Officials with the 47th Flying Training Wing at Laughlin AFB, Tex., last week formally opened the base’s new aircraft maintenance operations complex. It is the new home of the wing’s maintenance directorate. Col. Michael Frankel, 47th FTW commander, Michael Johnson, directorate boss, and Rep. Ciro Rodriguez (D) participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony. The center is valued at more than $7.6 million. The 47th FTW conducts joint specialized undergraduate pilot training for Air Force and allied air forces using T-1, T-6, and T-38 aircraft. (Laughlin photo caption by A1C Blake Mize)
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.