The Defense Department has identified the remains of Air Force Maj. John L. Carroll, a forward air controller who was killed by enemy forces after his O-1G Bird Dog aircraft was hit and forced to land. The Decatur, Ga., airman told search and rescue forces he would stay with his aircraft, but the first rescue failed because of intense enemy fire. On a second pass, rescuers could see that Carroll was dead and could not land to retrieve his body. An investigation of the site in 1993 provided aircraft wreckage. Interviews from 1996 through 2007 of witnesses turned up identification, some personal effects, and directions to a burial site.
Air Force F-16s from Germany Deploy to Middle East
Oct. 27, 2024
As tensions spiral in the Middle East, U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons from Germany have flown to the region, U.S. Central Command said Oct. 25. The F-16s are from the 480th Fighter Squadron at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, and represent some of the service’s most advanced models.