The last US combat personnel serving in Iraq departed that nation on Dec. 18, 2011, ending the phased withdrawal of US forces after a war and subsequent stability operation that began there in March 2003. See our coverage of the event: Last Troops out of Iraq and Last US Military Flight Leaves Iraq. (See also: The Last Days in Iraq from Air Force Magazine’s March 2012 issue.)
Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, held meetings with defense leaders from the Philippines, Japan, and South Korea during a trip to the Indo-Pacific this week.