Air Forces Central activated the 82nd Expeditionary Air Support Operations Squadron at Camp Buehring, Kuwait, near the Iraqi border, to coordinate tactical air control party and weather support of Army ground forces. “The Army has a ground reaction force here in the area of responsibility which acts as the US Central Command’s 911 force for the region,” said Col. Rodney Petithomme, 332nd Expeditionary Operations Group commander at the April 6 stand-up ceremony. “In order to be effective, they need to have the ability to call for air support, if necessary,” he added. The squadron functioned on provisional status since 2009. It is now aligned under the 332nd Expeditionary Operations Group. “It is important that we have the 82nd EASOS here along with that ground force,” said Petithomme. (Buehring report by Maj. Jillian Torango)
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.