SrA. 
Jonathan A.V. Yelner, who was killed April 29 when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device near Bagram AB, Afghanistan, was awarded a Bronze Star medal posthumously May 8 during a memorial service at Ellsworth AFB, S.D. He was a weapons load crew member assigned to Ellsworth’s 28th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. “Senior Airman Yelner was a valiant warrior who sacrificed his life for a noble cause,” Col. Peter Castor, vice commander of Ellsworth’s 28th Bomb Wing, said at the ceremony. “He lived the Air Force core values and was a true leader to us all.” (Ellsworth report by A1C Abigail Klein)
The U.S. military is maintaining a beefed-up presence in the Middle East, including fighters and air defense assets, following the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities June 22 and subsequent retaliation by the Iranians against Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
