The Air Force has awarded Bronze Star medals to three explosive ordnance disposal specialists at Hurlburt Field, Fla. They are SMSgt. Marin Cortez, SSgt. Brad Ferguson, and SSgt. Brian Shepherd. All three supported the Army’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, in Iraq last year. Cortez led an EOD flight covering 571 square miles, while Ferguson and Shepherd served as team leaders, eliminating numerous improvised explosive devices and weapons caches. (Hurlburt report by TSgt. Angela Shepherd)
The rate of building B-21 bombers would speed up if the fiscal 2026 defense budget passes. But it remains unclear how much capacity would be added, and whether the Air Force would simply build the bombers faster, or buy more.