Posted on 08/22/2021 2:19:44 PM PDT by Cecily
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III has ordered the Commander of U.S. Transportation Command to activate Stage I of the Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF). CRAF activation provides the Department of Defense access to commercial air mobility resources to augment our support to the Department of State in the evacuation of U.S. citizens and personnel, Special Immigrant Visa applicants, and other at-risk individuals from Afghanistan.
The current activation is for 18 aircraft: three each from American Airlines, Atlas Air, Delta Air Lines and Omni Air; two from Hawaiian Airlines; and four from United Airlines. The Department does not anticipate a major impact to commercial flights from this activation.
CRAF activated aircraft will not fly into Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul. They will be used for the onward movement of passengers from temporary safe havens and interim staging bases. Activating CRAF increases passenger movement beyond organic capability and allows military aircraft to focus on operations in and out of in Kabul.
(Excerpt) Read more at defense.gov ...
Live in the Middle East and want to come to the US well the Civil Reserve Air Fleet is on it’s way
Sounds like grandstanding. What they need to do is sent Marines, Army rangers and SEALs into Kabul to rescue the hostages.
Of course this is total PR bullsheit from the JaioDementia/ValJar/Osama administration.
The USAF does not have enough C-17s to run 24/7 ?
What exactly are they doing elsewhere that is more important than rescuing Americans ?
Biden wants to give another propaganda victory to AQ, ISIS, and the Tollybon. Imagine how powerful the images will be if they mortar a United aircraft on take off. Just in time for the 20th anniversary.
The civilian aircraft are not flying into Afghanistan. It looks like Delta will be flying people from Qatar and Germany back to Washington DC.
Maybe correct, but I don’t think there will be any US civil aircraft participating unless the situation becomes SO bad that a photo op (empty aircraft crewed by military reservists) becomes necessary for the pssStreamMedia to vomit forth.
As per an article in the Wall Street Journal yesterday ...
"Instead, commercial airline pilots and crews would help to ferry the thousands of Afghans and others who are stranded at U.S. bases in Qatar, Bahrain and Germany."
But that isn't the part we have to worry about. It's where they're going from there ...
"Additional military bases in the U.S. also are being designated to provide housing for arriving Afghan evacuees."
Probably bullsh*t as the Military has sufficient aircraft that can be sortied. But this PR team will do anything to make it look like they are doing ‘something’. What airline would want to risk their aircraft there when the US is not committed any longer?
I have to have a mask/vaccination to fly commercially in the USA.
What rules are going to apply for these flights???????
Maybe Nazzi can lend her Government-Issue California commuter jet (757???) to the mission.
This is embarrassing. The mightiest Air Force on the planet has dialed 911 begging for planes from the civilian sector. Pathetic. These jerks never heard of C5, C17, C130 planes in the American arsenal.
I can’t believe I am truly embarrassed of this government and those who support this BS.
Where the hell is Trump when we need him?
It sounds more dramatic than it is. The military has standing contracts with these carriers to provide supplemental airlift capabilities for which they are paid to be in reserve.
There have been activations of this airlift previously to fly troops into the fight, not to fly people out of the fight.
At the rate this thing is going the DC idiots will have to activate the Civil Air Patrol.
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