Nine B-1 bombers and more than 400 airmen from the 7th Bomb Wing at Dyess AFB, Tex., returned home after completing a six-month deployment to Southwest Asia in support of combat operations in Afghanistan. This overseas stint marked the largest B-1 deployment in terms of numbers of aircraft and personnel in the past 10 years, according to Dyess’ July 31 release. “There wasn’t a single moment during our deployment that we did not have a B-1 in the air over Afghanistan,” said Lt. Col. Matthew Brooks, commander of Dyess’ 9th Bomb Squadron. The expeditionary contingent of B-1s “flew 130 more sorties than any B-1 squadron had flown in any other six-month deployment,” he noted. The B-1s delivered more than 400 weapons on target, states the release. The Dyess airmen began arriving home on July 25. Replacing them in Southwest Asia are some 350 airmen, along with their B-1s, from the 28th BW at Ellsworth AFB, S.D. (Dyess report by SrA. Robert Hicks) (Ellsworth report by A1C Hrair H. Palyan)
Secretary of Defense Austin Lloyd III met with his counterparts from Australia, Japan and the Philippines to discuss bolstering defense ties on May 2. The discussion included plans for joint F-35 exercises with Japan and Australia in the coming years.