A 20th Special Operations Squadron CV-22 Osprey aircrew was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Medal with Valor for a combat rescue mission last year in the US Central Command area of operations. Pilots Capt. Jonathan Seagle and Capt. John Vandenbemden, and flight engineers SSgt. Spencer Seymore and SSgt. Daniel Teel were decorated by Air Force Special Operations Command boss Lt. Gen. Bradley Heithold in a ?ceremony at Cannon AFB, N.M., Oct. 16, according to an Oct. 22 release. On Dec. 5, 2014, the crew, which was on a “presidentially directed” nighttime mission, responded to an urgent evacuation request from special operations forces under intense fire. The crew successfully maneuvered the tilt-rotor into a severely restricted landing zone with minimal visibility, during an ongoing firefight in a “dangerous insurgent-held village,” according to the citations. Seymore exited the CV-22 despite enemy fire to assist in loading the critically injured special operations troops. The crew flew low-altitude evasive maneuvers to safely exfiltrate the area and fly the casualties for medical treatment aboard a Navy vessel. The unplanned landing was the CV-22’s first combat shipboard operation, according to Cannon officials.
Pentagon Releases Cost of Living, BAH Rates for 2026
Dec. 30, 2025
The Pentagon will pay cost of living allowances to 127,000 service members in the continental U.S. in 2026, an increase of 66,000 members in 2025. Airmen and Guardians across the U.S. will also receive an average increase of 4.2 percent for their Basic Housing Allowance, compared to the 5.4 percent…
