The Air Force has awarded a Bronze Star Medal to Capt. Mike Lee with the 375th Logistics Readiness Squadron at Scott AFB, Ill., for his actions while deployed for a year to Afghanistan. Lee’s primary duty was to help train Afghan forces about combat logistics, but he also led 125 convoys, often under attack. During one on Oct. 18, 2008, his convoy had to venture through the Tangi Valley, known for deadly ambushes and IEDs. Enemy forces attacked the convoy with small arms fire and mortars, then machine guns pinned down Lee and a team as they tried to clear a roadblock, engaging the team for about 25 minutes before they could clear the road and proceed. Almost immediately, RPGs struck several convoy vehicles; the convoy got through what Lee termed a “granddaddy of complex ambushes,” but it lost only one troop. (Scott report by Christi Spargur)
Pentagon Releases Cost of Living, BAH Rates for 2026
Dec. 30, 2025
The Pentagon will pay cost of living allowances to 127,000 service members in the continental U.S. in 2026, an increase of 66,000 members in 2025. Airmen and Guardians across the U.S. will also receive an average increase of 4.2 percent for their Basic Housing Allowance, compared to the 5.4 percent…
