Air Force Chief of Staff, Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, released his 2013 reading list on 1 February.

Here is the list:
"Hat in the Ring: The Birth of American Air Power in the Great War" by Bert Frandsen
"West with the Night" by Beryl Markham
"The Dead Hand: The Untold Story of the Cold War Arms Race and Its Dangerous Legacy" by David Hoffman
"Flying Tigers: Claire Chennault and His American Volunteers, 1941-1942" by Daniel Ford
"Leading With Honor" by Lee Ellis
"Dressmaker of Khair Khana" by Gayle Lemmon
"The Sovereignty Solution" by Anna Simons, Joe McGraw, and Duane Lauchengco

NMCB 3 Continues “Fighting Seabee” Tradition
By Harold Hutchison

If you ever think that the Sailors in a Naval Mobile Construction Battalion might be a pushover for bad guys, perhaps you ought to see some of their training. NMCB 3 recently carried out its weapons training – and they qualified on some serious firepower.

The Seabees were formed in World War II, to construct airfields in the Pacific Theater as the Allies moved across the Pacific Ocean to defeat Japan in the wake of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Routh Faces Capital Murder Charges
By Harold Hutchison

The suspect in the killing of former SEAL and author Chris Kyle is facing capital murder charges in Texas.

According to a report from TheBlaze.com, Eddie Ray Routh is being held on a $3 million bond as he has been transferred to the Erath County Jail. Routh is charged with killing Kyle and Chad Littlefield as they were attempting to help him deal with post-traumatic stress disorder at the Rough Creek Lodge in Glen Rose, Texas.

Quick Action Saves Woman In Car Accident
By Harold Hutchison

A Special Tactics Airman’s training kicked in and his actions have been cited as having helped save a woman’s life near Pope Field.

Maj. Francis Damon Friedman, with the 21st Special Tactics Squadron, came upon a car accident and went into help. He discovered a woman trapped in her vehicle, and acted. He lead three others to clear tree limbs to clear the vehicle, and then went inside to render first aid to the woman.

When rescuers arrived, Friedman had provided first aid, and was taking to the victim.

Chris Kyle, the sniper with 160 confirmed kills, was killed while at the Rough Creek Lodge in Erath County, Texas.

Troops Train for Chemical Attack
By Harold Hutchison

Chemical weapons have been used since World War I. Ever since their use in that bloody conflict, troops have trained to lessen – if not eliminate – their effects.

Thus, did Soldiers with the Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 31st Air Defense Artillery Brigade, spend some time rehearsing drills for using their Mission-Oriented Protective Posture equipment. They had eight minutes to suit up. For some, it was their first time.

Rubio Announces Opposition, Citing Iran and Cuba
By Harold Hutchison

Senator Marco Rubio, a rising star in the Republican Party, and touted as a potential presidential candidate in 2016, announced his opposition to former Senator Chuck Hagel’s nomination as Secretary of Defense.

Obama’s Nominee for Secretary of Defense Stumbles Through Hearing
By Harold Hutchison

Former Senator Chuck Hagel, nominated to serve as Secretary of Defense, stumbled through his confirmation hearing earlier today. The Vietnam veteran is the first enlisted man to ever be nominated to serve as Secretary of Defense.

ARGUS Takes to the Skies
By Harold Hutchison

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the United States Army revealed a new surveillance system – one that could see much more than systems currently in service. The new system, called ARGUS-IS, is capable of resolving objects as small as six inches across from 20,000 feet.