The Air Force made history on two fronts on Jan. 27 when an unarmed Predator remotely piloted aircraft took off from an airport near Aquadilla, Puerto Rico, to fly a surveillance mission over earthquake-ravaged Haiti. This mission marked the first use of the Predator in support of humanitarian-assistance operations. And it was the first time that an RPA operated from an active civilian airport, taking turns on the runway with the civilian and commercial air traffic, according to Air Force officials. About 50 airmen and six Predators deployed to Puerto Rico Jan. 18. From there, they are flying a continuous orbit of coverage over Haiti. “Our job is to get the [Predator’s] video camera where international aid workers cannot reach to identify people and places most in need,” said Maj. Jeff Bright, who is commanding the Predator detachment in Puerto Rico. (Aquadilla report by Capt. Nathan D. Broshear)
Active-Duty Airmen only have a few days left to submit an official waist-to-height ratio into the Air Force’s new online application. But the service clarified July 23 that this first body composition measurement is not meant to be scored as part of the new Physical Fitness Readiness Assessment, or PFRA