Attending the Air Force Association’s Air & Space Conference in Washington, D.C., as one of USAF’s 12 outstanding airmen of the year, SSgt. Kenneth Walker, with the Washington Air National Guard’s 116th Air Support Operations Squadron, received another honor—award of the Bronze Star with Valor by Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz on Sept. 14 at the conference. Walker received the medal for his heroic actions during a firefight on May 24, 2009, while deployed as a tactical air control party member with the 817th Expeditionary ASOS and the Army’sTask Force SPADER in Afghanistan. (USAF release)
When acting Air Force Secretary Gary A. Ashworth rescinded service-wide “Family Days” last week citing the need to build readiness, he left it up to commanders, directors, and supervisors to decide if they would still permit extra days off. Here’s how Air Force major commands are taking that guidance.