Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh earlier this month visited airmen at al Udeid AB, Qatar, and spent time there ?with units supporting operations in the Middle East, according to a release. He toured Air Forces Central Command’s combined air and space operations center, which oversees US air activities in the region, and answered airmen’s questions during an “all call” session. The questions touched on topics like force shaping, budget sequestration, sexual assault, and changes to the enlisted and officer performance reporting processes, states the release. “Never forget how critically important each of you are to the US Air Force,” said Welsh during the Dec. 14 visit. Al Udeid, run by airmen of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, is a hub of US air operations against ISIS forces in Iraq and Syria. Following the stop at al Udeid, Welsh continued on to meet with airmen at other locations in the region.
The 301st Fighter Wing in Fort Worth, Texas, became the first standalone Reserve unit in the Air Force to get its own F-35s, welcoming the first fighter Nov. 5.