Air Combat Command has dispatched some 250 airmen and four B-2 bombers from Whiteman AFB, Mo., to join the F-22 fighters currently deployed from Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, to Andersen AFB, Guam. This marks the first time that the two stealth aircraft have operated out of Guam at the same time. The B-2s replaced the B-52s that just completed their Pacific region strategic presence rotation and returned to Minot AFB, N.D. Lt. Col. Jason Armagost, commander of Whiteman’s 13th Bomb Squadron, called the dual stealth deployment an “unparalleled opportunity.” He added, “The next couple of months will really highlight and clarify the capabilities that stealth aircraft bring to the table.” (Andersen report by SrA. Ryan Whitney)
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.