The Air National Guard’s newest aircraft can now fly as many missions as necessary on southern Afghanistan’s austere dirt runways thanks to a six-member quick strike team and their three P-19 fire engines. The QST team deployed to Forward Operating Base Apache in Qalat, Afghanistan, to provide crash, fire, and rescue support to the base and nearby FOB Davis. Without the firefighters, the Air Guard’s newest aircraft can only fly four flights in 14 days, said Maj. Jason Helton, air mobility liaison officer for regional command south. “Now … we can land as many planes as we want,” he said. The Air Guard and Army Guard crews that operate the aircraft are assigned to the newly established 702nd Expeditionary Airlift Squadron out of Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, where they provide direct support to an Army aviation battalion. “The fact that we can now fly supplies in, means less supply convoys my men will have to run,” said Army 1st Sgt. Mark Dasch, Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry. “Less convoys mean less causalities. It’s that simple.” (Afghanistan release)
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…