Air Force may cut back on Pacific drills to preserve near-term ‘readiness’
By WYATT OLSON STARS AND STRIPES •
July 30, 2026
Pacific Air Forces is considering reducing its exercise volume to preserve “readiness” as the service continues to conduct operations for the Iran war and in the Middle East, according to PACAF’s commander. The command is “taking a hard look at our exercises,” Gen. Kevin Schneider said Monday during an event hosted by the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies in Arlington, Va. “We do 45 [exercises] in PACAF, give or take a couple every year, and that’s a lot,” said Schneider, who took command in February 2024. “They’re all valuable,” he said. “They all have benefits, but we’re taking a look at what are the ones that are readiness-gainers. What are the ones that are maybe not high on that list of building readiness for our airmen and then making some decisions that go: We’re going to continue to do these. We’re not going to do these. Or we’ll do these in reduced volume, just to make sure that we are preserving that readiness within our formations.”
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https://www.stripes.com/theaters/asia_pacific/2026-07-29/air-force-pacific-training-exercises-22406241.htmlSource - Stars and Stripes
