The Air Force has enlisted the help of the Smithsonian Institution to identify the birds that present a hazard to aircraft operating in Iraq. The service has worked with Smithsonian experts for years, shipping to the institute’s Museum of Natural History samples of bird feathers, tissue, and blood for analysis, but it has just recently sent off its first samples from Iraq. According to TSgt. David Young, deployed from Elmendorf AFB, Alaska to the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Safety Office as NCO in charge of flight safety, safety personnel at Balad AB, Iraq, don’t have the data at hand that they need to “establish what the species are and their migratory routes” to aid in control efforts. The Smithsonian will gain from this exchange, too, since it has only eight specimens from Iraq in its database of some 620,000 bird specimens. (Balad report by 1st Lt. Lisa Spillnek)
Air Force Changes Rules for Pregnant Aircrew—Again
April 3, 2025
The Air Force is changing its policy for pregnant aircrew, generally reverting to rules set in 2019 that barred female aviators from flying during the first trimester—or from flying in aircraft with ejection seats at all—due to potential risks to the pilot and her unborn fetus.