Air Force Reserve Command’s 911th Airlift Wing christened a new $8.5 million base lodging facility in conjunction with a wing change-of-command at Pittsburgh ARS, Pa. The 50-room, three-story dormitory will house Reservists coming from across the region for drill, in addition to visiting contractors and Defense Department civilians, said wing officials. Targeted for closure as part of Air Force cost cutting next fiscal year, Pittsburgh faces stiff “headwinds,” Col. Craig Peters told Reservists after assuming command of the wing on May 6, reported the Pittsburgh Tribune. “The big thing is to try to keep morale going strong” as Congress and the Air Force hammer out the installation’s eventual fate, added Peters. Unit officials hope that the new energy-efficient lodging will help tip the scales in favor of keeping the base open, according to the newspaper. (Pittsburgh photo caption by TSgt. Ralph Van Houtem)
The first flight of the secretive B-21 bomber has slipped to mid-2022, but the program is moving along well, Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office director Randall Walden said in an exclusive interview. The second copy of the B-21, which will be used for structural testing, is now on the production…