Bomberpalooza

About 40 loggies and operators are gathering next week in Oklahoma for a two-day bomber summit to discuss the health of the bomber fleet, its sustainability, capability upgrades, and modernization efforts, as well as field-level maintenance and operations issues. The Air Force has 66 Reagan-era B-1Bs, 20 Clinton-era B-2As, and 93 Kennedy-era B-52Hs. “Our bomber fleet is facing a number of challenges because of the age of the aircraft and the increased flying hours in support of the global war on terrorism,” said Col. Keith Weyenberg, 747th Aircraft Sustainment Group commander at Tinker and point-of-contact for the Sept. 11-12 event. Already this year, the service has lost three bomber aircraft: a B-1B in Southwest Asia, a B-2A on Guam, and a B-52H near the Pacific island. Reportedly, the summit is the brainchild of Air Force Materiel Command’s Gen. Bruce Carlson and Air Combat Command’s Gen. John Corley. Serving as co-hosts for the get-together will be Lt. Gen. Robert Elder, 8th Air Force commander; Lt. Gen. Norman Seip, head of 12th Air Force; and Maj. Gen. Loren Reno, who oversees the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center at Tinker AFB, Okla., which is home to sustainment management of the bomber fleet. (Tinker report by Brandice Armstrong)