Air Force officials at Andersen AFB, Guam, are helping local conservation officials to reintroduce two species of birds, the Guam rail and the Kingfisher, to the base’s national wildlife refuge. At the same time, they are trying to control a non-native brown tree snake that wiped out the flightless Guam rail by eating all the bird eggs and put other native birds and bats on the island’s endangered list. Officials say a military cargo ship accidentally introduced the snake to the island in World War II. Dana Lujan, the base’s chief conservation officer, supervises 30 conservation programs to save and reintroduce species.
F-35As from the Vermont Air National Guard have deployed to Puerto Rico in recent days, continuing a major buildup of U.S. Air Force assets in Latin America aimed at combating drug trafficking and pressuring the regime of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
