Situated in the CENTAF combined air operations center in Southwest Asia, the aerial port control center with its crew of 12 transport specialists operates around the clock, making about 2,000 passenger reservations and moving more than 3,000 pallets of cargo each month. Troops used to wait 24 hours to know if they had a flight, now, officials say, they know within 30 minutes. The backlog of cargo has dropped by two-thirds. The APC has maximized airlift in the theater by filling aircraft to their maximum capacity, according to Lt. Col. Timothy O’Brien, the center’s chief from Scott AFB, Ill.
Members of the House Armed Services Committee say the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile program has been set back three months due to the ongoing government shutdown. The comment is noteworthy because the JATM's status has been kept tightly under wraps.
