"The Air Force has steadily tightened deployment exemptions – from yanking medical waivers to cutting training assignments." Military Times.
Military Times, the parent publication of Air Force Times, reports that the Air Force has been consistently cracking down on Airmen seeking exemption and waivers to get out of deployments in Iraq or Afghanistan.
As noted in the article, Air Force Expeditionary Force (AEF) units can deploy from a low of 90 days to high of six month tours, and most Airman face only one tour compared to the grueling Army and Marine ground troops six months to a year or more on multiple tours.
I believe that the Air Force is now doing a much better job at preparing Airmen to be boots on the ground. Check out the Air Force Expeditionary Force Center photo gallery of Airmen being given what looks like Basic Infantry Training. http://www.expeditionarycenter.af.mil/photos/mediagallery.asp?page=1
Robert L. Hanafin
Editorial Board Member
VT News Network &
Our Troops News Ladder
Policy change means most Airmen will deploy to Iraq and Afghanistan.
If needed, nearly all Airmen could go to war