Air Forces Central reports that USAF F-16s dropped 500-pound bombs in strikes on May 19 against enemy combatants in Al Amarah, Iraq. According to a May 20 AFCENT release, the Viper strikes were among some 67 close air support sorties flown for Operation Iraqi Freedom on May 19, most providing shows of force that Joint Terminal Attack Controllers determined were successful in deterring enemy activities in various locales.
President-elect Donald Trump has said he will nominate Pete Hegseth, a Fox News personality, as Secretary of Defense for Trump's second term. The choice rounds out most of the national security selections for the new administration.