There are hundreds of airmen in Iraq who are working Army convoys—filling non-traditional missions. Recently the Army singled out 12 airmen of the 732nd Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron, assigned to Balad AB, Iraq, for their support as convoy escorts. Receiving the Army Bronze Star were: Capt. Maria Roberts, 1st Lt. Edward Torres, CMSgt. Paul McGinnis, MSgts. David John, James Muncy, and Gary Vercher, TSgts. Timothy Waggoner, Lance Boeding, Michael Powers, and Richard Snider, and A1C Aaron Mendez. MSgt. Donna Noel received the Army Meritorious Service Medal. (Read about convoy airmen in “The Expeditionary Force Under Stress.”
A provision in the fiscal 2025 defense policy bill will require the Defense Department to include the military occupational specialty of service members who die by suicide in its annual report on suicide deaths, though it remains to be seen how much data the department will actually disclose.