President Obama has nominated Army Gen. Raymond Odierno to take command of US Joint Forces Command. Odierno has been the top US general in Iraq since September 2008. He would replace Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis, who had led JFCOM since November 2007. JFCOM, headquartered in Norfolk, Va., leads the US military’s activities in joint concept development and experimentation, joint training, and joint capabilities development. It is also the joint provider of conventional forces to combatant commanders. (DOD release)
Less than a day after arriving in the Middle East, F-15E Strike Eagles from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C. defended Israel from an Iranian attack in April 2024. DUDE flight, four F-15Es from the 335th Fighter Squadron, downed two dozen Iranian drones in roughly 45 minutes.