Vice Adm. J “Boomer” Stufflebeem, appointed as commander of Joint Task Force Lebanon by US European Command, has assigned two task force commanders to aid US State Department operations in the Middle East. Stufflebeem tapped Air Force Col. Brad Webb as commander of Task Force Alpha, leading air and land components, and Navy Capt. John Nowell for Bravo, covering maritime assets. Webb, who is commander of the 352nd Special Operations Group, based at RAF Mildenhall, UK, has been in the area since July 19, working first with US Central Command to evacuate US civilians. He has some 180 special ops airmen and MH-53M Pave Low helicopters from Mildenhall still engaged in ferrying US personnel in and out of Lebanon.
The new defense reconciliation bill includes $7.2 billion for Air Force and Navy aviation accounts, almost half of which will buy more F-15EXs. While electronic warfare, drones, connectivity and airlift all get attention, the F-35 was conspicuously absent from the package, with no explanation given.