"This is real," combat controller Andy Kubik thought after his Pave Hawk dodged its first missiles. "This is definitely real. We’re going into a fight."
The Air Force has dedicated a C-32 aircraft to Master Sgt. John Chapman, the first airman to receive the Medal of Honor for actions taken since the Vietnam War.
A combat controller who received a Bronze Star for his actions during five days of combat in Afghanistan in 2006 will have his medal upgraded to a Silver Star.
The 14 crewmembers of Spooky 43, an AC-130U gunship that fought a ferocious battle in Kunduz province, Afghanistan, last November were honored with the Mackay Trophy Wednesday.