Airmen from the 74th Fighter Squadron at Pope AFB, N.C., are in Iraq, forming the first A-10 Warthog unit to see duty in that theater since 2003, reports Air Force journalist 1st Lt. Landon Derentz. The 74th airmen have deployed to Al Asad Air Base in western Iraq, where they have formed the 438th Air Expeditionary Group and will work with a Marine Corps air unit to provide close air support in the Al Anbar province.
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.