The Air Force is taking a “strategic pause” in its force management programs in order to “evaluate potential changes to the timing, composition, and eligibility criteria for each program,” states an Air Force release. “Complex strategies are rarely perfect from their inception but evolve as new information and feedback allows them to be refined and improved,” said Lt. Gen. Sam Cox, USAF deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel, and services. “The same is true of the Air Force’s current force management programs.” Eligible officers and enlisted airmen may still apply for the temporary early retirement authority and voluntary separation pay programs until March 26 and May 1, respectively. “Today, in some specific categories, the applications are being fully processed and approved; for other categories we are very close on final programmatic decisions and delegated decision authorities which will allow us to finish processing applications and begin notifying airmen of the status of their applications,” Cox said.
The U.S. thwarted a drone attack on U.S. forces at Al Asad air base in western Iraq on April 22, marking the first time that American troops have been targeted since February, U.S. officials said. “We can confirm it was an attack on Al Asad,” a defense official told Air & Space…