Nearly 3,000 military personnel, family members, and friends gathered at Eglin AFB, Fla., to honor the explosive ordnance disposal technicians who have died in operations since World War II and add the names of the 15 EOD personnel who lost their lives in 2010 to the memorial wall. Among those 15 were two airmen: SrA. Michael Buras and SrA. Daniel Johnson. The Army lost five EOD technicians last year, while eight EOD marines were killed. There are now 269 names on the memorial wall. “You move toward danger while others flee, you create access on the battlefield, you clear compounds, you permit movement down dusty roads, and ultimately you make an area safe for the people who live there,” said Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Amos in honoring the EOD cadre during the May 7 ceremony. Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz and CMSAF James Roy also attended. (Eglin report by Lois Walsh)
Anduril and General Atomics will develop their Collaborative Combat Aircraft for the Air Force, beating out Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman, the service announced on April 24. But any of the non-selected companies can compete to actually manufacture the eventual design, the Air Force said.