The answer is, maybe. The 2008 defense policy bill calls for a report by April 1 on the search and rescue capabilities available in the northwestern United States. Sen. Maria Cantwell and Sen. Patty Murray—Democrats from Washington—have been trying to prevent the deactivation of the 36th Rescue Flight at Fairchild AFB, Wash. The unit’s primary mission is to support the USAF Survival School at Fairchild in training thousands of aircrew members each year, but it often gets tapped to perform area rescues. Earlier this month, for instance, airmen of the 36th rescued a hiker stranded by an avalanche that killed two fellow hikers in the Snoqualmie Pass.
Members of the House Armed Services Committee say the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile program has been set back three months due to the ongoing government shutdown. The comment is noteworthy because the JATM's status has been kept tightly under wraps.
