Air Force officials are investigating the death of Maj. John Gerrie, 42, who was found dead at Al Udeid AB, Qatar, on Jan. 16. Gerrie, of Nickerson, Kan., was assigned to the 453rd Electronic Warfare Squadron, JBSA-Lackland, Texas, according to the Defense Department. Gerrie was supporting Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. He died from a “non-combat related incident,” the Pentagon said.
B-52 Stratofortress bombers marked a new first in Operation Epic Fury when some of the BUFFs flew over Iran carrying JDAM-guided gravity bombs, according to people familiar with the matter. The development signals a weakening of Iranian air defenses and a new use for the venerable bomber in the nearly…