SSgt. Austin May, a public affairs specialist with the 100th Air Refueling Wing at RAF Mildenhall, Britain, designed the new wings occupational badge to be worn by airmen without previous flying qualification who will operate remotely piloted vehicles. The first class of these airmen graduated Sept. 25 at Creech AFB, Nev. and received these wings. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz approved May’s design, which May, a native of Katy, Tex., refined and perfected over an eight-month period based on feedback from Air Staff officials. May, already creator of the comic strip “Air Force Blues” chronicling the life of an Alaska-based pilot, said it was a “thrilling opportunity” to design the wings; he is now honored to be part of unmanned aircraft history. (SAF/PA report by TSgt. Amaani Lyle)
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.