{"id":39861,"date":"2024-02-05T21:38:53","date_gmt":"2024-02-05T21:38:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2024\/02\/05\/dc-guard-f-16s-deploy-to-middle-east-as-airstrikes-continue\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T21:20:46","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:20:46","slug":"dc-guard-f-16s-deploy-to-middle-east-as-airstrikes-continue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2024\/02\/05\/dc-guard-f-16s-deploy-to-middle-east-as-airstrikes-continue\/","title":{"rendered":"DC Guard F-16s deploy to Middle East as airstrikes continue"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><i>This story was updated Feb. 6 at 11:20 a.m. to include additional information from the 113th Wing.<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">F-16 Fighting Falcon jets from the D.C. Air National Guard\u2019s 113th Wing have joined American forces in the Middle East, as the U.S. military strikes back against Iranian-linked military infrastructure in retaliation for a recent drone attack that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2024\/02\/01\/national-guardsmen-were-the-majority-of-troops-hurt-in-jordan-attack\/\">killed three soldiers and wounded dozens of other troops<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The wing, based at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, and nicknamed the \u201cCapital Guardians,\u201d departed for U.S. Central Command Jan. 17, according to a news release.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2024\/02\/05\/the-navy-took-out-multiple-houthi-drones-and-missiles-over-the-weekend\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/8193093.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">The Navy took out multiple Houthi drones and missiles over the weekend<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Strikes on Iran-backed militants in Iraq and Syria continued as well.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Airmen from the 113th Wing attended <a href=\"https:\/\/www.airforcetimes.com\/news\/your-air-force\/2018\/11\/29\/tyndall-rises-to-host-first-training-exercise-since-hurricane-michael\/\" target=\"_blank\">Combat Archer<\/a>, a live-fire, air-to-air combat training event held at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, as well as an iteration of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.af.mil\/News\/Article-Display\/Article\/3486181\/red-flag-23-3-uniting-us-armed-forces\/\" target=\"_blank\">Red Flag,<\/a> the Air Force\u2019s premier air combat exercise held at Nellis AFB, Nevada, to prepare for the planned deployment, wing commander Brig. Gen. Shannon Smith said in an email to Air Force Times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOur airmen have spent a lot of time understanding the current state of affairs,\u201d Smith said. \u201cI am supremely confident that our D.C. Guardsmen are ready for the challenge and will lead the way in theater.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">U.S. and allied forces struck more than 100 targets <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2024\/02\/02\/us-begins-strikes-on-militias-in-iraq-syria-after-fatal-drone-attack\/\">during a series of weekend assaults<\/a>, including command-and-control centers, rockets and missiles, ammunition depots and<b> <\/b>other facilities affiliated with Iran-backed militias and Iran\u2019s Revolutionary Guard throughout Iraq, Syria and Yemen. B-1B Lancer conventional bombers from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.airforcetimes.com\/news\/your-air-force\/2024\/01\/25\/ellsworth-afb-moves-b-1-bombers-to-texas-amid-crash-probe\/\" target=\"_blank\">Ellsworth Air Force Base, in South Dakota, temporarily operating out of Dyess Air Base, Texas<\/a>, were among the aircraft that participated in an assault Friday that hit more than 85 targets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOur airmen demonstrated once again our ability to conduct long-range precision strike missions when tasked to do so,\u201d 28th Bomb Wing Commander Col. Derek Oakley said in a statement. \u201cTeaming with our fellow Strikers at Dyess to accomplish the mission is a testament to what we are able to do while further enhancing interoperability and improving our collective readiness.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe mission we conducted validated that we can respond to any threat anywhere on the globe,\u201d Oakley added. \u201cAll of the units involved have become familiar with operations in different regions because of the [bomber task force] missions we have done. We continuously train and prepare for these types of situations and we are always ready to answer the call when it comes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2024\/01\/25\/ellsworth-afb-moves-b-1-bombers-to-texas-amid-crash-probe\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/230125-F-CP864-1004.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Ellsworth AFB moves B-1 bombers to Texas amid crash probe<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">&quot;Several&quot; Lancers have temporarily moved to Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, to maintain readiness.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">President Joe Biden <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marinecorpstimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2024\/02\/05\/us-warns-of-more-retaliation-if-iran-backed-militias-continue-attacks\/\">has warned that more attacks could come<\/a> if Iran and its militias continue their assault.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe are prepared to deal with anything that any group or any country tries to come at us with,\u201d Jake Sullivan, Biden\u2019s national security adviser, said Sunday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2024\/02\/01\/national-guardsmen-were-the-majority-of-troops-hurt-in-jordan-attack\/\">At least 41 National Guardsmen were injured in the Jan. 29 attack on Tower 22 in Jordan<\/a>. The attack also killed three Army Reservists from Fort Moore, Ga.: Sgt. William Jerome Rivers, 46, Sgt. Kennedy Ladon Sanders, 24, and Sgt. Breonna Alexsondria Moffett, 23.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s unclear whether the D.C. Guard assets replace<b> <\/b>Fighting Falcons from the New Jersey Air National Guard\u2019s 119th Fighter Squadron, which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2023\/10\/23\/us-troops-in-middle-east-brace-for-significant-escalation-of-attacks\/\">arrived in the Middle East in October<\/a> amid escalating drone attacks throughout the region. The U.S. has bolstered its combat units in CENTCOM as the Israel-Hamas war threatens to spark a larger conflict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At least three F-16 squadrons, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.airforcetimes.com\/news\/your-air-force\/2023\/10\/13\/us-a-10-attack-planes-arrive-in-middle-east-in-bid-to-deter-wider-war\/\">two A-10 Thunderbolt II squadrons and one F-15E Strike Eagle squadron<\/a> have shipped out to CENTCOM so far, as well as airlift, refueling, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The U.S. has bolstered its combat units in CENTCOM as the Israel-Hamas war threatens to spark a larger conflict.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":72301,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":67,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":{"2":{"categories":["your-military","news"],"primary_category":"your-military"}}},"categories":[101,16,26,67],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3380],"class_list":["post-39861","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-news","category-newsletters","category-your-air-force"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"HRO7UYESSZCKFDRWKV5XO6MGH4","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/your-air-force\/2024\/02\/05\/dc-guard-f-16s-deploy-to-middle-east-as-airstrikes-continue\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>DC Guard F-16s deploy to Middle East as airstrikes continue - Air Force TImes<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The U.S. has bolstered its combat units in CENTCOM as the Israel-Hamas war threatens to spark a larger conflict.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"DC Guard F-16s deploy to Middle East as airstrikes continue\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The U.S. has bolstered its combat units in CENTCOM as the Israel-Hamas war threatens to spark a larger conflict.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" 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