A bridge probably built by insurgents to smuggle munitions from Diyala Province to Baghdad fell on Oct. 15 under a barrage from USAF strike aircraft, according to a Multinational Force Iraq release. The Army’s 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team coordinated the operation, dubbed Marne Anvil, as part of its mission to disrupt the munitions flow into Baghdad. Maj. Dave Fivecoat with the 3rd HBCT said, “Insurgents and weapons smugglers will now be limited to crossing points into Baghdad that are guarded by our Iraqi security force partners.”
It is critical that the Air Force move forward on the replacement for its E-4B “Doomsday” aircraft to keep the capability “viable” into the next decade and beyond, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. told lawmakers May 8.