SSgt. Jeremy Pifer of the 87th Civil Engineer Squadron at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., received a Bronze Star Medal July 6 for his actions in Iraq last year as an explosive ordnance disposal team leader. During one route-clearing mission, an engineer vehicle in Pifer’s convoy was struck by an explosively formed projectile that wounded three soldiers inside the vehicle. Pifer cleared the scene of explosive hazards and helped triage the wounded and evacuate them to safety. Col. Gina Grosso, commander of the 87th Air Base Wing, presented Pifer with his medal. (Joint Base photo caption by Carlos Cintron)
The Air Force is moving forward with a new, algorithm-driven system to help U.S. Northern Command better detect airborne threats. NORTHCOM and the North American Aerospace Defense Command, which are tasked with protecting the homeland from attack, depend on a slew of radars and other data systems to monitor U.S.…