406th AEW News and Articles

June 10, 2026
Carrying the torch: “Flying Jennies” assume airlift mission in Africa

There was no formal ceremony marking the transition. No guidon passed from one commander to another. Instead, a moment represented something larger, the passing of a torch that lights the path of Air Force airlift across the U.S. Africa Command area of responsibility.After months of operations
May 20, 2026
Boss Wing command team visits Djibouti

The 406th Air Expeditionary Wing command team receives a briefing from the 776th Expeditionary Air Base Squadron Explosive Ordnance Team during an immersion tour at Chabelley Airfield, Djibouti, April 11, 2026. The mission of the 776th EABS is to provide airpower from a secure, durable and flexible
May 20, 2026
Forging Readiness: CJTF-HOA Tests Joint Response in Exercise Pale Serpent 26-3

In the operational environment of East Africa, developing partnerships and reinforcing readiness culminates to the success of mission execution to secure regional stability. The exercise did not start with a scheduled brief, but with a sudden base-wide alarm, sending service members to immediately
May 18, 2026
Boss Wing commander emphasizes strategic partnerships that are personnel driven

The collaborative effort of Kenya and the United States was the key message when U.S. Air Force Col. Gabriel Brown, 406th Air Expeditionary Wing commander, and U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Jason Logan, 406th AEW command chief, visited deployed personnel of the 475th Expeditionary Air Base
May 13, 2026
CADJ Executes Mass-Casualty Exercise, Validating New HLZ

In the pre-dawn hours, an alarm comes screaming from a loudspeaker, launching Airmen and Soldiers out of bed to react to an attack. This was the beginning of a mass-casualty exercise to test U.S. service members on April 22, 2026, at Chabelley Airfield, Djibouti (CADJ), proving their ability to
May 5, 2026
726 EMSS Airman integrates real-time munitions tracking tool

The 449th Air Expeditionary Group just took a step into the future of space utilization in their area of responsibility within East Africa. Recently, Senior Airman Caden Goodwin of the 726th Expeditionary Mission Support Squadron led the integration of a new weapons storage space allocation tracking
May 5, 2026
776th Expeditionary Air Base Squadron Change of Command Ceremony

U.S. Air Force Col. Kris Aikens, 449th Air Expeditionary Commander, gives remarks during a change of command ceremony at Chabelley Airfield, Djibouti, April 24, 2026. The ceremony celebrated the successful tenure of outgoing 776th Expeditionary Air Base Squadron commander U.S. Air Force Lt. Col
March 19, 2026
449th AEG, CJTF-HOA conduct first humanitarian airdrop from Chabelley Airfield

Airmen assigned to the 449th Air Expeditionary Group, alongside supporting U.S. Army service members assigned to Combined Joint Task Force–Horn of Africa, executed the first humanitarian airdrop launched from Chabelley Airfield, Feb. 21, 2026, delivering humanitarian supplies to children in nearby
Feb. 17, 2026
Chabelley Airfield adds on-site firearms training capability

Chabelley Airfield marked a major operational milestone with the opening of its small arms range, a $1.6 million project that significantly expands on-site training capacity and operational flexibility for U.S. and partner forces.
Dec. 3, 2025
A Quiet Ramp, A Loud Legacy: Connecticut Airmen conclude high-tempo deployment in East Africa

Airmen from the Connecticut Air National Guard’s 103rd Airlift Wing provided critical airlift for the region as the sole C-130 squadron on the continent. During their time as the 75th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, they executed one of its busiest Africa deployments in recent history.