The Kyrgyzstan parliament voted to close Manas AB—often used as a stopping point for troops and equipment supporting operations in Afghanistan—rather than renew the lease when it expires in 2014, reported Defense News. There are about 1,500 US troops and contractors assigned to the base. The draft measure, which still must be signed in to law by President Almazbek Atambayev, was passed almost unanimously. The future of the base has been a point of contention between the US and Kyrgyzstan government for years and Atambayev has repeatedly voiced concern that the base poses too much of a security risk.
Members of the Air Force Reserve’s 920th Rescue Wing helped save 11 airplane crash survivors off the coast of Florida on May 12. The Reserve Airmen were flying an HC-130J Combat King II and an HH-60W Jolly Green II on a routine training flight when a Coast Guard call diverted…