Two Air Force C-17s landed May 18 at Shuangliu International Airport in Chengdu, China, carrying relief supplies to aid victims of the 7.9 magnitude earthquake that struck China’s central Sichuan Province May 12, according to US Pacific Command. The two airlifters, one from Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, and the other from Hickam AFB, Hawaii, brought food, water containers, blankets, generators, lanterns, and various hand tools from relief stocks in Guam and Hawaii. “The United States stands ready to help in any way possible,” said Maj. Gen. Richard Perraut, vice commander of 13th Air Force. Meanwhile Pacific Air Forces continues to support efforts to help survivors of Tropical Cyclone Nargis that hit Burma May 2. As of May 14, six C-130 aircraft operating out of Utapao, Thailand, had delivered more than 400,000 short tons of relief supplies, PACAF said. (Includes China report and Burma report by Hickam’s Capt. Genieve David)
A provision in the fiscal 2025 defense policy bill will require the Defense Department to include the military occupational specialty of service members who die by suicide in its annual report on suicide deaths, though it remains to be seen how much data the department will actually disclose.