SMSgt. Shannon Rix received the Bronze Star Medal for her meritorious service during a year-long deployment to Afghanistan. While there, Rix served as the superintendent to the 738th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron at Kabul International Airport. As a senior leader charged with advising the Afghan air force training center’s sergeant major, she led a joint, multinational team and executed a $77 million education and enlisted professional military education program. Rix stood up the AAF’s first-ever enlisted PME program, designed a noncommissioned officer direct-accession basic military training course, and oversaw an 800-percent increase in student enrollment and graduation during her tenure. Rix took possession of her Bronze Star on Feb. 11. She is currently assigned to the 375th Air Mobility Wing at Scott AFB, Ill. (Scott release)
In the wake of a major Chinese military shakeup, the head of U.S. Space Command warned of China’s “breathtakingly fast” advances in space during visits to Japan and South Korea. Gen. Stephen N. Whiting’s trip to the Indo-Pacific is his first overseas visit since taking command of SPACECOM in January.