Two airmen from the 509th Security Forces Squadron, Whiteman AFB, Mo., recently received Army Commendation medals for their actions while deployed to Ali Base, Iraq, for Operation Iraqi Freedom. Capt. Peter Lex was cited for the interview of an Iraqi that led to the recovery of more than 600 munitions—the same type used to build IEDs–not far from the base and for providing life-saving first aid to an Iraqi youth who was shot near the base. MSgt. Richard Stephens streamlined the base’s entry processing, conducted detailed inspections that uncovered 300 concealed weapons, aided an investigation that led to seizure of more than 450 weapons, and provided first-aid to contractors in a convoy ambushed off base.
While the Space Force is still making long-term plans to establish high-fidelity live and virtual test and training ranges in the coming years, officials say they're also working with operators to identify near-term gaps and quickly field capabilities to address them.
