Roy Vaughn, an Air Force Special Operations Command exercise planner, was awarded the Polish Armed Forces Medal during a ceremony in Warsaw last week for his help integrating Polish special operations forces with the US-based exercise Emerald Warrior, states an AFSOC release. The exercise practices an “air-centric” approach to special operations that leads to “improved wartime interoperability among partner nations,” according to the May 9 release. “The actions and assistance provided by Mr. Vaughn have helped ensure the security of Poland,” said Col. Piotr Gastal, commander of Poland’s operational maneuver response group. “With his help, the [group] has become an effective partner in Iraq, Afghanistan, and throughout the other regions where we are engaged in battle.”
Members of the House Armed Services Committee say the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile program has been set back three months due to the ongoing government shutdown. The comment is noteworthy because the JATM's status has been kept tightly under wraps.

