The Southeastern European Defense Ministerial met this week in Washington, D.C., agreeing to deploy forces to Afghanistan to participate in a six-month peacekeeping mission. NATO had requested SEDM to provide troops to assume the mission as the headquarters of the Kabul Multinational Brigade of the International Security Assistance Force in the country. All of the group’s defense ministers voted to support the upcoming mission, which will begin in February. Ukraine was also formally admitted to SEDM, joining Italy, Greece, Turkey, Albania, Bulgaria, Romania, Macedonia, Slovenia, and Croatia.
The 301st Fighter Wing in Fort Worth, Texas, became the first standalone Reserve unit in the Air Force to get its own F-35s, welcoming the first fighter Nov. 5.