Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh will present the Silver Star to two Vietnam veterans on Dec. 17, the Air Force announced. CMSgt. Ronald Brodeur and Sgt. Eric Roberts II were part of a helicopter crew shot down in Duc Lap, Vietnam, on Feb. 20, 1969. While rescuing a six-man, long-range reconnaissance patrol, their crew was surrounded and in danger of being overrun by a larger enemy force, according to the Air Force. Welsh will award the medals to Brodeur and Roberts for their gallantry and devotion to duty during a ceremony at the Pentagon.
The rate of building B-21 bombers would speed up if the fiscal 2026 defense budget passes. But it remains unclear how much capacity would be added, and whether the Air Force would simply build the bombers faster, or buy more.
