There are hundreds of 
airmen in Iraq who are working Army convoys—filling non-traditional missions. Recently the Army singled out 12 airmen of the 732nd Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron, assigned to Balad AB, Iraq, for their support as convoy escorts. Receiving the Army Bronze Star were: Capt. Maria Roberts, 1st Lt. Edward Torres, CMSgt. Paul McGinnis, MSgts. David John, James Muncy, and Gary Vercher, TSgts. Timothy Waggoner, Lance Boeding, Michael Powers, and Richard Snider, and A1C Aaron Mendez. MSgt. Donna Noel received the Army Meritorious Service Medal. (Read about convoy airmen in “The Expeditionary Force Under Stress.”
The Pentagon’s fiscal 2026 defense budget, submitted to Congress last week, accelerates the downsizing of the U.S. Air Force. It proposes divesting 340 aircraft, while only acquiring 76. These cuts risk the Air Force’s ability to prevail.
