The
Air Force and its British, French, and German partners held a ceremony June 27 at the Berlin Airlift Memorial at Tempelhof airport in Berlin, Germany, to commemorate the 78 allied airmen who gave their lives during the 11-month operation, which began on June 24, 1948, and remains the largest humanitarian relief mission by air in history. Gen. Roger Brady, US Air Forces in Europe commander, spoke at the event, in which Gen. Arthur Lichte, head of Air Mobility Command, also participated. US, British, and French aircraft brought in more than 2.3 million tons of food, coal, medicine, and supplies in more than 250,000 air missions during the airlift to sustain the citizens of West Berlin who the Soviet Union had cut off with a land blockade. The airlift was also celebrated at the Berlin Airshow last month.
More than 130 Airmen and Guardians have returned to service after leaving the military over the erstwhile mandate to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Even more could soon follow, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for manpower and reserve affairs Richard Anderson added during a panel discussion at AFA’s Air, Space…
