Reserve air fleet call-up ending

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SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. (AFPN) --  Gen. John W. Handy, commander of U.S. Transportation Command and Air Mobility Command, has determined that continuing the Civil Reserve Air Fleet call-up is not required. Fleet carriers have been notified that passenger aircraft called up to support Operation Iraqi Freedom will be released June 18.

The passenger airlift requirements for OIF can now be met by air carrier volunteers through normal contract procedures.

Stage 1 of the call-up began Feb. 8 to provide the Department of Defense with additional airlift to move U.S. troops during the buildup of forces in the Southwest Asia. Fleet aircraft are U.S. commercial passenger and cargo aircraft activated when DOD airlift requirements exceed the capability of U.S. military aircraft.

"Even before we activated (the fleet), our commercial carriers volunteered their tremendous capability to airlift troops and cargo for DOD,” said Handy. “We are thankful to these airlines that have played a major role in supporting U.S. military forces in Operation Iraqi Freedom. We simply could not have met the massive, fast-paced demands of our troop deployment without the dedication and determination of the men and women of CRAF."

From Feb. 8 through June 2, 11 fleet carriers flew more than 1,625 missions and airlifted 254,143 troops to destinations worldwide, the majority of those missions going to the Middle East.

The commercial air carriers involved in the fleet activation are: American Airlines, ATA Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Airlines, Hawaiian airlines, North American Airlines, Northwest Airlines, Omni Air International, United Airlines, US Airways and World Airways.

The activation of the fleet in support of OIF marked only the second time in history commercial air carriers have been called up to augment Air Force air mobility missions. The origins of the fleet date back to 1951 when commercial airlines agreed to make aircraft available for DOD deployments in exchange for peacetime military business. (Courtesy of Air Mobility Command News Service)