To prepare for the arrival of Hurricane Rita, the Air Force is moving aircraft out of the projected path of the storm and moving personnel into readiness positions to respond after landfall, service officials said. Sixteen F-16s and one C-26 from Ellington Field in Houston were evacuated, and two C-5 Galaxy aircraft with the 433rd Airlift Wing, Lackland AFB, Tex., are set to assist with evacuation efforts in the vicinity of Houston and Beaumont. The 433rd AW also dispatched an aeromedical evacuation command and control team to Beaumont to standby for medical evacuation operations. USAF also has five C-17s, six C-130s, three C-5s, and two Contingency Response Groups standing by on three-hour alert.
The Air Force is renaming its traditional aviation bonus program in 2024 and continuing a new, experimental second program, ordered by Congress, aimed at getting aviators to extend their commitment sooner and for longer. While the programs can’t be doubled-up, aviators may be able to move from one to the…