EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, FL - MARCH 11: This U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) handout photo shows the Massive Ordinance Air Blast (MOAB) weapon March 11, 2003 at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The 21,000 pound bomb was dropped from a C-130 Hercules aircraft at the Eglin test range March 11, 2003. According to the DoD the MOAB is the largest non-nuclear conventional weapon in existence. (Photo by DoD/Getty Images)
CLOVIS, N.M. — The commander of the U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command says the special weapon dubbed "the mother of all bombs" used in Afghanistan in April was delivered by an aircraft from a special operations unit home-based at Cannon Air Force Base in eastern New Mexico.
The Eastern New Mexico Daily News reports that Lt. Gen. Marshall B. "Brad" Webb, spoke Friday of the 27th Special Operations Wing's role in the April 13 airstrike on an Islamic State stronghold.
The bomb is the largest non-nuclear weapon ever used in combat by the U.S.
Webb spoke during a change of command of command ceremony at Cannon.
The bomb known officially as a GBU-43B was dropped by an MC-130, which is among the types of aircraft operated by the 27th Wing.
“The prohibition of consideration of the members’ good military character or service record moves the ‘zero-tolerance’ culture forward, omitting opportunities for the ‘good dude’ defense,” said military personnel expert Kate Kuzminski.
Russia said it withdrew its forces from the island as a “goodwill gesture.” Ukraine said the Russians fled following a barrage of artillery and missiles.
Relatives say Lois “Bunny” Drueke spoke to her son Alexander Drueke, one of two Alabama veterans captured earlier this month in Ukraine, via telephone.