US Transportation Command officials are working out the details of delivering the additional 30,000 US troops and their equipment to Afghanistan by airlift, sea transfer, or land routes by the first half of next year under the Obama’s Administration’s new strategy. “In the coming weeks, we’ll figure out how much needs to move in January, February, March to make sure we can meet the objectives of having all these forces in there by the summer,” said Army Brig. Gen. Michael Lally, TRANSCOM’s director of operations and plans. Already about 1,000 Marines are heading to Afghanistan as part of this build-up. TRANSCOM planners must meticulously synchronize the movement of these troops and materiel into the land-locked nation since the US military lacks the same type of intermediate staging area that it has in Kuwait for troops movements in and out of Iraq. (AFPS release by Jim Garamone)
The six-week government shutdown did not affect the hours flown by Air Force pilots, a service spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine—avoiding what could have been a major blow at a time when flying hours are already lower than they have been in decades.
