Commander of U.S. Air Forces Central Command Visits Egypt
CAIRO, Egypt, September 2, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Lieutenant General Charles Q. Brown, Jr., Commander, U.S. Air Forces Central Command, visited Egypt August 31-September 1, marking his first visit to the country since assuming leadership of U.S. Air Forces Central Command in June 2015.
Lieutenant General Brown met in Cairo with the Commander of the Egyptian Air Force, Air Marshal Younnes Al-Sayed Hamed Al-Masry, emphasizing the long-standing partnership between the United States and Egypt and the commitment of the United States to the future of Egypt and to regional stability. Lieutenant General Brown and Air Marshal Hamed Almasry discussed Egypt's vital role as a force for stability in the region and the importance of a prosperous, stable, democratic Egypt as a bulwark against terrorism.
“We value the relationship between our two countries,” Lieutenant General Brown said, “and our military-military collaboration is an important part of the wide-ranging engagement we enjoy together. On this, my first, visit to Egypt in my role as Commander of the U.S. Air Forces Central Command, I also want to reaffirm United States' steadfast support for Egypt in its fight against terrorism in the Sinai and throughout the country.”
To hone their skills and develop their capabilities, American and Egyptian forces collaborate on an extensive range of training initiatives and in joint military exercises. In addition to F-16 fighter jets, the United States has recently provided Egypt with Apache helicopters, Fast Missile Craft, armored vehicles, and other weapons systems in support of Egyptian military capabilities in the fight against terrorism.
United States Air Forces Central Command is the air component of United States Central Command, a regional unified command that includes U.S. Air Force, Army, Marine, and Navy components. USAFCENT is responsible for air operations, either unilaterally or in concert with partners, in support of national objectives for the 20-nation area of responsibility in Southwest Asia covering Afghanistan, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, and Yemen.