The Air Force has awarded a Bronze Star medal to SMSgt. Randal Williams for his actions on a year-long deployment to Iraq. Williams, who is superintendent of the 437th Force Support Squadron Military Personnel Flight at Charleston AFB, S.C., received his medal in July, according to a Dec. 16 release, after his return from Iraq where he served as superintendent and senior enlisted advisor for the Coalition Training Team, Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq. His efforts helped establish the Iraqi Training School, turning primitive working conditions and facilities into a functional training and education facility. (Charleston report by Trisha Gallaway)
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.