The search and rescue airmen of the Alaska Air National Guard’s 176th Wing at Kulis ANG Base are handling rescue missions in the Interior Alaska normally covered by the Alaska Army National Guard’s Military Assistance to Safety and Traffic unit, reports the News-Miner. According to the newspaper, the Army’s MAST, which has deployed to Afghanistan for 12 months, supported Alaska State Troopers when they fell short of resources or lacked the right equipment.
The emphasis on speed in the Pentagon’s newly unveiled slate of acquisition reforms may come with increased near-term cost increases, analysts say. But according to U.S. defense officials, the new weapons-buying construct provides the military with enough flexibility to prevent runaway budget overruns in major programs.
