MSgt. Cary Miller of the Kentucky Air National Guard flew into the Hindu Kush Mountains in Afghanistan to aid in the rescue of a Special Forces crew from a downed Army CH-47 helicopter surrounded by hostiles. Lt. Gen. Steven Blum, head of the National Guard Bureau, who was introducing a couple of Guardsmen to Senators last week, said that Miller, an ANG pararescueman, “fought for seven hours,” calling in close air support “as close as 50 feet away.” Blum noted that for Miller’s “bravery, his concern for his fellow man, his leadership, his courage under fire” resulted in his receiving the Silver Star.
A combined Navy and Air Force program is seeking to build a smaller version of a ubiquitous air-to-air missile that could give advanced aircraft, such as the Collaborative Combat Aircraft, greater magazine depth in a high-end fight.