Orlando, Fla.—There is a “misperception” that there is no future for missileers in the service, but Air Force Global Strike Command boss Lt. Gen. Stephen Wilson said that’s just not true. Speaking at AFA’s Air Warfare Symposium here Thursday, Wilson pointed out that there are approximately 1,200 airmen who wear the missileer patch in the Air Force today (some 550 of whom are currently conducting the mission). In addition, there are 14 missile squadrons, three groups, and three wings, each with leadership opportunities. There also are “important jobs” for missileers on the US Strategic Command staff, the A-10 staff, and on AFGSC’s staff. Finally, there are 12 general officers currently serving in the Air Force who once were missileers, said Wilson. “There are opportunities for missileers in the Air Force. They can do some amazing things,” he noted.
Raytheon, a division of defense giant RTX, recently announced a multiyear deal with the Pentagon to increase annual production of the Air Force’s primary dogfighting missile by more than 50 percent from two years ago.
