Lt. Col. Duston Ashton and Maj. Nichole Oliver, both of Air University’s LeMay Center at Maxwell AFB, Ala., on Nov. 13 received Bronze Star Medals for their meritorious service during deployments to Iraq. Ashton, an instructor in the LeMay Center’s warfighting education directorate, served for a year in Baghdad as a training program manager. His efforts resulted in Iraq’s first three student pilot training classes and the commissioning of 275 Iraqi cadets. Oliver, the joint intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance doctrine branch chief in the LeMay Center’s doctrine development directorate, was the chief of operations to the intelligence director in a joint task force in Iraq. Her intelligence support led to decisive combat operations against enemy leadership. (Maxwell report by Capt. Jenny Lovett)
The Air Force could conduct an operation like Israel's successful air campaign against Iran's nuclear sites, military leadership and air defenses, but readiness issues would make it risky, airpower experts said. Limited spare parts and training, low mission capable rates and few flying hours would put a drag on USAF's…