The Government Accountability Office in a new report has identified a key weakness in the Air Force plan to implement its new mission plan for the Air National Guard: There is no clear strategy to address challenges such as no room in schools to train Air Guardsmen in their new missions and a dearth of bridge missions for those units that have to wait for either new aircraft or training in a different role. And, then there is the matter of how to pay for it all. GAO believes the Air Force has underestimated the cost. There’s also some disagreement between GAO and the Air Force about whether the funds for replacement missions should be identified in BRAC dollars. The GAO believes they should be.
Lloyd Austin, President-elect Joe Biden’s pick to lead the Pentagon, spent his Senate confirmation hearing on Jan. 19 pressing his civilian bona fides to lawmakers, with some pledging opposition to the waiver Austin would need to become the nation’s first Black Defense Secretary. Austin spent 40 years in the military…