The 8th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Fla., on Nov. 16 received its first operational CV-22 Osprey, ushering in a new era for Air Force SOF. The unit will get five of the first nine production Ospreys, giving the 8th its first aircraft with a “self-deploying capability” that Lt. Col. Eric Hill, 8th SOS operations chief, says will mean immediate mission response. “We can just up and fly as-is with no tear down or transport necessary,” added Hill. The unit’s helicopters must be broken down and transported via cargo aircraft.
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.