Senators unanimously voted to authorize award of the Congressional Gold Medal to the nearly 1,000 members of the Tuskegee Airmen, in recognition of their singular military record during World War II. The House must also approve the measure before it becomes law. According to a press release from Sen. Larry Craig, chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee, the Tuskegee Airmen will be the largest group ever to receive the award.
The U.S. military is maintaining a beefed-up presence in the Middle East, including fighters and air defense assets, following the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities June 22 and subsequent retaliation by the Iranians against Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.