The Defense Department on Aug. 11 announced the names of the three airmen and other US military personnel who were killed Aug. 6 when enemy forces shot down an Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter in Wardak Province, Afghanistan. The airmen were TSgt. John Brown, 33, of Tallahassee, Fla.; TSgt. Daniel Zerbe, 28, of York, Pa.; and SSgt. Andrew Harvell, 26, of Long Beach, Calif. All were assigned to Air Force Special Operations Command’s 24th Special Tactics Squadron at Pope Field, N.C. Brown, who had been selected for promotion earlier this month, was posthumously promoted to E-6. In addition to the airmen, 22 Navy SEALs, five Army aircrew, and eight Afghan soldiers perished, making it the single deadliest incident for US forces in Afghanistan since the beginning of the war in 2001. “This crash leaves us in AFSOC with heavy hearts,” said Lt. Gen. Eric Fiel, AFSOC commander, in a release. “My deepest sympathies extend to the families of our fallen brethren and to their teammates. As we remember their sacrifice, we will press on and continue to provide unparalleled air support to our combatant commanders.” (Also see, A Deadly Mission)
Skyborg Makes First Flight Aboard Kratos Mako
May 5, 2021
The Skyborg software and hardware suite allowing unmanned aircraft to team with crewed ones flew for the first time April 29, the Air Force said, launching a series of experiments meant to prove the safety and effectiveness of the approach.