Chief 
of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh has named CMSgt. James A. Cody to serve as the 17th Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, announced service officials. Cody, currently assigned as command chief of Air Education and Training Command, will assume the new position on Feb. 1, following the Jan. 31 retirement of current CMSAF James Roy, who’s served in this role since June 2009. “We are excited to welcome Chief Cody and [his wife] Athena to the team as they take the baton from the Roys,” said Welsh. “The next few years will be filled with many opportunities and challenges and our Air Force will greatly benefit from the leadership, experience, and wisdom they bring.” Cody joined the Air Force in 1984. Roy’s retirement will culminate more than 30 years of service to the Air Force. “Chief Roy and his wife, Paula, have been a blessing for our Air Force. They have worked tirelessly for the past three-plus years as phenomenal advocates for our airmen and families,” said Welsh. The CMSAF serves as a personal advisor to the Air Force Secretary and Chief of Staff on all issues regarding the welfare, readiness, proper utilization, and progress of enlisted airmen and their families.
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.