The Air Force has some 550 airmen—active duty, Air National Guard, and Air Force Reserve Command from various units—deployed to Southwest Asia. At Balad AB, Iraq, alone they are working projects that USAF officials say total more than $6 million. The 557th Expeditionary RED HORSE Squadron has about 400 of the airmen, who work throughout Iraq, reports SSgt. Tammie Moore in the Nellis Bullseye. The remainder work under the 1st Expeditionary RED HORSE Group and travel throughout Iraq and Afghanistan, wherever needed. These specialists in rapid, heavy construction, perform work not normally done by a base-level civil engineer.
Airmen and Guardians in the Active and Reserve component, as well as civilian employees, in “mission critical and high-risk populations” are now required to receive influenza vaccinations annually to “preserve force readiness,” according to a recent Department of the Air Force memo.