Welsh Notes Need for Improving Relations with Congress

July 20, 2012 | By Amy Hudson

Air Force Chief of Staff nominee Gen. Mark Welsh told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee Thursday that the Air Force needs to do a better job of connecting with Congress. “I think there is a trust problem the Air Force must address,” said Welsh, current US Air Forces in Europe commander, during his nomination hearing. “I think that intel is good,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) in response. (Welsh’s responses to advance questions)

Related Content

Alaskan Commands Gird for Threats

Aug. 9, 2022
Lt. Gen. David A. Krumm wears many hats as the commander of U.S. Northern Command's Alaskan Command, of 11th Air Force, and of North American Aerospace Defense Command's Alaskan Region. Krumm, who is set to retire, has served as the senior military leader in Alaska since April 2020. In a July interview, Krumm…

Biden Signs Ratification for Finland and Sweden to Join NATO

Aug. 9, 2022
The mood was festive in the packed East Room of the White House as President Joe Biden signed the instruments of ratification for the entry of Finland and Sweden into NATO. The two High North nations had up until months ago remained unaligned and fiercely independent, Biden said, until Russia’s…

Langley Takes Over US Africa Command With Few Resources and Growing Threats

Aug. 9, 2022
Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III swore in Marine Corps Gen. Michael E. Langley to lead U.S. Africa Command in Stuttgart, Germany. Langley's swearing-in comes as governments such as China's and Russia's increase their influence in Africa and terrorist groups expand in Somalia and from the Sahel to the littoral…

Multiple Air Force Units Buy SpaceX’s Starlink Satellite Internet Service

Aug. 9, 2022
A pair of Air Force units across two major commands have announced plans to purchase services from SpaceX’s Starlink constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit. The contracts come not long after service leaders praised the effectiveness of the satellite internet service in aiding Ukraine against Russia’s invasion.

KC-46 Boom Operators Learn to Live With RVS Pending 2.0 Upgrade

Aug. 9, 2022
The KC-46 boom operators stopped talking and leaned in as Maryland Air National Guard F-16s approached on a refueling mission over upstate New York. The fighters were visible on a 1,080-pixel, black-and-white screen. The cockpit went quiet, too, and the pilot flipped to a visual of the aerial refueling as…

GE’s XA100 Engine Would Create New Mission Possibilities for the F-35

Aug. 9, 2022
GE’s AETP offering, called the XA100, delivers 25% better fuel efficiency, twice the thermal management capacity, and at least 10% more thrust than the existing F-35 engine. The XA100’s three test campaigns—including one currently taking place at the Air Force’s Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC)—have demonstrated that generational jump in…

DOD Revises COVID-19 Guidelines for Travel, Masks, and More

Aug. 8, 2022
The Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness revised the Defense Department’s COVID-19 guidelines. The new rules clarify what’s meant by being “up to date” on vaccinations and when personnel must wear masks in vehicles, among other changes.

Time Is Already Running Short for Congress to Pass 2023 NDAA, Spending Bills

Aug. 8, 2022
More than seven weeks still remain until the 2023 fiscal year begins on Oct. 1, but observers of Congress are already warning that time is running out for lawmakers to pass the annual National Defense Authorization Act and appropriations bill that will fund the Pentagon before that deadline. Should Congress…

Ukraine Could Get Western Fighters, Pentagon Official Says—‘Down the Road’

Aug. 8, 2022
The Pentagon announced its latest drawdown package for Ukraine, valued at $1 billion and mainly comprising munitions for key systems. But any decision on whether to provide the Ukrainian Air Force with Western combat jets is still to be made, a key Defense Department official told reporters—and it could potentially…