Iraqi F-16s and pilots will not be based out of Jordan, as reported by Iraqi media, a spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad said. Abed Issawi, a Shiite member of Iraq’s parliament, had told reporters that that the U.S. government was demanding that the Iraqi F-16s fly combat missions from Jordan, not Iraq, according to Rudaw, a Kurdish media outlet. “We have information the US has decided that the three F-16s should carry out airstrikes from the land of Jordan while Iraq has a big airbase in the Ziqar province in southern Iraq,” Rudaw quoted Issawi as saying. But…
Browsing: Iraq
The U.S. government is disputing media reports that a coalition aircraft accidentally bombed an Iraqi unit’s headquarters near Ramadi on Wednesday. Reuters cited an unnamed Iraqi military source on Thursday, who said that a coalition aircraft accidentally attacked an Iraqi unit’s headquarters near Ramadi, killing 22 Iraqi troops. Reuters later updated its story with a quote from a U.S. military spokesman that no coalition aircraft were involved with the attack. Still, Iraqi media and Anti war.com continued to report that a U.S. airstrike killed the Iraqi troops, prompting the U.S. Embassy to issue a statement pushing back on “recent false…
On Wednesday, it appeared that the daily tally of airstrikes in Iraq in Syria that is provided to reporters had been rechristened as the “Daily Strike.” That sounded like a pretty good name for a morning defense-related tip sheet, as in, “Start your day with the Daily Strike – We put warheads on foreheads.” But, after FlightLines contacted the combined joint task force in charge of the war against the Islamic State, it quickly became clear there is no “Daily Strike” morning roundup. Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve regularly sends emails to reporters listing which targets in…
A plan to start delivering F-16s to Iraq in September is on hold until the security situation improves, a U.S. official said. Last month, the U.S. evacuated contractors building the base for the F-16s at Balad as Sunni militants took large swathes of Iraq. Currently, 18 Iraqi pilots are training in the U.S. to fly F-16s, including 12 flying F-16s at Tucson, Ariz., according to Air Education and Training Command. While the Iraqi pilots are skilled aviators, they need hundreds of flight hours in F-16s to become flight leads and instructor pilots, said Tom Fox, Iraq Training Team Lead at…
Starting this fall, Iraq will start receiving F-16 fighters, giving the Iraqi military the capability to attack al-Qaida militants who have proven to be too well armed for Iraq’s fleet of helicopters. The first two F-16s are slated to arrive in Iraq this September, according to the U.S. State Department. By the fall 2017, Iraq will have received 36 F-16 fighters, the first of which recently made its maiden flight, said Mark Johnson, a spokesman for Lockheed Martin. Johnson declined to say how many smart bombs the fighters bound for Iraq can carry. To date, 11 Iraqi pilots have trained…
The passing of James Gandolfini sparked major tribute to the actor and his long-lived career this week. While he’s most popularly known for his role as Tony Soprano from the HBO series “The Sopranos,” Gandolfini had other projects he honored even more. “So many people are remembering him as Tony Soprano. I’m always going to remember him as the man of such goodness who wanted to bring attention to the soldiers and airmen and Marines that you see in ‘Alive Day: Home From Iraq’ and ‘Wartorn,'” said Matthew O’Neil, the director of the veteran documentaries for HBO in an interview…
A fundraising campaign for a documentary on the lives of children affected by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan kicked off this Memorial Day and will end July 4. “A Child’s Guide to War” seeks to document the impact of the wars on children who may not remember a time when the U.S. was not in conflict, according to a news release from the film’s directors. Families who want to share their stories are invited to participate. “For the children who are helping their veteran parents walk again, to dealing with PTSD, and also those who simply have something important…
Three airmen from Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., were honored Saturday for their work with military working dogs, although canines were the real center of attention. Florida Today reports that Tech. Sgt. Justin Sonnier, Tech. Sgt. Jessica Sonnier and Staff Sgt. Michael Moret received medals from the U.S. War Dogs Association at the Veterans Memorial Center of Brevard County. The center showed off its new tribute to military working dogs: a life-sized bronze statue of Brutus the war dog standing next to an empty helmet, atop a granite marker. Maj. John Newton, commander of the 45th Security Forces Squadron at…
If you’re flying home via Iraq, you may run into some delays as the Air Force works to refine the process of asking Iraq for clearance to fly through its airspace. Respected military blogger C.J. Grisham told Flightlines that some troops are stuck in Kuwait because Iraq refused to allow their flight to pass through its airspace. Some quick checking revealed that Iraq has not closed its airspace to U.S. military aircraft, but it is making the Air Force jump through a few new hoops now that all U.S. troops have left the country. With the end of Operation New…
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“Didn’t we make a bet that you said when we finally came out of Iraq you’d let me shave your head one more time?” General Raymond Odierno asked Stephen Colbert, during Odierno’s second appearance on the Colbert Report. “No we did not!” Colbert said grinning ear to ear with an audience cheering in the background “DO IT , DO IT , DO IT!” Giggling, Colbert said, “Unless the President is about to appear on that screen behind you, with all do respect you can go to hell.” (at about the 4 minute mark) Gen. Odierno and Colbert also brushed up…
