The Air Force awarded a Bronze Star to Capt. Michael Nishimura with the 1st Special Operations Logistics Readiness Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Fla., for his actions while deployed with the Army’s 3rd Brigade in Afghanistan from July 2008 to July 2009. He served as part of a 12-man advisory team, mentoring Afghan officers in personnel, intelligence, and operations, and part of his work included supplying food, medicine, and security for Afghanis. On one of some 170 supply missions when one vehicle in his convoy struck an improvised explosive device, Nishimura assessed the damage and coordinated with an Afghan counterpart to secure the area; after what he described as an “intense” encounter, the convoy finished the delivery. In making the award Sept. 30, Col. Gregory Lengyel, 1st Special Operations Wing commander, said, “His actions against the enemy were nothing short of heroic.” (Hurlburt report by A1C Joe McFadden)
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.