An Air Force C-17 transport operating with the 817th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron at the Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan, on May 16 delivered approximately 100,000 pounds of humanitarian supplies to Kulob, Tajikistan, following two weeks of flooding and mudslides in that Central Asian nation. The airlifter brought in tents and other supplies to provide temporary shelter for families displaced by the severe weather. Kulob is about 70 miles southwest of Dushanbe, the Tajik capital. While the C-17s that fly from Manas are primarily occupied with supporting military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Air Force maintains the flexibility to use them in relief roles, when needed, said Capt. Dan O’Keefe who lead the planning for this relief in Air Mobility Command’s operational nerve center at Scott AFB, Ill. (Scott report by Capt. Justin Brockhoff)
Due to the prolonged delay in deliveries of the Tech Refresh 3 version of the F-35 fighter, Denmark is pulling six of its TR-2-configured F-35 jets stationed in the U.S. back to home base in order to consolidate aircraft and get better training for its pilots and maintainers, the Danish…