March 22, 2021

USS Philippine Sea Returns to Sea Fully Mission Capable

Following an unscheduled port visit to the Kingdom of Bahrain due to coronavirus (COVID-19), the guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG 58) has returned to sea fully mission capable, Mar. 21.

March 18, 2021

Egyptian ENS Sharm El-Sheikh, USS Somerset Perform Passing Exercise

RED SEA — The Egyptian guided-missile frigate ENS Sharm El-Sheikh (FFG 901) and U.S. amphibious transport dock ship USS Somerset (LPD 25) conducted a passing exercise (PASSEX), March 14.

March 16, 2021

Sky Shield II enables further interoperability training

AL UDEID AIR BASE, QATAR — Members of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, 380th AEW, 332nd AEW, Qatar Emiri Air Force and French Air Force participated in Exercise Sky Shield II at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, March 1-3, 2021. The exercise allowed members from all three coalition nations to practice air-to-air refueling with members from the 380th AEW while continuing to work on the Defensive Counter-Air Combat Patrol (DCA CAP) procedures learned in the first exercise conducted in December of 2020.

March 10, 2021

ARCENT K-9 Conducts EOD Training

CAMP BUEHRING, KUWAIT — They trained in roadway, compound, and building searches to work on their identification and detection, skills essential for proficiency in the field. While the military working dogs were searching for ordnance on the ground, the handlers had to keep their eyes peeled on the surrounding area.  “This is a way for us to integrate what we need to look for as handlers,” U.S. Navy Master-at-Arms 2nd Class Petty Officer Michael Vanbergriff, a kennel supervisor with ASG-KU DES K-9, said. “When your dog is working a roadway, you don’t need to be paying attention to the dog. What the handler needs to be doing is searching the surroundings for other areas of interest.”

March 10, 2021

USAF conducts ACE capstone event

PRINCE SULTAN AIR BASE, KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA — A pilot with the 77th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron pilot, prepares for flight during an Agile Combat Employment capstone event Feb. 27, 2021, at an airbase in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. U.S. Air Forces Central aircraft and personnel worked with joint and regional partners on a variety of tasks including hot-pit refueling and crew-swap

March 7, 2021

U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Participates in Oman-led Exercise Khunjar Hadd 26

NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY BAHRAIN (Feb. 21, 2021) – The Royal Navy of Oman, Royal Air Force of Oman, United Kingdom Royal Navy, France Marine Nationale and U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) participated in exercise Khunjar Hadd 26, Feb 21-25.

March 3, 2021

DOD Statement on Rocket Attack at Al Asad by Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby

We can confirm that early this morning the air base at Al Asad in Iraq came under rocket attack. Preliminary indications are that approximately ten rockets were fired from points of origin east of the base.

Feb. 26, 2021

Greek, U.S. Naval Forces Conduct Passing Exercise in Arabian Gulf

The U.S. Coast Guard patrol boats USCGC Adak (WPB 1333) and USCGC Maui (WPB 1304) participated in a passing exercise (PASSEX) with the Greek guided-missile frigate HS Hydra (F452) in the Arabian Gulf, Feb. 25.

Feb. 25, 2021

U.S. Conducts Defensive Precision Strike

PENTAGON — “At President Biden’s direction, U.S. military forces earlier this evening conducted airstrikes against infrastructure utilized by Iranian-backed militant groups in eastern Syria. These strikes were authorized in response to recent attacks against American and Coalition personnel in Iraq, and to ongoing threats to those personnel. Specifically, the strikes destroyed multiple facilities located at a border control point used by a number of Iranian-backed militant groups, including Kait’ib Hezbollah (KH) and Kait’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada (KSS).

Feb. 24, 2021

Coalition Forces meet with Peshmerga and ISF at JCCC

ERBIL, Iraq — Coalition Forces meet with Peshmerga and ISF at JCCC ERBIL, Iraq- A military delegation from the Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve, the 83 member International Coalition to defeat Daesh (ISIS), visited the Joint Coalition Coordination Center between the Kurdistan Region's military and security forces and Iraq in Erbil, February 17, 2021.