Lt. Col. Derek Hoffnung with the 28th Test and Evaluation Squadron at Eglin AFB, Fla., received a Bronze Star for his actions while deployed to Camp Victory in Iraq, where he commanded the 704th Expeditionary Support Squadron. His mission was to support more than 70 battlefield airmen teams at 78 locations in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, and Qatar.
Amid a high-profile recruiting crisis, Air Force leaders and experts have increasingly noted the challenging long-term trends the service will face in enticing young Americans to sign up—decreasing eligibility to serve, less propensity to do so, and less familiarity with the military. But while those same leaders say there’s no “silver…