Around 30 airmen from the 137th Special Operations Wing at Will Rogers ANGB, Okla., deployed to Southwest Asia in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel on Oct. 19, according to a press release. This marks the first deployment for the 137th as part of Air Force Special Operations Command. The wing transitioned from an air refueling wing under Air Mobility Command on Oct. 1, according to a spokesman. Over 140 members of the 137th SOW are currently deployed or have deployed recently to nine different locations in Southwest Asia.
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.