Air Force

  • The 9-year struggle to fill federal jobs in North Dakota's oil-boom towns offers a stark example to the rest of the government of just how hard it can be to keep federal workers when private employers beckon.

    October 22, 2015
  • The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program has two new problems to deal with. According to Stars and Stripes, the program's manager, Lt. Gen. Christopher Bogdan, told a House Armed Services subcommittee that his office wants to make the 5 1/2 pound helmet about 6 ounces lighter to prevent pilots that weigh less than 136 pounds from having their necks snap if they have to eject from the aircraft. The other problem is one of the international partners committed to buying the aircraft looks like it's going to bail out. New Canadian Prime-minster Justin Trudeau's campaign platform included cancelling Canada's participation in the F-35 program. Richard Aboulafia, vice president for analysis at the Teal Group, offers his take on In Depth with Francis Rose.

    October 22, 2015
  • The Department of the Navy is taking the lead in the military by allowing personnel to wear fitness devices such as a Fitbit or Nike Fuel Band. Naval officials said they want to promote a "culture of fitness" while preserving a secure and classified environment.

    October 09, 2015
  • A new study by the Center for Strategic and International Studies found the Air Force's competition rate for service contracts dropped by 15 percent over the last six years, while other military services saw competition go up.

    October 01, 2015
  • The Air Force told Congress in a new report that the Distributed Common Ground/Surface System Analysis and Reporting Team (DART) still is doing its assigned job, despite lawmaker concerns.

    September 29, 2015
  • U.S. Air Force policy states “It is the responsibility of all Airmen to tell the Air Force story.” But telling a story can put you face to face with a bully. Lt. Colonel Dan Ward,U.S. Air Force retired, is the author of "The Simplicity Cycle: A Field Guide To Making Things Better Without Making Them Worse" and "F.I.R.E.: How Fast, Inexpensive, Restrained and Elegant Methods Ignite Innovation." He tells In Depth with Francis Rose about his bullying experience in the Air Force and what you can learn from it.

    September 23, 2015
  • Defense Secretary Ash Carter says the Air Force will invest further in space, cyber and nuclear deterrence in President Barack Obama's 2017 budget request. The announcement comes as the clock continues ticking for Congress to avoid sequestration in the 2016 budget, and even a possible shutdown by the end of the month. The Defense Department’s intentions to amp up investments in 2017 signals an unwillingness to back down on its priorities in the face of budget uncertainty. Federal News Radio reporter Scott Maucione says Carter's announcement is based in an initiative his predecessor started.

    September 17, 2015
  • Defense Secretary Ash Carter says he will invest in cyber, space and nuclear deterrence portfolios when creating the Air Force’s fiscal year 2017 budget.

    September 17, 2015
  • The Air Force awarded a contract worth nearly half a billion dollars to 22 companies under its Agile Acquisition program. The work is based at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. Jonathan Cansdale and Capt. Toshiro Toyama are contracting officers in the Air Force Lifecycle Management Center at Eglin. As part of Pentagon Solutions, they told In Depth with Francis Rose about the details of the contract. Cansdale described the parameters of the contract that make it agile

    September 16, 2015
  • The ‘should schedule’ program will work in conjunction with the ‘should cost’ effort to incentivize industry to perform better.

    September 14, 2015
  • The Air Force's Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance division supplies information through a mix of aircraft, satellite, computer technology and human analysis to help the Air Force stay at the top of its game. Members of the ISR, now the 25th Air Force, are at the Air Force Association's Air and Space Conference to tell the rest of the service more about themselves. Three of them joined anchor Emily Kopp on In Depth with Francis Rose -- Maj. Christina Sheets, Air Force foreign policy fellow; Technical Sgt. John Sims, imagery analyst; and Staff Sgt. Anthony Adams, special equipment operator. View a photo gallery and all of our coverage from the AFA Air and Space Conference.

    September 14, 2015
  • The Air Force is the smallest and oldest it has ever been. Air Force leaders say it's "too small." But a plan to add troops soon looks more and more unlikely given that Congress hasn't passed a budget yet for the fiscal year that begins in October. Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James joined Emily Kopp on In Depth with Francis Rose at the Air Force Association's Air and Space Conference to discuss the Air Force's financial concerns and much more.

    September 14, 2015
  • Out of the nearly quarter-million enlisted personnel in the Air Force, 12 are named Outstanding Airmen of the Year. They show leadership and care for their communities. Two of them spoke with Emily Kopp at the Air Force Association's Air and Space Conference. Tech. Sgt. Tamara Acfalle teaches at the Patrick Air Force Base Airman Leadership School in Florida. Master Sgt. Joseph Bogdan is the superintendent for the Airman and Family Readiness Center at Travis Air Force Base in California.

    September 14, 2015
  • The story of Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell's rescue in the hills of Afghanistan is one of the most famous moments of the recent war. Luttrell's teammates died in a battle that started after they refused to kill three goat herders. Now, in addition to a book and a movie, there is a painting to commemorate the battle. Emily Kopp is at the Air Force Association's Air and Space Conference with the artist, Maj. Warren Neary and someone who knows the subject of this painting well, Lt. Col. Jeff "Spanky" Peterson.

    September 14, 2015

On DoD

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Each week, Defense Reporter Jared Serbu speaks with the managers of the federal government's largest department. Subscribe on PodcastOne or Apple Podcasts.