SecDef and SecState visit AUAB Published Sept. 10, 2021 By Senior Airman Noah D. Coger 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs AL UDEID AIR BASE, Qatar -- Leadership from Al Udeid Air Base and the Department of State await the arrival of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin lll as his plane lands on the flightline Sep. 6, 2021, at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. Austin visited the installation to thank service members for their support and dedication to the Afghanistan evacuation operations, where more than 55,000 evacuees were temporarily housed during transit and processed forward to their next location. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Kylie Barrow)