Air Force Secretary Michael Donley, Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz, and CMSAF James Roy recently signed a “Declaration on Diversity,” which emphasized the importance of diversity to mission success at both the tactical and strategic levels. “In our global operations in defense of the nation, cross-cultural competencies are key to mission success. On a tactical level, mission success requires the unique experiences and talents of airmen of various backgrounds, ethnicities, races, genders, and cultural experiences,” states the memo, which is dated Oct. 14, but was released Nov. 1. “On a strategic level, a diverse force empowers airmen to transcend merely learning about other cultures, and to strive for deeper, more meaningful global relationships.” Diversity “is a necessity” that encourages “unit cohesion,” states the memorandum to airmen. “In conducting missions throughout the world, we have found the sincerity of our beliefs in American values is often measured by the breadth of the people whom we deploy,” it continues. (AFNS release)
With upgrades, F-16s can serve as a numbers-builder in the combat air forces until the 2040s, and it’s not necessary to launch its successor yet, program officials said at an industry conference. “We anticipate hundreds of F-16s in active service for decades to come,” meaning into the 2040s, Col. Tim…