The Air Force has selected Maj. Josh Wood, currently serving as the weapons chief for the 56th Operations Support Squadron at Luke AFB, Ariz., for its fledgling F-35 strike fighter force. He will join the F-35 team at Eglin AFB, Fla., after a one-year short tour in South Korea, set to begin in about a month. The service last year announced selection of two other Luke veterans—Lt. Col. Stephen Pieper and Maj. Chad Lewis— for the F-35 program. And, as we reported last fall, various news reports have identified other pilots tapped for the initial F-35 instructor cadre. (Includes 56th Fighter Wing report by Justin Oakes)
The Pentagon is counting on Congress to navigate a legislative tightrope and pass a party-line bill to fund nearly a quarter of its $1.5 trillion budget request for fiscal 2027, including billions of dollars for top priorities like Golden Dome, the F-35, munitions, and unmanned systems. Experts and lawmakers from…