The Pacific Air Forces held its first AirSea Battle forum with the US Pacific Fleet at JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, last week. “Sometimes fiscal constraints drive people to think separately; we need to fight that urge and think more cooperatively,” said PACAF Commander Gen. Hawk Carlisle to the nearly 300 airmen and sailors present at the March 6 event. PACAF historian Steve Diamond spoke about historic joint air and seapower operations, notably the Doolittle Raid, in which Air Force Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle led a surprise attack on Japan from the USS Hornet on April 18, 1942. “At the end of the day, our job is to provide the United States with the greatest military possible, with the resources they give us, and the only way to do that is if we do it together,” said Carlisle. The forums are now scheduled to take place quarterly, states a March 10 release.
The U.S. began extensive air and artillery strikes against Islamic State group targets in Syria on Dec. 19 in retaliation for the killing of three Americans on Dec. 13 by a gunman affiliated with ISIS, U.S. officials said.
