US aircraft in Afghanistan had their busiest month of the year in October, dropping 205 bomb on Taliban and ISIS targets. The October tally brings the total for 2016 to 1,180, already 233 more than the total for all of 2015, according to Air Force statistics released Nov. 25. Of the 4,500 total sorties flown by US aircraft, at least one weapon was dropped during 552 of those sorties —up about 411 in 2015. The increase has coincided with increased authorities to target both the Taliban and ISIS, which was announced by the Obama administration in late 2015. The total number of weapons dropped in Afghanistan in October is just one tenth of the overall effort in Iraq and Syria, with US and coalition aircraft dropping 3,038 weapons last month. Coalition aircraft in Operation Inherent Resolve have already eclipsed last year’s total number of sorties with at least one weapon released, with 9,958 flown so far in 2016 compared to 9,912 in all of 2015.
Airmen and Guardians in the Active and Reserve component, as well as civilian employees, in “mission critical and high-risk populations” are now required to receive influenza vaccinations annually to “preserve force readiness,” according to a recent Department of the Air Force memo.