SrA. Michael. J. Buras of Fitzgerald, Ga., died Tuesday in Kandahar, Afghanistan, as the result of wounds he received when an improvised explosive device detonated near him, the Defense Department announced Wednesday. Buras, 23, was assigned to the 99th Civil Engineer Squadron at Nellis AFB, Nev.
The U.S. supports “a stronger and more capable” European defense, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said during an Oct. 22 press conference in Brussels—but that defense should not duplicate the functions and capabilities of the NATO alliance.