The strong majority of US airstrikes in Afghanistan have hit ISIS targets in counter terrorism operations not al Qaeda, the top spokesman for Operation Resolute Support said. US Army Brig. Gen. Charles Cleveland, the deputy chief of staff for communication for the Resolute Support Mission, said the US has conducted about 230 airstrikes since the beginning of 2016 as part of the ongoing counter terrorism operation in Afghanistan. Of those, about two-thirds to three-quarters hit ISIS, with the remaining strikes focused on al Qaeda. The US still does have the authority to target Taliban fighters to support Afghan operations, but those are “defensive fires,” and statistics were not readily available, Cleveland said.
The Air Force is renaming its traditional aviation bonus program in 2024 and continuing a new, experimental second program, ordered by Congress, aimed at getting aviators to extend their commitment sooner and for longer. While the programs can’t be doubled-up, aviators may be able to move from one to the…