US Transportation Command plans to restructure the Patriot Express flight service rather that eliminating it entirely. The Air Mobility Command-run commercial charter service lost an average of $35.8 million per year from roughly 1998 to 2002, prompting DOD to tell TRANSCOM, the overseer, to phase-out most routes. However, Patriot Express is immensely popular and flew more than 267,000 passengers from October 2004 to September 2005, flying to 17 countries. TRANSCOM has been phasing in the restructuring plan it developed last year and expects to complete it in another two years. It does eliminate some routes to Europe and the Far East but does not affect routes within the US Central Command area of operations. US Pacific Command officials already have streamlined Pacific operations. TRANSCOM estimates that the entire makeover will save some $40 million per year.
U.S. Air Force F-15C Eagles have roared out of Barnes Air National Guard Base, Mass., for the last time. The 104th Fighter Wing’s last three F-15Cs departed the base Oct. 23 for the “Boneyard” at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., ending the aircraft's era on the frontlines of homeland defense.
