Some 80 percent of the 1st Combat Communications Squadron at Bitburg AB, Germany, comprises junior airmen—senior airman and below and some first-termers, says the squadron commander, Lt. Col Joe Sublousky. And that is the reason the squadron developed its own basic deployment course. Recently the unit trained 33 new airmen, teaching them everything from how to set up tents to driving convoys and hand-to-hand fighting.
We looked back on the past 12 months to find the stories that resonated the most with you, our audience, and these 10 topped the list. Maybe you missed one the first time around, or perhaps you’d like to revisit a favorite.