The 325th Fighter Wing at 
Tyndall AFB, Fla., on April 10 formally dedicated a monument to the 67,000 airmen who trained in aerial gunnery during World War II at the base’s former Army Air Forces Flexible Gunnery School. “Many of these American heroes made the ultimate sacrifice and never returned home from the war,” said Brig. Gen. Darryl Roberson, the wing’s commander, during the ceremony, which took place at the base’s Maxwell Flag Park. The monument features a bronze plaque emblazoned with the history of the aerial gunnery training, attached to a 4-foot-tall granite block. It was the vision of Paul Airey, the first Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, who died last month. Airey was a graduate of the school and served as a B-24 gunner during the war. “It’s a long overdue recognition for the sacrifice made by these American patriots, and with the chief’s recent passing, the dedication of this historical marker is even more poignant,” said SMSgt. Lawrence Greebon, director of Tyndall’s NCO Academy and monument project officer. Among the event attendees were members of Airey’s family. (Tyndall release)
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.