According to US Central Command, a deployed C-17 airlifter unit, the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, has hauled in more than 100 tons of food, water, tents, and other supplies to Akrotiri, Cyprus in anticipation of the arrival of Americans brought there from Lebanon. They also have delivered Navy construction teams and equipment. The unit is based in Southwest Asia on a 120-day rotation.
Less than a day after arriving in the Middle East, F-15E Strike Eagles from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C. defended Israel from an Iranian attack in April 2024. DUDE flight, four F-15Es from the 335th Fighter Squadron, downed two dozen Iranian drones in roughly 45 minutes.