The 4th 
Space Operations Squadron at Schriever AFB, Colo., has decommissioned the Satellite Mission Control Subsystem and Air Force Command Post Terminal. Airmen had used these command and control elements to operate the nation’s Milstar military communications satellites for the last 16 years, said Lt. Col. Douglas Schiess, 4th SOPS commander. Replacing them is the Advanced Satellite Mission Control Subsystem, which will control both legacy Milstar spacecraft and next-generation Advanced Extremely High Frequency communications satellites when they come on line. “This is a huge leap forward in capability for both our operators and our end users,” said Col. Wayne Monteith, commander of the 50th Space Wing the 4th SOPS’ parent unit. “We have proven this capability to provide combat effects to the warfighter much faster. This is a big day for us and it’s long overdue.” The decommissioning ceremony took place on April 11. (Schriever report by Jennifer Thibault)
The Air Force overall reduced its size by 120 aircraft in fiscal year 2021, but kept about the same number of fighter, bomber and attack aircraft, according to data supplied by the service. The F-35 fleet saw the biggest increase while the B-1B bomber fleet saw the largest decline.