The Pentagon on Dec. 26 released the name of SrA. Nicholas D. Eischen, who died in a noncombat related incident on Dec. 24 at Bagram Air Base. Eischen, 24, of Sanger, Calif., was deployed from the 60th Medical Operations Squadron at Travis AFB, Calif. The Air Force said an investigation has begun into the circumstances of his death.
A U.S. Air Force F-22 shot down a Chinese surveillance balloon off the coast of South Carolina on Feb. 4, a week after it first entered U.S. airspace near Alaska. Officials said they took measures to prevent the balloon from gathering sensitive military information and are actively working to recover…