Pacific Air Forces Commander Gen. Hawk Carlisle said the United States and India are considering an exchange program for their respective C-17 units. “There are opportunities for us to learn from each other,” Carlisle told reporters during a July 29 meeting in Washington, D.C. He noted, however, that the exchange is not yet a done deal. The Indians “are doing some pretty neat things,” with their newly acquired C-17s, he said. For example, they regularly land the C-17 and deliver cargo on runways that are located at 11,000 feet to 13,000 feet in elevation, which is “harrowing” for larger cargo aircraft, he said. India received its first C-17 in June. It took delivery of its second one on July 22 from manufacturer Boeing, announced the company. India has 10 C-17s on order; they are slated for delivery by 2014.
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.