Down at Lackland AFB, Tex., the Air Force’s Enlisted Aviator Center of Excellence (see above) has received the KC-135, known as Speckled Trout, to serve as a training platform for various enlisted aircrew members, including loadmasters, boom operators, and airborne mission systems specialists. According to a July 18 release, maintainers at Kelly Field will dismantle the 51-year-old aircraft, once used as a personal transport by various major command commanders and as a technology testbed, for transport to nearby Lackland Training Area. Because of its extensive communications equipment, training manager Mark Smith said it would greatly enhance the training experience for all the aircrew specialities. He said, “It’s difficult to put a dollar value on that.” (37th Training Wing report by Reggie Thompson)
Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. provided a keynote address at AFA's virtual Air, Space & Cyber Conference on Sept. 14, 2020. Here is a transcript of his speech and the following interview with Air Force Magazine Editor-in-Chief Tobias Naegele.