SrA. Jonathan A.V. Yelner, who was killed April 29 when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device near Bagram AB, Afghanistan, was awarded a Bronze Star medal posthumously May 8 during a memorial service at Ellsworth AFB, S.D. He was a weapons load crew member assigned to Ellsworth’s 28th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. “Senior Airman Yelner was a valiant warrior who sacrificed his life for a noble cause,” Col. Peter Castor, vice commander of Ellsworth’s 28th Bomb Wing, said at the ceremony. “He lived the Air Force core values and was a true leader to us all.” (Ellsworth report by A1C Abigail Klein)
The rate of building B-21 bombers would speed up if the fiscal 2026 defense budget passes. But it remains unclear how much capacity would be added, and whether the Air Force would simply build the bombers faster, or buy more.