"This base transfer occurred amid force protection concerns sparked by escalating tensions between the United States and Iran and its proxy militias, which CJTF-OIR said led to an acceleration of the long-term transfer plan."
The Pentagon said those figures could increase in the days ahead. Lt. Col. Thomas Campbell, a Pentagon spokesman, said 31 of the 50 diagnosed with TBI were treated in Iraq and returned to duty.
Success of the Afghan Air Force will be a key metric for Pentagon planners seeking to draw down U.S. troops in the country. The U.S. is still bearing most of the burden of air support for Afghan troops.
According to U.S. Air Forces Central Command, U.S. aircraft dropped 7,423 munitions in 2019 — that’s the highest number of bombs released in nearly a decade.
“Unfortunately, those apps are more secure than texting in the clear, which is more or less the alternative. Granted, if a hostile party has access to the handset, that encryption isn’t particularly helpful.”
Despite the fact Defense officials initially said the attack resulted in zero “casualties,” CENTCOM spokesman Navy Capt. Bill Urban admitted Thursday some troops were transported out of Iraq to receive additional medical assistance.
“There has always been a supply and demand problem when it comes to U.S. air and missile defenses. We have 15 battalions of Patriot defenses, for example, deployed in at least 10 countries and territories around the world."
Separately, a U.S. source told Military Times the WiFi access was suspended over fears of a potential hacking and leak of sensitive contact information.
The Quds Force “usually asks the Taliban commanders to send their best fighters for the training, likely due to the more advanced training involved in learning MANPADS systems or possibly to allow these fighters to become future trainers of other Taliban fighters inside Afghanistan.”