U.S. and coalition partners launch Operation Anaconda, part of Operation Enduring Freedom, in eastern Afghanistan. USAF A-10s, AC-130s, B-1Bs, B-52s, and F-15s support Anaconda to stop Taliban and al-Qaeda forces regrouping south of Gardez. USAF aircraft drop laser-guided thermobaric bombs, designed to suck out all the air from cave complexes and kill the enemy inside.
The six-week government shutdown did not affect the hours flown by Air Force pilots, a service spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine—avoiding what could have been a major blow at a time when flying hours are already lower than they have been in decades.
