USAF’s 55th Mobile Command and Control Squadron, Offutt AFB, Neb., officially stood down Sept. 27, closing out nearly 30 years of service as the alternate, mobile command center in the event of a Cold War nuclear attack upon the United States. The squadron was part of a strategy designed to deter such an attack, and the strategy worked, noted Lt. Gen. Robert Kehler, deputy commander of US Strategic Command. Maj. Karen Hibbard, squadron commander, said that even though evolving world events and advancing technologies had spelled the end of the squadron, its legacy of service would live on. She added, “At the end of the day, we can all say, ‘Mission complete.’ ”
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.