Over the 36-hour period marking the battle in An Najaf in Iraq last month, F-16s from three fighter squadrons based at Balad Air Base and A-10s from Al Asad Air Base expended munitions for the first time in a single operation, reports Air Force journalist TSgt. Jennifer Gregoire. A Joint Terminal Attack Controller embedded with an Army unit, called in the fighters to aid recovery operations for a downed Army helicopter when coalition ground forces became pinned down by enemy fire.
Air Force Gen. Jacqueline D. Van Ovost—a trailblazer and one of the first 10 women to reach a four-star rank across the U.S. military—retired and passed control of U.S. Transportation Command to Air Force Gen. Randall Reed on Oct. 4, finishing an eventful tenure at TRANSCOM.