The Air Force earlier this month inactivated the 537th Airlift Squadron at JB Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. The Active Duty unit had been operating C-130s at the Alaska base since April 2011, together with the Alaska Air National Guard’s 144th AS under an active association. The two units primarily supported Army airborne training, according to an Elmendorf release. “Although our time here was short and our manning levels topped out at only four of the intended 12 crews, we feel we have made an impact in Alaska and around the world,” said Maj. Ryan Hendrickson, 537th AS director of operations. The inactivation, which took place during a Sept 11 ceremony, was the result of the Air Force’s Fiscal 2013 force structure changes, according to the release. (Elmendorf report by A1C Tammie Ramsouer)
The U.S. supports “a stronger and more capable” European defense, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said during an Oct. 22 press conference in Brussels—but that defense should not duplicate the functions and capabilities of the NATO alliance.