[r9etb]

I hope this isn’t related to the awarding of the new tanker contract to Northrup-Grumman/EADS and not to Boeing.

Doubtful. Sounds more like irreconcilable differences over larger policy/strategy issues.

If I had to guess, it's resistance to some sort of proposed change in mission capabilities and/or force structure.

One possibility: the USAF has been dragged over the coals for its poor performance in managing and fielding high-dollar space programs. Could be that Gates is looking at giving some of those programs away to some other organization....

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Someone reported bomb triggers were shipped to Taiwan marked as “helicopter parts.”

[Southack]

"If I had to guess, it's resistance to some sort of proposed change in mission capabilities and/or force structure."

Safe to say.