Lt. Gen. Anwar Hamad Ameen Ahmed, Iraqi air force commander, met with Air Education and Training Command officials at JBSA-Randolph, Tex., to discuss the US-led training mission for Iraqi airmen, according to a Randolph release. This was Anwar’s fifth visit to the United States to witness first-hand the training activities for Iraqi airmen, states the July 12 release. “I am proud that I am the Iraqi air force commander,” said Anwar. “I want to build the air force. We started from zero in 2003. I am so proud when I see today the air force growing day after day. This is our future,” he said. Among the stops during his July 2-5 visit, Anwar met with Lt. Gen. Douglas Owens, AETC vice commander and toured the Defense Language Institute English Language Center at nearby JBSA-Lackland, states the release. Iraqi aircrews and aircraft maintainers train in places like Tucson Ariz., and Sheppard AFB, Tex. (Randolph report by SSgt. Clinton Atkins)
The Air Force on March 12 awarded contract modifications worth a combined $2.4 billion to Boeing to procure an undisclosed number of E-7 Wedgetail as part of the program's engineering and manufacturing development phase and continue work on the airborne battle management aircraft’s radar.