USAF continues to provide what is now termed “in lieu of” personnel to handle work once done by soldiers. Among these new blue “soldiers” are more than 150 airmen of the 732nd Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron support the Army’s 181st Transportation Battalion, running convoy missions throughout Iraq. Some 25 percent of the airmen have supported the Army in this fashion before, says the unit’s commander, Capt. Richard Pike. Airmen in the unit come from backgrounds ranging from intelligence, to supply and vehicle maintenance, notes CMSgt. Shawn Keller, the unit’s enlisted manager.
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.