Six US service members were killed when their helicopter crashed in southern Afghanistan Tuesday; one American survived, reported Stars and Stripes. The cause of the incident is under investigation; however, according to initial reports there was no enemy activity in the area of the crash. Malik Ali Mohammad, district governor of the Shahjoi district in Zabul province, said an aircraft crashed in the area around 2 p.m. on Dec. 17, but International Security Assistance Forces in Afghanistan would not confirm the location of the crash, reported the paper. The crash is the single deadliest incident for ISAF troops operating in Afghanistan since seven Georgian soldiers were killed in a suicide bombing in Helmand province in June. More than 150 ISAF members have been killed in Afghanistan so far this year, according to the report.
When acting Air Force Secretary Gary A. Ashworth rescinded service-wide “Family Days” last week citing the need to build readiness, he left it up to commanders, directors, and supervisors to decide if they would still permit extra days off. Here’s how Air Force major commands are taking that guidance.