Gen. 
Mark Welsh introduced himself to airmen in his first official letter to them since becoming the Air Force’s 20th Chief of Staff. “My story starts with my family. My dad, who was the greatest patriot, officer, and leader I’ve ever known, taught me no rank or title would ever be as important as the unit patch I wore,” said Welsh, whom Air Force Secretary Michael Donley swore in as Chief of Staff on Aug. 10. He added, “Today, I wear the Air Force patch, and my family has grown to 690,000 Active, [Air National] Guard, [Air Force] Reserve, and civilian airmen, all serving as part of an unbeatable joint team.” Welsh went on to thank airmen for their dedicated service and promised to outline his priorities shortly. “In the meantime, you take care of the ‘Fly, Fight, and Win’ part . . . and I’ll ensure that ‘Integrity, Service, and Excellence’ aren’t just buzz words I use in speeches,” he wrote in the missive, dated Aug. 10.
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.