SOUTHWEST ASIA – F-35A aircraft from the 388th and 419th Fighter Wings at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, conducted airstrikes on Qanus Island located in the Salah ad Din Province of Iraq, Sept. 10, 2019.
The jets, alongside F-15E Strike Eagles, dropped roughly 80,000 pounds of munitions on the island to deny Daesh the ability to hide in the thick vegetation. Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service continues to conduct ground clearance operations to destroy any remaining Fallul Daesh on the island.
“We’re denying Daesh the ability to hide on Qanus Island,” said Maj. Gen. Eric T. Hill, Special Operations Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve, commander. “We’re setting the conditions for our partner forces to continue bringing stability to the region.”
Follow-on ground clearance operations are currently taking place by the 2nd Iraqi Special Operations Forces Battalion to destroy a major transit hub for Daesh members moving from Syria and the Jazeera desert into Mosul, Makhmour, and the Kirkuk region.
F-35 pilots, maintainers, and support personnel from the active duty 388th FW and Air Force Reserve 419th FW have been deployed since April, marking the first Middle East deployment for the U.S. Air Force F-35 Lightning II.
The 388th and 419th FWs are the Air Force's first combat-capable F-35 units. The wings fly and maintain the jet in a Total Force partnership, which capitalizes on the strength of the active duty and Reserve components.
Note: This article is modified from a press release on www.inherentresolve.mil