Airmen with the 380th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron are constructing a large new hangar at one of the main US air bases in Southwest Asia in order to accommodate more of the aircraft that operate from there. This busy air base is home to the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, which operates E-3 AWACS, KC-10 tankers, RQ-4 Global Hawks, and U-2 surveillance airplanes in support of operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Horn of Africa. (380th AEW photo caption by MSgt. Scott T. Sturkol)
The Air Force’s recent trend of low promotion rates for enlisted noncommissioned officers continued Aug. 17, as the service announced it had tapped just 9,706 senior airmen out of 45,991 eligible to become staff sergeants—a 21.1 percent promotion rate. That mark is the lowest in nearly a quarter of a…