Daily Report

Gen. Philip Breedlove assumed command of US Air Forces in Europe from Gen. Mark Welsh during a ceremony at Ramstein AB, Germany. Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz presided over the July 31 change-of-command ceremony. “We look forward to your...

The specter of budget sequestration is generating a climate of fear and uncertainty by threatening to disrupt the defense industry and undermine military capability, Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter told the House Armed Services Committee on Aug 1. He urged "action now" to prevent sequestration from taking effect in January. "The American people, our allies, partners, friends, and potential foes the world over need to know we have the political will to implement the defense strategy that we've put forward," he told the lawmakers. Sequestration would prevent this, he asserted. It would introduce "senseless chaos" into the management of more than 2,500 defense investment programs and create waste and lasting disruptions, he said. Civilian personnel, who do everything from maintaining weapons to conducting audits, would likely face unpaid furloughs. Military families and retirees would have to endure cuts in base support services and medical services, he warned. Reductions to overseas contingency operations funding and money for training would chip away at troops' preparation and safety, he said. Carter appeared before the committee with Jeff Zients, the White House's acting budget director. (Carter's written statement) (Zients' prepared testimony)

Air Force officials could not identify any contaminant or any other common reason why F-22 ground personnel reported experiencing hypoxia-like symptoms in six incidents while servicing the stealth jets, said Maj. Gen. Charles Lyon, Air Combat Command’s operations director. Further,...

The 3rd Space Operations Squadron at Schriever AFB, Colo., assumed control authority of WGS-4, the Air Force’s fourth Wideband Global Satellite Communications spacecraft. The July 30 transfer of satellite control authority to the squadron from the Space and Missile Systems...

Nine B-1 bombers and more than 400 airmen from the 7th Bomb Wing at Dyess AFB, Tex., returned home after completing a six-month deployment to Southwest Asia in support of combat operations in Afghanistan. This overseas stint marked the largest...

The Heavy Airlift Wing at Papa AB, Hungary, celebrated three years of operations. The wing has racked up more than 7,500 flight hours in about 500 missions with its three C-17s since its activation on July 27, 2009, according to...

The Pentagon reportedly agreed to allow the Israelis to make modifications to their F-35 strike fighters, including integration of an indigenously enhanced electronic warfare suite and Israeli-specific electronics, reports Reuters. The Pentagon’s F-35 program office “is working closely with Israel...

The Defense Department's new valor website now includes the names of all recipients of service crosses since 9/11, announced Pentagon officials on Aug. 1. In the case of the Air Force, the website now lists the five airmen who have received the Air Force Cross, the service's second highest military decoration, during that span. They are: Capt. Barry Crawford, TSgt. John Chapman, SSgt. Robert Gutierrez, SrA. Jason Cunningham, and SrA. Zachary Rhyner. The Pentagon launched the valor website on July 25 to honor actual award recipients and dissuade fakers after the Supreme Court's ruling in June that struck down the Stolen Valor Act. That law had made it illegal to falsely claim being a recipient of a top military decoration. The website will eventually list all service members who have received the Medal of Honor, service crosses, or Silver Star medal since 9/11.