The 
Air Force continues its airlift support of the French military as the US ally’s combat operations proceed against Islamist terrorists in northern Mali. As of Jan. 27, C-17 transports completed a total of 15 missions, carrying 329.5 tons of cargo and transporting 496 passengers into Mali, US Air Forces in Europe spokesman Jerry Renne told the Daily Report on Monday. The first sortie occurred on Jan. 21, with a C-17 assigned to Dover AFB, Del., delivering troops and equipment from Istres in southern France to Bamako, Mali, according to a Pentagon release on Jan. 25. French air force Maj. Eric Chabaud, chief of aircraft services at Istres, said US aircraft commanders receive the load plans for review after French personnel prepare the cargo and equipment. “It’s good for us to work together on things like this, because we want to be an asset to the operation, not a hindrance,” said Chabaud. “We have a very good relationship with the Americans here right now, and we help them any time we can,” he added. (Istres report by SSgt. Nathanael Callon)
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.