A crew of nearly 320 airmen is relocating the Air Force’s airlift presence from a part of al Udeid AB, Qatar, known as Ops Town, to another part of the base at the Qataris’ request, according to a base release. “The host nation has plans to build another ramp and their flying academy in the space that we are currently occupying,” said Capt. Anna Narduzzi, the 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron’s chief of portfolio optimization. The Qatari academy will be similar to the Air Force Academy, she said. Squadron members are moving equipment, personnel, and temporary facilities, such as tents, to the new location, all while ensuring airlift operations continue, states the Jan. 24 release. “We know the move is stressful to a lot of units, but we are ensuring that there is no mission impact,” said SMSgt. Roddy Martin, 379 ECES superintendent. Within 30 days, the unit plans to complete the move from the first two of Ops Town’s four zones, states the release. (Al Udeid report by SrA. Hannah Landeros)
B-52 Stratofortress bombers marked a new first in Operation Epic Fury when some of the BUFFs flew over Iran carrying JDAM-guided gravity bombs, according to people familiar with the matter. The development signals a weakening of Iranian air defenses and a new use for the venerable bomber in the nearly…