US Central Command confirmed May 15 that another successful air strike had been carried out recently against enemy forces in Paktika Province, Afghanistan. The air strike—this time by A-10 aircraft and a Predator unmanned aerial vehicle assigned to Bagram Air Base—killed at least four enemy fighters and destroyed a truck and cave complex, in which they had stored rockets. (Earlier this month, a strike by F-15Es destroyed another cave complex.) Afghan National Army and US ground forces had seen men moving rockets from the cave and linked them to recent attacks on a nearby coalition base. The A-10 and Predator aircraft fired precision guided munitions against the target, sealing the cave complex.
Airmen basic rarely go on to become four-star generals, but one who did retired last week after a 42 year career that saw him rise from a lowly slick-sleeve to the head of one of the Air Force’s most important major commands.