A1C Spencer Stone, the airman credited with stopping a terrorist attack on a high-speed train in France, will be nominated for the Airman’s Medal, the service’s highest medal for non-combat action. Stone’s unit, the 65th Air Base Group at Lajes Field, Azores, will nominate him for the medal, said Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James during a Monday press conference at the Pentagon. Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh said the service will consider awarding Stone a Purple Heart if the attack is deemed a “terrorist-related event,” but Stone does not qualify for other valor awards, such as the Bronze Star with Valor, because it was not combat activity. The Defense Department did award the Purple Heart to victims of the 2009 shooting at Fort Hood, Texas. James said Stone’s action stopped a “bloodbath” on the train in the Aug. 21 attack. (See also American Heroes.)
New B-52 Radar Makes First Flight
Dec. 12, 2025
The Air Force’s radar modernization effort for the B-52 Stratofortress entered flight testing recently, a “milestone” for the once over-budget system that senior leaders call the start of a new era for the Cold War bomber.
