Gen. Bryan D. Brown, commander of US Special Operations Command, says USAF Special Operations Forces are moving fast to adapt to new world conditions “and doing a fantastic job.” He told us Wednesday that the air commandos are among the best SOF he’s seen, noting, “They are changing to meet the requirements of the [new] missions.” He praised the Air Force’s corps of battlefield airmen for their work tying on-call airpower in with other services. Brown, in a session with Washington reporters, pointed out that USAF’s Special Operations Command at Hurlburt Field, Fla. is standing up a new Predator squadron to supplement current ISR. Wherever he goes, Brown said, he “can’t sell [AFSOC] hard enough.”
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.