Efforts are moving forward to merge Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, and the Army’s nearby Ft. Richardson into a joint installation called Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson before the end of next year. The Anchorage Daily News reported Tuesday that the vice chiefs of staff of the Air Force and Army signed an agreement on Oct. 9 finalizing the details of the effort, which is mandated by BRAC 2005. The consolidation is scheduled to commence at the end of January and be completed by next October, the newspaper said. The Air Force will command the joint installation, with the Ft. Richardson commander serving as the deputy commander. No civilian jobs will be lost when the bases are combined, but some of the Army civilian employees will transfer over to Air Force oversight. (For more, read Anchorage’s KTUU TV News report from Tuesday.)
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.