Coalition and Iraqi airmen continue to patrol the skies, hunting ISIS' demoralized remnants to prevent their return.
The liberation of Iraq does not spell the end of the fight. Providing basic safety and security is the first challenge, because no rehabilitation can happen without a secure and stable environment. As reliable partners, coalition nations and non-governmental organizations have begun to help, starting with clearing out booby traps and rigged explosives left behind by ISIS. The citizens of Iraq, especially those displaced by the difficult and destructive urban fights, now begin the slow process of returning home and rebuilding. By creatively adjusting our tactics, we wrote a new chapter in the history of air-ground teamwork and liberated a nation. Together, we shaped the battlefield.īefore Iraqi Security Forces advanced to liberate Tal Afar, weeks of persistent surveillance and precision airstrikes targeted vehicle bombs like those used against the Iraqi Security Forces in the previous battle for Mosul.īy removing this threat early, our Iraqi allies liberated Tal Afar in a 12-day battle where only a handful of vehicle bombs were detonated. Our Iraqi allies advanced when our aircraft were overhead, and paused to rest when they were not. Airborne refuelers ensured this protective blanket of aircraft remained in the skies 24/7.Ĭoalition planners worked tirelessly so the Iraqi Security Forces' ground attacks were in lockstep with the air plan. served as the Iraqi Security Force's eyes to monitor ISIS around the clock and provide intelligence.Ĭoalition planners in Qatar used this intelligence to develop airstrikes to the smallest detail, from weapon selection to timing, in order to effectively destroy targets while minimizing civilian casualties.Ĭoalition reconnaissance aircraft served as the ears of Iraqi Security Forces, intercepting ISIS conversations and warning of impending attacks. Surveillance aircraft - including unmanned aircraft flown by Airmen in the U.S. This complex teamwork spanned the globe and required extensive synchronization to ensure it worked in harmony. When suicide vehicle bombers raced towards exposed Iraqi Security Forces fighters, airpower delivered precision weapons to stop the enemy forces from completing their grisly mission. When Iraqi Security Forces fighters were pinned down by fire, coalition air controllers embedded with them called in precision airstrikes to silence the enemy. Throughout the fight, coalition airpower, along with an increasingly capable Iraqi Air Force, provided the Iraqi Security Forces an asymmetric advantage over their enemies.
and coalition ground force shouldering the effort, we worked with our local partners, who were supported by a small footprint of coalition conventional and special operations ground troops, all enabled by ever-present coalition air forces.
Yet the campaign to defeat ISIS ushered in a new approach. military and its coalition partners have trained for years to ensure that air and ground forces can operate seamlessly. Every step of their advance was covered by coalition airpower and enabled by air-ground teamwork.Īir-ground teamwork is nothing new.
ISIS IRAQI NEWS FREE
The Iraqi Security Forces paid dearly to free their country, but they were never alone. That shadow has now receded, as a result of the defeat of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria forces that was declared in early December 2017, by Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.Īs commander of 21,000 coalition Airmen who continue to fight alongside our Iraqi partners to fully annihilate ISIS and prevent its return, it's my privilege to congratulate our Iraqi allies on this historic occasion and pause to honor the thousands who perished in the brave fight.Įvery inch of ground the Iraqi Security Forces pried from ISIS is testament to their courage in the face of desperate enemy forces who employed suicide bombers, routinely shielded themselves with civilians and rigged schools and homes with explosives. WASHINGTON (AFNS) - For more than three years, the people of Iraq have endured unspeakable suffering under the dark shadow of Islamic State terrorists.