USAF F-16s launched a GBU-38 against a pontoon bridge in the vicinity of Haditha, Iraq, to support the 2nd Marine Division for Operation River Gate. According to US Central Command, the goal of the operation is to deny al Qaeda-affiliated forces the ability to operate in the three Euphrates River Valley cities of Barwana, Haditha, and Haqlaniyah. Haditha is a hub for smuggling activities to and from the nearby Syrian border, say CENTCOM officials.
The Department of the Air Force announced seven new mission area-focused portfolio acquisition executives for the Air Force and Space Force, some of the department's first steps to implement Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's sweeping acquisition reforms.

