Airmen of the 621st Contingency Response Wing at JB McGuire, N.J., have completed their mission in Pakistan supporting the distribution of relief supplies aiding the victims of the devastating floods that struck that nation in July. The last members of the wing’s deployed contingent returned home late last month after nearly 90 days at Chaklala Air Force Base. “The airmen of the 621st assisted with the pallet buildup and distribution of more than 20 million pounds of international relief supplies,” said Lt. Col. Shawn Underwood, 621st Contingency Response Element commander. He added, “In addition to building pallets of food and shelters for distribution to flood victims, we also processed the arrival of [US Army] helicopters and support equipment.” Mobility specialists from various Air Mobility Command bases relieved the McGuire airmen to continue the Pakistan relief mission. (McGuire report by TSgt. Parker Gyokeres)
In 1941, Gen. Henry H. “Hap” Arnold of the then-U.S. Army Air Corps, personally reviewed a jet engine patented by Sir Frank Whittle flying on a Gloster E.28/39 aircraft. Impressed by its design, Arnold arranged for a Whittle engine to be brought back to the U.S. and tasked General Electric…