After four months as part of an expeditionary C-130J airlift unit in Afghanistan, active duty airmen and Reservists from Keesler AFB, Miss., have returned home, having set several airdrop records. These airmen—members of Air Force Reserve Command’s 815th Airlift Squadron and 403rd Maintenance Group and the active duty 345th AS—joined with personnel from the 41st AS at Little Rock AFB, Ark., between January and May to make up the 772nd Expeditionary Airlift Squadron at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan. During their deployment, these airmen completed a total of 261 airdrops, delivering 5.6 million pounds of cargo and establishing monthly marks for completed airdrops, culminating with 81 in April. In August 2010, the 345th AS and 815th AS joined together to form the Air Force’s first C-130J Total Force integrated unit. (Keesler release)
The Air Force is requesting about $141 million for initial enlistment bonuses in its fiscal 2026 budget, while Space Force wants $13 million.
