Pararescuemen with the 46th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron at Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, have begun carrying units of blood with them on rescue missions for the first time since the beginning of Operation Enduring Freedom. The reason, they said, is that USAF rescue units are performing casualty evacuation more often and are treating wounded troops who would benefit from the blood. Already on Nov. 30, this made a difference in the life of a marine critically wounded by an improvised explosive device. The PJs administered packed red blood cells in order to keep the marine alive as they transported him to a hospital. “If it wasn’t for the blood, we may have lost the life of a marine that day,” said SSgt. George Reed, a 46th ERQS pararescueman who was part of the crew that day. (Kandahar report by SrA. Melissa B. White)
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.