Fifteen airmen have set off on an 860-mile trek from Lackland AFB, Tex., to Hurlburt Field, Fla., to honor the memory of 14 fallen special tactics comrades killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. “This walk shows that members of our Air Force special operations community are never forgotten,” said MSgt. Kenneth Huhman, the event’s organizer. The airmen left Lackland on Oct. 9 and expect to complete the 12-day, five-state journey on Oct. 21. Each is carrying a baton etched with the name of one of the fallen airmen, and 50-pound rucksack. The airmen are split into six teams, with each team covering approximately 150 miles of the total distance. All 15 will unite with families of the fallen airmen to complete together the final five miles to Hurlburt. Last October a similar memorial march took place. (Lackland release) (Special Tactics Memorial March website)
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.