Airmen have taken over operations at Al Asad Air Base in Iraq from US marines, activating there the 532nd Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron on Dec. 15. The US drawdown in Iraq prompted the shift of responsibility. Al Asad currently is the only facility designated to receive US commercial aircraft on flights directly from the US. The unit’s newly installed commander, Lt. Col. Barry Dickey, declared that the unit would maintain “the best airfield, with the best aerial port and security in the area of operation.” (Al Asad report by SrA. Jarrod Chavana)
The U.S. sent Air Force F-16s over central Syria in a show of force following the Dec. 13 killing of two U.S. Army Soldiers and one American civilian interpreter by a gunman linked to the Islamic State group.
