North Carolina Air National Guardsmen operating with the 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, completed the first airdrop of their deployment last week by delivering a 12,000-pound forklift to an Army remote forward operating base in the country with one of their C-130s. “The reason we dropped the forklift is due to the fact of the prevalence of [improvised explosive devices] in the area and on the roads,” said Maj. Jon Locklear, aircraft commander for the Nov. 23 mission. He added, “Being able to airdrop makes a big difference. It’s something we really look forward to.” Locklear said the Hercules aircrews train for airdrops “day-in, day-out back home,” which for these Air Guardsmen is the 145th Airlift Wing in Charlotte. He credited the riggers, loadmasters, mission planners, and other airmen who made this mission a success. (Bagram report by SSgt. David Salanitri)
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.