A C-17 crew from JB Lewis-McChord, Wash., evacuated an ailing person from McMurdo Station, Antarctica, according to Pacific Air Forces officials. The late April mission took just 60 hours from the time the C-17 departed McChord until the aircraft delivered the patient from Antarctica to Christchurch, New Zealand, for treatment, according to PACAF’s May 3 release. “This mission was the perfect example of air mobility and global reach at its finest,” said Lt. Col. Brent Keenan, 304th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron commander. The National Science Foundation requested the evacuation; the US military provides logistical support to the foundation’s scientific research on the barren continent. The C-17 flew from Christchurch to McMurdo Station, Antarctica. The flight crew was able to exploit a narrow window of daylight for landing; it took only 35 minutes to transfer the patient onboard, according to the release. The patient received in-flight medical care from aeromedical evacuation personnel and the critical care air transport team while en route to Christchurch. (Hickam report by Capt. Kim Bender)
Pentagon Releases Cost of Living, BAH Rates for 2026
Dec. 30, 2025
The Pentagon will pay cost of living allowances to 127,000 service members in the continental U.S. in 2026, an increase of 66,000 members in 2025. Airmen and Guardians across the U.S. will also receive an average increase of 4.2 percent for their Basic Housing Allowance, compared to the 5.4 percent…
