CMSAF Gerald Murray told airmen in Honduras during a swing through US Southern Command that they, personally, had little to fear as USAF cuts 40,000 to 50,000 from its rolls. Why? According to Murray, airmen such as those at Soto Cano Air Base are “the people we need. … You are the ones who can deploy.” Murray said that there are “6,000 people in the Air Force who aren’t able to deploy worldwide.” He said that the final numbers were not set, and indicated that the “tough decisions” lay ahead. One question is whether the service can “afford to keep that airman [who cannot deploy].” Our bet: They will go.
Boeing has only delivered two KC-46 tankers to the Air Force so far in 2021, despite USAF officials saying they expect that total per month, as the service has slowed the delivery pace of the aircraft. Though there are more aircraft ready at Boeing’s facilities, Air Mobility Command is slowing…