MSgt. Van Hood, an explosive ordnance disposal airman with the 4th Civil Engineer Squadron at Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C., in May received a Bronze Star medal—his third such award—for his meritorious service during a six-month deployment to Afghanistan. During this tour, Hood was assigned to FOB Airborne in Wardak province, where he divided his time between counter-IED missions, route clearance patrols, and activities in the tactical operations center there. During the deployment, Hood’s team responded to more than 150 CIED emergency response calls. “This award is totally consistent with Sergeant Hood’s record of performance; he never stops being an amazing leader and EOD technician,” said Lt. Col. William Mazzeno, Hood’s commander. (Seymour Johnson report by TSgt. Tammie Moore) (See report on one of Hood’s earlier Bronze Stars from the Daily Report archive.)
Amid a high-profile recruiting crisis, Air Force leaders and experts have increasingly noted the challenging long-term trends the service will face in enticing young Americans to sign up—decreasing eligibility to serve, less propensity to do so, and less familiarity with the military. But while those same leaders say there’s no “silver…