A C-130 aircrew ferrying supplies from Bahrain to Pakistan added a third leg on one mission, giving them a triple play in airlift sorties, according to Air Force officials. The crew from the 39th Airlift Squadron at Dyess AFB, Tex., had flown humanitarian, combat, and combat support sorties as part of one mission. After delivering supplies to Pakistan, the Hercules crew flew to Manas AB, Kyrgyzstan, where it picked up another load of cargo to take to Bagram AB, Afghanistan, to help resupply Operation Enduring Freedom. The aircrew has flown a total of 50 missions since its deployment to Southwest Asia.
U.S. Southern Command recently announced its first lethal strike on a suspected narco-trafficking vessel in two months, and the first under a newly formed permanent counter-cartel task force. The U.S. is also reportedly planning to transfer MQ-9 drones to Colombia to bolster its counter-cartel efforts.