"A US Air Force pilot survived 15 minutes of enemy missile fire during a mission in the Middle East this year, making extreme high-G maneuvers as warheads exploded only feet away from his fighter jet. Lt. Col William Parks was awarded the Silver Star Medal, the nation's third-highest military citation for valor in combat, at the Pentagon last week for his actions, according to an Air Force news release and a service citation obtained by Business Insider."
"Parks served as the mission commander overseeing a force package of 21 strike aircraft, while also leading four F-16 Fighting Falcon jets in suppression of enemy air defenses. SEAD missions are designed to clear radars and surface-to-air missile launchers, giving friendly aircraft greater freedom to operate. During the mission, Parks "intentionally placed himself" within the range of air defenses protecting the "enemy's capital," the award citation reads. Parks' fighter was targeted by a barrage of surface-to-air missiles and antiaircraft artillery that lasted for 15 minutes."
An F-16 pilot survived a 15-minute barrage of surface-to-air missiles and antiaircraft artillery while conducting a Middle East suppression-of-enemy-air-defenses mission on March 27. Lt. Col. William Parks led a force package of 21 strike aircraft and commanded four F-16s in SEAD to clear radars and missile launchers. He intentionally placed himself within the range of air defenses protecting the enemy's capital to enable destruction of ballistic missile production facilities. Parks executed extreme high-G maneuvers and deployed countermeasures as warheads detonated only feet from his jet. Parks received the Silver Star for valor for his actions during the operation.
Read at Business Insider
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