About 98 percent of those US military personnel injured in Afghanistan who needed transport to out-of-country medical facilities have survived, Air Force Secretary Michael Donley said Friday. Every day, the Air Force flies about 10 “life-saving” transport missions, he said. Since the beginning of Operation Enduring Freedom in October 2001—and including operations in Iraq—USAF has airlifted 21,000 injured personnel out of Southwest Asia, he said.
With key members of Congress wavering on the possibility of a $350 billion defense reconciliation bill, defense experts told Air & Space Forces Magazine that the Pentagon is likely drawing up budget backup plans—but such plans would face hard choices between high-end weapons and low-cost drones and other programs in…