CMSgt. William Brown, a native of Bristol, Conn., has received a Bronze Star Medal for his meritorious service during a four-month deployment to Afghanistan last year. The Bristol Press reported Monday that Brown led more than 500 airmen at Kandahar Air Field, where he improved communications and rapport across the numerous coalition units operating. And, the newspaper reported that his citation noted his leadership contributed to the execution of 998 aircraft sorties that resulted in 10,541 hours of armed overwatch and medical evacuation.
The Pentagon awarded a contract worth over $2 billion for the next batch of F-35 engines to Pratt & Whitney on June 5. The deal for Lot 17 F135 engines, totaling $2.02 billion, is expected to be completed by December 2025.