US Central Command Air Forces said that, on Dec. 22, its aircraft flew 22 close air support missions in support of Coalition ground forces in Iraq. USAF F-15s flew CAS missions near Samarra, attacking an enemy bunker with a PGM. F-16 Fighting Falcons provided close air support to coalition troops in contact with anti-Iraqi forces near Balad, while other F-16s provided CAS to troops in contact near Bayji, Kirkuk, and Tikrit. In Afghanistan, Air Force A-10s and RAF GR-7s provided close air support to coalition forces in contact with enemy troops near Orgun-E. Other A-10s were engaged near Asadabad.
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.