The 1st Special Operations Maintenance Group at Hurlburt Field, Fla., and the 31st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Aviano AB, Italy, are among the winners of Secretary of Defense Field-level Maintenance Awards for 2008, the Pentagon announced Aug. 4. These awards are presented annually to recognize outstanding achievements in military equipment and weapon systems maintenance. The Hurlburt group was one of two winners across the services in the large-size unit category, while the Aviano squadron was one of two medium-sized units recognized. The awards will be presented on Oct. 29 in Denver at the Secretary of Defense Maintenance Awards banquet.
The Islamic State’s Khorasan branch, responsible for the suicide bombing that killed 13 U.S. service members during the evacuation from Kabul, could develop the capacity to strike outside Afghanistan within “six to 12 months,” Undersecretary of Defense for policy Colin Kahl warned. Testifying to the Senate Armed Services Committee on…