Troy Meink

The Department of the Air Force restored funding for 26 civilian faculty positions at the U.S. Air Force Academy and approved an exemption from a hiring freeze for academic faculty and training instructors. The decision followed advocacy by Rep. Jeff Crank and aims to maintain academic excellence and STEM qualifications at the academy.

The Department of the Air Force restored funding for 26 civilian faculty positions at the U.S. Air Force Academy and approved an exemption to its hiring freeze for academic faculty and training instructors. The decision followed a review of the FY2026 workforce optimization plan and aims to maintain academic excellence by allowing the academy to fill vacancies in STEM and other critical fields.

The US Air Force is establishing a specialized anti-drone force to defend military bases against missile and drone attacks, driven by vulnerabilities exposed in recent conflicts and incidents like Ukraine’s 2025 'Operation Spiderweb'. The initiative includes dedicated air base defense units and a $1.4 billion budget proposal for missile defense systems, though operational deployment remains uncertain.

Air Force leaders testified to Congress that the MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aircraft was the MVP in Operation Epic Fury against Iran, while the service's fiscal 2027 budget request allocates significantly more funding to crewed fighters like the F-35 and F-47. Lawmakers challenged the disconnect between the Air Force's praise for unmanned systems and actual budget allocation, with the MQ-9 fleet shrinking to 135 aircraft after 24 losses exposed vulnerabilities to modern air defenses.

Lawmakers from Maryland are seeking answers after a jet fuel leak at Joint Base Andrews, where 32,000 gallons of fuel were spilled, prompting an investigation. The lawmakers claim there has been a lack of transparency around the incident. They are demanding more information from Air Force Secretary Troy Meink.