New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I) declared July 28 as “Air Force Day” in the Big Apple through a proclamation read at the 50th Anniversary luncheon of the Air Force Association’s Iron Gate Chapter. “The Air Force’s patriotism and courage continue to make New York City and our country stronger, and its members deserve the utmost gratitude and praise for preserving our nation’s freedoms,” reads the proclamation. Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz, who spoke at the luncheon, received the proclamation from New York Commissioner for Veterans Affairs Terrance Holliday, a retired USAF colonel. Schwartz thanked those in the audience for their continued support of the service. Last August, the city hosted an Air Force Week to celebrate the service and build closer ties between airmen and their communities. Another one is scheduled in New York next August. (New York report by Capt. Bryan Bouchard)
The U.S. thwarted a drone attack on U.S. forces at Al Asad air base in western Iraq on April 22, marking the first time that American troops have been targeted since February, U.S. officials said. “We can confirm it was an attack on Al Asad,” a defense official told Air & Space…