According to a June 18 release from Air Forces Central, F-15E Strike Eagles dropped GBU-12 laser-guided bombs and 500-pound and 2,000-pound joint direct attack munitions on anti-Afghan forces in Orgun-E, while A-10 Warthogs fired rockets and cannon rounds onto enemy forces in the same area. And, in Bari Kowt and near Nangalam, as well as in Bagram, A-10s fired cannon rounds against anti-Afghan elements. In other action, an MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle fired a Hellfire missile against enemy combatants near Kandahar. Joint Terminal Attack Controllers on the ground confirmed the June 18 strikes by the Strike Eagle and Hog aircrews and the UAV. AFCENT reported a total of 56 CAS missions flown over Afghanistan and 62 over Iraq by coalition aircraft.
The roles and missions executed by Air Force warriors are essential to the nation’s security. Yet after three decades of constant demand and minimal replenishment, our Air Force is too small and too old. It needs to be rebuilt. The Trump administration and Congress must fund that modernization to ensure…