The US-led coalition is providing assistance to Turkey in its attempt to recover two soldiers gone missing in an advance the US had already pulled support from, the coalition said Wednesday. Two Turkish soldiers went missing near al Bab, Syria, as they were engaged in an offensive against ISIS, said British Army Maj. Gen. Rupert Jones, deputy commander of Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve. US Special Operations Forces were embedded in this Turkish advance, but pulled out earlier this month. Jones would not provide detail of the coalition’s support, whether it includes intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance assets or even possible support by US Air Force personnel recovery aircraft and airmen based in Turkey. The personnel recovery operation is “inherently sensitive” and Turkey is an important NATO partner, so it is important for the coalition to assist, Jones said.
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.