â Only ticks that are attached and have finished feeding or are near the end of their meal can transmit Lyme disease. After arriving on the skin, the tick that spreads Lyme disease usually takes 24 hours before feeding begins. â Even if a tick is attached, it must have taken a blood meal to transmit Lyme disease.
All this in a period when the Air Force is the smallest and oldest since its inception in 1947. Of its roughly 5,000 aircraft, the average age is twenty-five years old. Todayâs Air Force is already struggling, and tomorrowâs is entirely at risk.
The U.S. Air Force provides air support for surface forces and aids in the recovery of troops in the field. As of 2015, the service operates more than 5,137 military aircraft, 406 ICBMs and 63 military satellites. It has a $161 billion budget with 313,242 active duty personnel, 141,197 civilian employees, 69,200 Air Force Reserve personnel, and 105,500 Air National Guard personnel.