Officials cut the ribbon on the 612th Combined Air Operations Center at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., May 9, formally opening the newest of the Air Force’s five Falconer AOCs. The 612th CAOC, which will carry the name of Air Force legend Jimmy Doolittle, will help 12th Air Force conduct operations in US Southern Command’s area of responsibility but could “support operations worldwide,” says Lt. Gen. Norman Seip, 12th AF and Air Force Southern commander.
U.S. Air Force F-35s and F-22s regularly deploy deep into the Pacific region from Alaska, Utah, and Hawaii. In the future, though, the head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command would like to see the Air Force permanently station fifth-generation aircraft west of the international date line—closer to China.