MSgt. David Larriva, an explosive ordnance division superintendent with the 95th Civil Engineering and Transportation Directorate at Edwards AFB, Calif., received his second Bronze Star medal during a ceremony at Edwards Aug. 27. Larriva served as chief of operations with the 447th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Flight during a deployment to Iraq from November 2007 to April 2008. He led five EOD teams, which conducted more than 100 combat missions, and relocated the teams from Sather AB to Camp Taji to maintain EOD coverage across the Iraqi theater. Larriva also received a Meritorious Service Medal and Air Force Combat Action Medal during the same ceremony. He received his first Bronze Star in October 2007 for an earlier deployment to Iraq. (Edwards report by SrA. Julius Delos Reyes)
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Sept. 5 to rename the Department of Defense as the Department of War, a move that has heightened the ongoing debate over the White House’s legal authorities and the role of the military in the world and at home.