Airm
en from the New York Air National Guard’s 105th Airlift Wing, with a little help from a West Virginia Air Guardsman, flew a C-5 to Soto Cano AB, Honduras, where they loaded a team of 19 airmen and soldiers and two helicopters for transport to the Dominican Republic. The Joint Task Force Bravo team from Soto Cano is helping primarily with search and recovery efforts following tropical storm Noel. The C-5 aircrew diverted from its initial mission which had taken the Air Guardsmen to Spain to support operations in Southwest Asia, reports 1st Lt. Erika Yepsen. West Virginia’s 167th Airlift Wing flew its first operational C-5 mission earlier this year.
Three of four congressional committees with influence over defense policy have voted to change the official name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War—but final approval of the Pentagon rebrand is months away and not yet assured.