Aiming to get its airmen in and out of Southwest Asia more easily and with less cost, the Air Force hit on the idea of letting the current crop of airmen drop their mobility bags. What’s the big deal? Apparently, USAF believes it will save $5.1 million per air and space expeditionary (AEF) rotation. The idea is not new. USAF believes it was probably the brainchild of a supply guy working Operation Southern Watch in 1998. It took the 379th Air Expeditonary Wing, at Ali AB, Iraq, to identify stable storage locations from existing facilities to resurface the idea. It is just in test now, with the first crop of bags going into storage. Time will tell.
The U.K. and the U.S. will continue to enjoy access to the ports, airfield, and workshops at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean for at least another century, under a deal inked between the U.K. and Mauritius May 22.