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)
As the threat of Iranian-made drones grew, the Air Force rushed last year to equip F-15E Strike Eagles in the Middle East with a cheap, cost-effective way of defeating them. The service fielded the new capability in roughly a week.
