Hinote: COVID-19 Accelerated Modernization ‘Day of Reckoning’

The Air Force can't afford to keep the force it has and modernize it, so it must choose new technology over force structure, Brig. Gen. S. Clinton Hinote, acting director of the Air Force Warfighting Integration Capability, said May 27. Modernization was put off too long, and pressure on federal spending from pandemic relief will compel the Air Force to choose a robust or modern force, he said, with no choice being the "worst possible" outcome. Dispersal of forces and migrating away from large, fixed operating bases is also in the future, posing targeting challenges to adversaries and imposing costs that will aid in deterrence, he said during an AFA Mitchell Institute streamed event.

For Clues About Space Force’s Future, Look to Crew Dragon

By Rachel S. Cohen

Some space watchers say NASA’s return to launching astronauts from U.S. soil this week could shape the far future of military manned spaceflight, though others say the new Space Force doesn’t need to aim for “boots on the Moon.” SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft will carry NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley to the International Space Station using a Falcon 9 rocket, marking the first time since 2011 that the U.S. has not relied on Russia’s Soyuz program to take people to space. The Space Force, and Air Force Space Command before it, does not handle human spaceflight, and does not have its own cadre of astronauts. But NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, for which Crew Dragon’s planned May 30 launch is the first manned mission, could still spur ripple effects for military space.

Many Cadets to Return to Air Force Academy This Summer

By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

The U.S. Air Force Academy intends to bring back about three-quarters of its Cadet Wing—basic cadets included—this summer, USAFA Graduate Liaison Nicole Cox wrote in a May 27 email to alumni that was obtained by Air Force Magazine. A USAFA spokesperson confirmed the email’s validity. “Cadets will be brought back in multiple waves based on timing for their summer programs,” Cox wrote, adding that the Academy will implement COVID-19 risk-mitigation measures including a restriction of movement, social distancing, and keeping certain groups of cadets separated from one another within two of its dormitories. Over the summer, the Academy plans to conduct academics, airmanship programs, Basic Cadet Training, and Air Force Academy Preparatory School Basic Military Training, Cox wrote.

USAFE Units Converge over North Sea as International Exercises are Canceled

By Brian W. Everstine

The sky above the North Sea in Europe filled with dozens of USAF aircraft on May 27 as fighters from multiple bases joined together in red vs. blue teams to prove that U.S. Air Forces in Europe crews are ready for a high-end fight, even as the COVID-19 pandemic forces the command to change its schedule. Since the outbreak began, USAFE has cancelled or suspended 14 exercises, leaving a shortage in its crews ability to train at a high-level outside of their own local airspace. The May 27 “large force employment” event was the culmination of about a month and a half of planning, led by the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath, England. All told, 38 aircraft came together including F-15Cs and F-15Es from Lakenheath; KC-135s from RAF Mildenhall, England; F-16s from Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany; F-16s from Aviano Air Base, Italy; a NATO E-3 AWACS; and the 603rd Air Operations Center at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, monitoring the action.

Military Coalition Asks Congress to Stop Downsizing of DOD Medical Facilities

By Brian W. Everstine

A coalition of military and veterans associations is urging lawmakers to reverse Pentagon plans to close or downsize military medical facilities as the COVID-19 outbreak spreads. In February, the Pentagon said it planned to close or downsize 50 medical clinics, including 12 on Air Force bases, to focus more on the “readiness of our operational and medical forces” and less on serving families and retirees. The Military Coalition, a collection of more than two dozen groups including the Air Force Association, on May 18 sent a letter to the chairs and ranking members of the Senate and House Armed Services subcommittees on personnel urging them to adopt a provision in the fiscal 2021 National Defense Authorization Act to stop the downsizing. “The COVID-19 pandemic demands medical readiness requirements be reassessed and updated with lessons learned from the whole of nation response to the coronavirus emergency,” the coalition wrote.

CMSAF Wright to Serve as Air Force Aid Society’s Next CEO

By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Kaleth Wright will succeed retired Air Force Lt. Gen. John Hopper Jr. as CEO of the Air Force Aid Society—the service’s official charity—on Oct. 1, the organization announced May 27. “I’m excited about this next chapter following my retirement from the U.S. Air Force,” Wright said in an AFAS release. “It’s been an invaluable experience to serve alongside so many great Airmen over the past 31 years. I admire Lt. Gen. Hopper and look forward to building upon the success and great things he and his staff have done at the Society to help so many of our Air Force families.” Wright, whose retirement date from the Air Force has yet to be announced, has served as CMSAF since February 2017.

Virtual Events: Esper, Milley, Colón-López Talk COVID-19, and More

By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

Today at 9:30 a.m. EDT, Defense Secretary Mark Esper, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Mark Milley, and Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Ramón Colón-López will field questions from U.S. troops, Defense Department civilians, and military family members about the new coronavirus pandemic during a virtual town hall. Individuals may submit questions by posting their name, duty location, and query on DOD's Facebook page. The event will be streamed here.