The U.S. Air Force said in a statement that its B-52H Stratofortress aircraft are deployed to Al Udeid AB to protect U.S. and coalition forces as they conduct drawdown operations from Afghanistan.
According to a recent service news release, two U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress aircraft from the 5th Bomb Wing, Minot Air Force Base, N.D., arrived at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, April 23.
The bombers, which are the first two in the group announced today by the Department of Defense, are deployed to the U. S. Central Command region to protect U.S. and coalition forces as they conduct drawdown operations from Afghanistan. The bombers will be accompanied by support Airmen from the 5th Bomb Wing.
U.S. Central Command will provide the necessary force protection to ensure the drawdown is conducted in a safe and orderly manner.
On top of that,, Army Gen. Austin Miller said on Sunday that the U.S. has formally begun its withdrawal from Afghanistan after almost 20 years in the country.
According to the New York Times, Miller, the top commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, told reporters at a press conference in Kabul on Sunday that he had received his orders, and the US would begin “transitioning bases and equipment to the Afghan security forces.”
“All of our forces are now preparing to retrograde,” Miller said, according to a CNN report of the same press conference. “Officially, the notification date will be the first of May, but at the same time, as we start taking local actions, we have already begun that.”