Pilot Shortage Back with a Vengeance

The Air Force’s long-predicted pilot shortage is here. And it’s getting worse. If a fix isn’t found, the service might not have enough pilots to fill all of it cockpits by 2018. In May, Air Force Magazine sat down with...

The Maintainer Experience

By Will Skowronski
The Air Force expects to erase its maintainer shortage by 2019 as long as Congress funds the requested manpower increase, a service planner told Air Force Magazine on Thursday. The service is taking a multi-pronged approach to reduce the current...

Miller Becomes First Female AFRC Commander

Lt. Gen. Maryanne Miller took command of Air Force Reserve Command during a ceremony Friday at Robins AFB, Ga., becoming the first woman to lead the Air Force Reserve. Miller, who was confirmed to receive her third star in late...

CENTCOM: “Options Open” on More US Troops

By Otto Kreisher
After receiving approval for 560 more US military personnel to repair and operate the recently recaptured Qayyarah West airfield in Iraq, US Central Command is keeping its “options open” on requesting additional forces, command spokesman Army Col. Pat Ryder said...

Buffs Go Digital With CONECT

The analog-era B-52 Stratofortress is going digital, providing space-age communications and situational awareness. The Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center’s 565th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Tinker Air Force Base is installing the Combat Network Communications Technology (CONECT) system, providing “the first...

The Saudi Question

By Will Skowronski
The House Intelligence Committee released 28 newly declassified pages of the 9/11 Commission report on Friday. The redacted document, a part of the December 2002 report, outlines possible ties between the Saudi Arabian government and some of the Sept. 11...

US, ROK Air Forces Conduct Pacific Thunder

US Air Force and Republic of Korea forces are conducting Exercise Pacific Thunder, an annual combined training operation focused on improving the combat readiness of US and ROK air units to perform the demanding combat search and rescue missions. The...