CMSgt. David Popp, the top enlisted man for Air Combat Command, has been visiting ACC airmen deployed to Southwest Asia to see up close and personal whether the training and equipment ACC provides is right for the job. Of keen interest, said Popp, are airmen working in traditional Army jobs, such as convoy operations and some civil engineer work. What has he found? Popp said, “We have people at the tip of the spear who say they’re utilizing the people we sent, but some of them need more preparation.”
The U.S. military is maintaining a beefed-up presence in the Middle East, including fighters and air defense assets, following the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities June 22 and subsequent retaliation by the Iranians against Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.