Members of the New York Air National Guard’s 174th Fighter Wing at Hancock Field in Syracuse have dedicated an F-86B Sabre fighter into the base’s newly established air park. It is the first of many aircraft that the wing intends to display in the park. The names of retired Brig. Gen. Curtis Irwin, former 174th FW commander, and retired SMSgt. Charles Poehlman, a former crew chief at Hancock Field, are painted, respectively, on the left and right sides of the refurbished fighter. Poehlman attended the dedication ceremony last month as did Irwin’s daughters Sheila Austin and SMSgt Lisa Damon. Maj Gen James Kwiatkowski, New York Air Guard commander, also attended. The F-86 is painted like aircraft that flew at Hancock Field from 1957 to 1970, according to wing officials.(Hancock report by 1st Lt. Greta Lewis)
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.