Alert F-15Cs scrambled to intercept a US-bound commercial flight from Paris as a precautionary measure on Monday, following an anonymous tip warning of chemical weapons aboard the aircraft, New York’s WABC News reported. “Out of an abundance of caution, Air France flight number 22 was escorted to John F. Kennedy airport by US Air Force fighter jets following a phone threat,” according to an FBI statement quoted in the May 25 press report. “There were no incidents or hazards reported on board the flight by either the passengers or its crew,” according to the FBI. Several other aircraft also were flagged on Monday, though no hazardous materials were found. The pair of Air National Guard 104th Fighter Wing jets from Barnes ANGB, Mass., escorted the Air France Airbus A330 to a safe landing on May 25, local Mass Live reported.
Airmen and Guardians in the Active and Reserve component, as well as civilian employees, in “mission critical and high-risk populations” are now required to receive influenza vaccinations annually to “preserve force readiness,” according to a recent Department of the Air Force memo.