Airmen from the Vermont Air National Guard’s 158th Fighter Wing received a warm welcome home Sunday after deploying first to the Caribbean and then to the Middle East as part of Operation Epic Fury.

The guard’s five-person CH-47 Chinook crew completed 89 bucket drops, delivering around 178,000 gallons of water to firefighters on the ground.

More than 350 Louisiana National Guard soldiers worked alongside state and city police for eight months, conducting patrols and security operations in New Orleans since December 2025.

Flight and support crews for one CH-47 Chinook and one UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter are helping with aerial bucket drops, and 60 Nevada National Guard Response Force troops are assisting police with neighborhood security and evacuations.

Sgt. Adam M. Lee, a combat medic specialist, administered aid and remained with the injured pair for two days, using his body to protect them from falling ice and rocks.

The U.S. military is providing support to fight wildfires that have broken out across Utah and Washington, with troops working both on the ground and in the skies.

More than 9,700 troops have deployed to the city for the past year as part of an effort to reduce crime in the nation’s capital. Yet it remains unclear if the efforts outweigh the costs.

The bonuses are paired with three-year enlistment contracts to secure reenlistments and recruit airmen looking to transfer from active duty or the Air Force Reserve.

Maj. Collin L. Welch, 40, of Arlington, Va., pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court in the District of Columbia to theft of government money and unlawfully inducing aliens to enter and remain in the United States.

Army 2nd Lt. Anthuanet C. Gomez-Blacido, 2nd Lt. Sean M. Lukowski, Spc. Jahsiear W. Scott and Sgt. 1st Class Alexis Colon were awarded the Army Achievement Medal at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey.