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.)
House, Senate Unveil Competing Proposals for 2026 Budget
July 11, 2025
Lawmakers from the House and Senate laid out competing versions of the annual defense policy bill on July 11, with vastly different potential outcomes for some of the Air Force’s most embattled programs.