Defense Secretary Robert Gates took the Administration’s new plan for Iraq on the road, holding discussions about both Iraq and Afghanistan with British officials, including Prime Minister Tony Blair, in London on Jan. 14. Gates then traveled to Belgium on Jan. 15 to meet with NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer to talk primarily about Afghanistan. Gates called success for the alliance’s Afghan mission a “top priority.” He also planned to visit Afghanistan.
The last remaining T-1 Jayhawk at JBSA-Randolph, Texas, took its final flight to the "Boneyard" at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., on July 15. The 99th Flying Training Squadron will train pilots using T-6 and simulator until it gets T-7 Red Hawk in fiscal 2026.