Lt. Gen. Stanley Clarke, Air National Guard director, announced the 2014 Air National Guard Outstanding Airmen of the Year. They are: first sergeant: MSgt. Linda Schwartzlow, 128th Air Control Squadron in Wisconsin; senior noncommissioned officer: MSgt. Joseph Ashwood, 111th Reconnaissance Squadron in Texas; honor guard program manager: MSgt. David Coker, 128th Air Refueling Wing in Wisconsin; NCO: TSgt. Doug Matthews, 125th Special Tactics Squadron in Oregon; honor guard member: TSgt. Amy Ough, Eastern Air Defense Sector in New York; and airman: SrA. Christian Goldsmith, 150th Special Operations Wing in New Mexico. The Air Guard is honoring these airmen for their superior leadership, job performance, community involvement, and personal achievements, said Clarke in a early April release. “All nominees should be extremely proud of their achievements, their exemplary representation of their states and territories, and their service to the Air National Guard and the communities in which they live. They are examples to all Guard airmen,” he said. (See also Air Guard’s 2013 outstanding airmen.)
Earlier this week, the People’s Republic of China confirmed it is halting its nuclear arms control talks with the U.S., in retaliation for the U.S. continuing to sell arms to Taiwan. The move reinforces a “pattern of behavior” from Beijing, experts say.