As
of May 22, three USAF C-17s had delivered supplies to aid some 1.7 million refugees from Pakistan’s embattled Swat Valley. The aircraft, dispatched from Charleston AFB, S.C., and Dover AFB, Del., have delivered over a 24-hour period supplies that include 120,000 pre-packaged Halal meals, environmentally controlled tents, electrical generators, and water trucks. The US has pledged about $110 million in aid, following requests for support from the Pakistan government, as it battles Taliban insurgents in the Swat Valley. (Air Forces Central report one and two by SSgt. Stacia Zachary)
The United States Air Force is flying less than historic norms and funding for acquisition and readiness is on a path to further hollow out this too small and old force to that is incapable of sustaining an enduring combat air campaign.
