This Week in DOW: U.S. Delivers 'Devastating Combat Power' to Iran

To date, U.S. forces are dominating the air and sea and have hit thousands of Iranian targets during Operation Epic Fury, said Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson today in the War Department's Weekly Sitrep video. 

"We will continue to deliver devastating combat power," Wilson added.

At a press conference yesterday, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the current campaign is laser-focused and decisive, and the U.S. objectives of destroying Iran's missiles and missile launchers, eliminating the country's navy and ensuring Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon remain unchanged.

As evidence of the progress being made, Hegseth said Iranian ballistic missile and one-way drone attacks are down 90% since combat operations began Feb. 28.

Additionally, he said U.S. Central Command forces have damaged or sunk more than 120 Iranian naval vessels, including all 11 of their submarines.

"To the 50,000 service members supporting this mission, and their families, we are thinking about you, and we are beyond proud of your resolve and resiliency. You are the very best of our great nation," Wilson said.

Earlier this week, President Donald J. Trump, Hegseth and Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, honored the six fallen KC-135 Stratotanker crew members during a dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware. They and seven other service members have made the ultimate sacrifice during Operation Epic Fury, she said.

Centcom published an Epic Fury fact sheet this week, which lists the types of targets being pursued. They include command and control centers; Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps headquarters and intelligence sites; air defense systems; ballistic missile, anti-ship missile and surface-to-air missile sites; weapon production and storage bunkers; military infrastructure and communications capabilities; and naval ships and submarines.

Turning to the homeland, Joint Task Force Southern Border marked its one-year anniversary March 14, "underscoring a year of agile, full-scale and partner-focused mission," supporting the Department of Homeland Security at the U.S.-Mexico border, Wilson said.

Over the past year, more than 20,000 task force service members provided security across nearly 2,000 miles of the southern border, conducted about 22,000 enhanced detection and monitoring missions, more than 84,000 security site missions, over 1,600 aerial observation flights and 220 unmanned aerial systems flights.

These missions, which were conducted in a variety of terrain, from river crossings to high-traffic urban corridors, have provided essential overwatch for personnel on the ground, Wilson said, adding that while the environment is complex, the task force's mission is clear - secure the homeland with precision, professionalism and respect for the rule of law.

"JTF Southern Border has assisted DHS in achieving historic low levels of individuals attempting to illegally cross the southern border, and an equally historic effectiveness in arresting or turning back those that do," she said.

Addressing military education, Hegseth signed the "Strengthening the Effectiveness of Our Senior Service Colleges" memorandum March 12, directing the undersecretary of war for personnel and readiness to establish the Senior Service Colleges Task Force.

The task force will evaluate the institutional effectiveness of senior service colleges and ensure their faculty and curricula remain focused on national security, strategy, high standards, history, meritocracy and overall excellence.

They will have 90 days to access each service college by identifying deficiencies in standards and evaluating their alignment with the National Defense Strategy.

"The Department of War is committed to maximizing taxpayer dollars on warrior education and to equipping our military leaders to succeed on and off the battlefield," Wilson said.