Hayden said the intelligence problem manifests itself at a lower level as well. Some Air Force intelligence officers are grumbling about a lack of advancement opportunities, with a perception that no one can get beyond 0-6. This has an element of whining to it, the four-star said, but the complaint also holds a grain of truth. The Air Force should therefore foster a cross-flow of intel officers through other commands. Hayden said he benefited from a tour as Chief of Staff for US Forces Korea, and, similarly, Air Intelligence Agency chief Maj. Gen. John C. Koziol was most recently a wing commander for ACC. These are the types of assignments that better integrate intelligence with the operational military.
Whether the F-35 fighter will get new engines from the Air Force’s cutting-edge Adaptive Engine Transition Program is a question that needs to be resolved at the Defense Department level, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall told lawmakers May 17—and he anticipates an answer in the 2024 budget.