Lt. Col. Dean C. Phillips Jr. received a Bronze Star for meritorious service as operations officer and site commander for the Coalition Military Assistance Training Team, New Al Muthana AB, Iraq. Phillips, who is chief of the Joint Strike Fighter Engines Division, Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, directed the construction of the air base, which is the first Iraqi Air Force facility, and provided oversight for training Iraqi officers.
The Pentagon’s proposed budget for the Air Force in fiscal 2027 would include billions of dollars in additional spending on advanced next-generation fighters, trainer aircraft, hypersonic missiles and more. But an expert close to Air Force issues said the service’s asks are paltry compared to the massive $1.5 trillion topline…
