Airmen with the 332nd Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron’s petroleum, oil, and lubricant flight at Balad AB, Iraq, have set a record for the highest number of gallons of fuel issued in a single month over the last three years: 3.6 million gallons of fuel by tank truck and R-11 refueling units to every type of aircraft that touched down at the base in January. They also issued more than 220,000 gallons of diesel fuel for support equipment and vehicles at Balad. The airmen refuel other services’ aircraft and vehicles, as well as non-military aircraft. Fuel use has ranged from three to 3.6 million gallons over the past three months.
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.