US Central Command said Thursday that an airman assigned to the 447th Air Expeditionary Group was killed and another airman was wounded when an improvised explosive device blew up during safing operations near Baghdad, Iraq, on March 29. The Pentagon has identified the airman who was killed as TSgt. Walter M. Moss Jr., 37, of Houston. Moss was deployed to Iraq from the 366th Civil Engineer Squadron, Mountain Home, Idaho.
F-35As from the Vermont Air National Guard have deployed to Puerto Rico in recent days, continuing a major buildup of U.S. Air Force assets in Latin America aimed at combating drug trafficking and pressuring the regime of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.

