The Civil Reserve Air Fleet is in good health, now that the various companies participating have consolidated following an unprofitable spate 18 months ago, Air Mobility Command chief Gen. Arthur Lichte said Wednesday at AFA’s Air & Space Conference. There was risk that some participants would go out of business, but now with Congressionally mandated work, participants are generally in the black. That’s fine for now—”there is no end in sight” to the need to resupply US forces in Afghanistan, Lichte said—but he’s not sure what will happen if the effort in Southwest Asia starts ramping down.
The Pentagon plans to use U.S. Air Force C-17s and C-130s to deport 5,400 people currently detained by Customs and Border Protection, officials announced Jan. 22, the first act in President Donald Trump’s sweeping promise to crack down on undocumented immigrants and increase border security.