US to Send Dozen Warplanes, 300 Airmen to Middle East

Local Editor

The US military will send a dozen A-10 combat jets and 300 airmen to the Middle East in early October for six months to help in the fight against the so-called "Daesh" [ISIL] extremist group.

Col. Patrick Renwick, 122nd Fighter Wing commander, said in a statement that the deployment of airmen and combat jets was historic for its length and size relative to previous Air National Guard deployments.

According to the statement, the airmen have been through extensive preparation, ranging from "cultural awareness to weapons qualification to medical training."

The warplanes would be in a support role, said Second Lt. Christopher Myers, public affairs officer for the 122nd Fighter Wing.

The Pentagon said that it began airstrikes against Daesh targets in Syria on Tuesday. Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates aided the United States in the new bombing campaign in Syria.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team