The Air Force has awarded Bronze Star medals to four airmen for their actions supporting the war on terror. MSgt. Darrin Goetchius, now a maintenance supervisor at Nellis AFB, Nev., served as a combat aviation advisor, training Iraqi forces on Mi-17, UH-1P, and Bell JetRanger helicopters. TSgt. Michael McKenna and SSgt. Kevin Krooner, both Tactical Air Control Party airmen with the 8th Air Support Operations Squadron at Aviano AB, Italy, received Bronze Stars for their service with the US Army in Afghanistan. (Nellis report by 2nd Lt. Jen Richard; McKenna photo release; Krooner photo release)
Depot-level maintenance took longer than expected for nearly three-quarters of Air Force aircraft from fiscal 2019-2024, according to a new report, as unplanned repairs rise across the aging fleet. The report, from the Government Accountability Office, also found that the extent of the delays has been masked because officials often revise their target timelines after unplanned work occurs.