The Defense Department announced April 30 that SrA. Jonathan A.V. Yelner, 24, of Lafayette, Calif., died April 29 near Bagram AB, Afghanistan, from wounds he received when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device. Yelner had deployed to Afghanistan from the 28th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Ellsworth AFB, S.D.
The Pentagon is considering ditching the Air Force’s plan to buy the E-7 Wedgetail as it looks to outsource the airborne target-tracking mission to space, defense officials indicated this week.