The Air Force has awarded Bronze Stars to three airmen at Whiteman AFB, Mo., for their efforts while deployed to Southwest Asia. Capt. Adam Minnich served as a flight commander for supply chain management, leading development of Afghanistan’s first fuel distribution plan and system, a $3 million effort. TSgt. Richard Barker served as a convoy commander in Iraq, where he led 18 combat convoys, traveling 28,000 miles in “a dangerous and unpredictable environment,” reports SSgt. Rob Hazelett. The third medal went to TSgt. Michael Shumate, an explosive ordnance disposal specialist, who led a weapons intelligence team during a six-month rotation to Iraq.
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.