The head of US Air Forces in Europe, Gen. Tom Hobbins, and the US Ambassador to Germany, William Timken Jr., heaped praise on USAFE airmen for their efforts to aid Americans fleeing the fighting in Lebanon. USAFE airmen at facilities in England, Germany, and Turkey have supported various facets of the evacuation. Timken called the effort at Ramstein AB, Germany, “a logistical feat … not understood by many American civilians.” Hobbins told a crowd assembled at Ramstein, “This really is a testament to the professionalism, the dedication, and perseverance of the people you see behind me.”
U.S. Southern Command recently announced its first lethal strike on a suspected narco-trafficking vessel in two months, and the first under a newly formed permanent counter-cartel task force. The U.S. is also reportedly planning to transfer MQ-9 drones to Colombia to bolster its counter-cartel efforts.