Minot AFB, N.D., is now a non-concurrent travel area for airmen’s families as a result of a housing shortage in the Minot community made worse when the Souris River flooded in June. Under the new order, airmen who received authorization to move with their families before Sept. 12 will still be allowed to do so; however, authorization for all others will come on a case-by-case basis, said Bill Warner, Air Force Personnel Command chief of assignment programs and procedures. Family members must stay at the current location, if their travel is delayed for less than 20 weeks. Families delayed for more than 20 weeks may either stay in their current location or move to an interim location at the government’s expense. Minot also remains under a stop movement order put in place after the flooding for all but technical training graduates and new accessions without dependent family members. (Minot report by Debbie Gilda)
U.S. Air Force F-35s and F-22s regularly deploy deep into the Pacific region from Alaska, Utah, and Hawaii. In the future, though, the head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command would like to see the Air Force permanently station fifth-generation aircraft west of the international date line—closer to China.