Air Force Reservists from the 315th Airlift Wing at JB Charleston, S.C., recently delivered more than 124,000 pounds of humanitarian aid to Haiti, Panama, and Honduras. During their two-day mission in early February, the Reservists unloaded rice, water, and medical and school supplies, according to a wing release. Two C-17 Globemasters from the 300th Airlift Squadron and the 701st AS transported the aid. “These missions can be challenging with the mountainous terrain, language barriers, and any other [issues] that come up,” said Maj. Ronnie Schier, pilot and operations officer from the 701st AS. However, they keep “Reservists ready. And, if we can help people while staying current, that is a plus,” he added.
Every year, Congress and the military debate which combat assets should head to the boneyard and which have more life left in them. Lawmakers often opt to keep Air Force systems that bring jobs to their districts, which complicates matters as the service looks to modernize and ditch certain platforms.…