The Air Force says that it needs “hundreds” of airmen in almost every major career field to volunteer to serve longer tours in Southwest Asia, filling joint task force positions. It was in February of this year, that USAF officials announced they had designated some JTF positions for longer tours to “provide stability and allow for long-term relationship building with host governments.” (Read more in “The Expeditionary Force Under Stress.”) As with the initial call, USAF says it wants volunteers—officer and enlisted—but will resort to non-volunteers if necessary.
Clearing jungle and laying asphalt in tropical heat may not sound like fun to most people, but it’s a way of life for Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers (RED HORSE) Airmen, who have spent the past year or so restoring World War II-era airfields on the Pacific…