CORRECTED Flying Wheelchairs for Kids: An Air Force Reserve Command aircrew from the 446th Airlift Wing, McChord AFB, Wash., recently flew 100 pediatric wheelchairs and a fire truck to Charleston AFB, S.C., so a Charleston crew could fly the assets to Iraq and Nicaragua, respectively. SSgt. Nick Przybyciel reports that the 446th picked up the donated wheelchairs in Sioux City, Iowa, where Army medical personnel work with Wheelchairs for Iraqi Kids to get wheelchairs for children with cerebral palsy, Spina bifida, and other disabilities. The fire truck went to Condega, Nicaragua so the city could start its own volunteer fire department.
The Air Force is spending heavily on F-22 improvements through the end of the decade, suggesting it may not retire the jet in 2030 as it previously planned. New sensors, fuel tanks, communications, and electronic warfare systems are among the upgrades that comprise the package.