Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on a Feb. 14 visit to Aviano AB, Italy, got to bestow a Bronze Star medal upon TSgt. Phoebus Lazaridis, a tactical air control party airman with the 8th Air Support Operations Squadron at Aviano, for his actions while deployed to Afghanistan. Pelosi, who was with other Congressmen on a tour of various US military facilities in Italy, said, “I know I speak for may colleagues when we say nothing is a greater source of pride, nothing can surpass the privilege we have this morning. … We thank you for your service, your sacrifice, your courage, and your patriotism.” At Brooks City-Base, Tex., Lt. Col. Bradley Fishel, deputy director of contracting for the 311th Human Systems Wing, received a Bronze Star medal for meritorious service during his deployment to Afghanistan. The Army nominated Fishel for the award. (Aviano report by 2nd Lt. Brian Wagner; Brooks report by Rudy Purificato)
The House Armed Services Committee on July 15 passed its draft of the 2026 defense policy bill, 55-2, in a late-night vote following nearly 14 hours of debate over hot-button issues ranging from President Donald Trump’s desire to use a Qatari jet as Air Force One to cutting military aid…