US Air Forces in Europe airmen are playing a key role in the air bridge that is moving soldiers and equipment to Afghanistan as part of the troop surge that President Obama ordered last December. Both Ramstein and Spangdahlem Air Bases, both in Germany, have been critical air hubs supporting the build-up, say USAFE officials. Some vehicle operators, fuel specialists, and aircraft maintainers from other USAFE bases like Aviano AB, Italy, have been dispatched temporarily to Ramstein and Spangdahlem to augment the airmen there and deal with the increased aircraft flow. The number of transports received, serviced, fueled, and launched from those locations has increased by as much as 53 percent compared to pre-surge levels. Air Mobility Command expects to deliver all 30,000 troops associated with the surge, along with their equipment, to Afghanistan by the end of August. (Ramstein report by 1st Lt. J.D. Griffin)
The U.K. and the U.S. will continue to enjoy access to the ports, airfield, and workshops at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean for at least another century, under a deal inked between the U.K. and Mauritius May 22.