Airmen of US Central Command Air Forces are continuing airlift efforts for Pakistan earthquake relief efforts. On Sunday and Monday, four C-17s airlifted more than 192,000 pounds of supplies and equipment. As of Oct. 17, USAF officials said C-17s have flown into Pakistan a total of 938,000 pounds of cargo, 182 pallets, and 69 passengers. They also noted that a C-17 airlifted seven soldiers from Qatar with their mobile hospital. USAF C-5s have flown US Army CH-47 Chinook helicopters from Texas to Pakistan. Airmen from active duty, Air Guard, and Air Force Reserve Command units around the country often have formed mixed crews to support the relief effort.
A three-month continuing resolution that ended in December inflicted less pain on the Department of the Air Force than it had expected, as procurement and construction continue in the new year. The federal government operated under a stopgap spending measure that stretched from the beginning of the fiscal year on…