Janay DeLoach, who won a bronze medal last week in the women’s long jump at the London Olympic games, began competing at Eielson AFB, Alaska, at age 13, according to a Pentagon release. The decorated DeLoach is the daughter of William DeLoach, a retired Air Force chief master sergeant, who is now a contractor for the 416th Flight Test Squadron at Edwards AFB, Calif. “My dad’s here with me, cheering me on,” said the 26-year-old DeLoach in the Aug. 9 release, the day after she took bronze. She added, “He’s been there the whole way through. . . . He’s always supported me in all my endeavors.” She soared 22.6 feet before hitting the sand on Aug. 8, four inches short of the jump that made her the world indoor champion in 2011. She was less than an inch ahead of a Latvian jumper who ultimately failed to displace her. “I inched her out by just a centimeter,” said DeLoach of her third-place finish. (London report by Gary Sheftick)
Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, held meetings with defense leaders from the Philippines, Japan, and South Korea during a trip to the Indo-Pacific this week.