SSgt. Michael Stewart recently received a Purple Heart for an injury sustained while on a convoy mission in Iraq, but there is more to this story. When an improvised explosive device exploded, injuring several convoy members, Stewart helped stabilize his wheelman, A1C Joshua Collins, before a medevac team arrived. Stewart’s injury was slight, so he stayed to help get the convoy moving again. Air Force CMSgt. Tony Killion, the 70th Medium Truck Detachment chief, told the Rock Slate that Stewart “represents what these transporters are all about. … They love doing this and can’t wait to get back out there.” (Read the Rock Slate article here.)
Trainees in Basic Military Training and technical school no longer have the option to try alternate PT drills if they fail an initial assessment, according to a policy change the Air Force made in April. The move is part of a larger shift out of the classroom and into hands-on,…