre plot within walking distance of the old, 1975-vintage gym, which is scheduled for demolition. With features such as solar panels on its roof, the new center’s energy consumption is expected to more than 40 percent less than a typical building of the same size. This will amount to about $45,000 in annual savings, according to base officials. The fitness center, which opened its doors on Aug. 20, is expected to serve more than 900 people per day. (Tyndall report by SrA. Kirsten Wicker)
Secretary of Defense Austin Lloyd III met with his counterparts from Australia, Japan and the Philippines to discuss bolstering defense ties on May 2. The discussion included plans for joint F-35 exercises with Japan and Australia in the coming years.