Airmen and C-130Js from Ramstein AB, Germany, wrapped up a week-and-a-half of training and skills qualification with the Polish air force during Exercise Screaming Eagle IV at Powidz AB, Poland. “Poland provides an excellent place for our aircrews to increase proficiency on several different flying scenarios, as well as training opportunities for maintainers, aerial porters, and the airborne personnel we have here,” said Capt. Dean Brown, pilot with Ramstein’s 37th Airlift Squadron and an exercise planner. Ramstein survival specialists made high-altitude, low-opening, parachute jumps with Polish special forces, and aerial porters had the rare opportunity to practice night-vision-equipped loading operations, according to Ramstein’s Aug. 1 release. “At Ramstein, we cannot get the flightline completely dark, so the training we conduct here is more realistic,” added 435th Contingency Response Group instructor MSgt. Jeffery Platz. The annual exercise ran from July 24 to Aug. 3. (Powidz report by SrA. Aaron Wainwright)
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.