The Air Force has awarded a Bronze Star medal to Col. Brian Neal, commander of the Maryland Air National Guard’s 135th Airlift Group, for his service while deployed as commander of the 447th Air Expeditionary Group in Iraq, reports WJZ-TV in Baltimore. The service also awarded a Bronze Star to Lt. Col. Paul Scholl, deputy commander of the 50th Mission Support Group at Schriever AFB, Colo., for his service while deployed to Iraq as commander of the 866th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron.
The U.S. military is maintaining a beefed-up presence in the Middle East, including fighters and air defense assets, following the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities June 22 and subsequent retaliation by the Iranians against Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
