Scott Schonauer of Stars and Stripes continues his report on the airmen performing ground combat duties in Iraq, writing that airmen with Det. 3 of the 732nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron are “shattering long-held stereotypes” that airmen are “soft.” (An earlier report noted that there would be more airmen serving in-lieu-of soldiers instead of fewer.) Schonauer reports that the Det. 3 airmen are largely volunteers, coming from bases around the world. They are serving for one year, operating from an austere site near Baghdad to help train the Iraqi police force.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach told lawmakers Apr. 30 that the service’s biggest airlifter, the C-5 Galaxy, has a 37 percent mission capable rate—one of several challenges facing the mobility fleet.