The Air Force has awarded a Bronze Star Medal and the Army a Combat Action Badge to Capt. Joel Pittman for his actions while deployed to Afghanistan. It is the second Bronze Star for Pittman, who now serves as Civil Reserve Airlift Fleet logistics manager in Air Mobility Command’s operations directorate. In Afghanistan on a year-long deployment, Pittman served with the Army-led embedded tactical trainer team, working with Army and Navy personnel to help train Afghan National Army soldiers, which meant traveling throughout the country, often coming under fire. His team chief, Army Maj. Charles Jarvis, called Pittman “an outstanding officer that I would trust with my life, and I have done just that on many occasions.” Maj. Gen. Brooks Bash, AMC director of operations, who presented the awards, said it’s rare for the Army to award its medal to an airman. (AMC report by Roger Drinnon)
Defense experts say the drone threat represents only part of a larger, looming problem: U.S. air bases in the Pacific are increasingly vulnerable to air attacks.