Members of Det. 1 of the 314th Troop Carrier Wing received the Presidential Unit Citation for their service during the Vietnam War during an Oct. 9 ceremony at Hurlburt Field, Fla. Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz presented them with the high honor, which recognizes extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy. These former special operations airmen flew MC-130E Talons in support of the Military Assistance Command Vietnam Studies and Observations Group from 1966 to 1968 on missions such as transport, air rescue, and leaflet drops over enemy territory. Although the MACVSOG and its supporting units received the citation on June 8, 2001, Det. 1 was not included as a supporting unit on the citation, prompting former Capt. Richard Sell of Det. 1 to wage a six-year campaign for the unit’s recognition, which finally came this past July. (Hurlburt report by A1C Joe McFadden)(General Order 25 plus Det. 1 amendment)
A record investment in research and development by the Department of the Air Force will help the United States win the long-term technology race with China, even while shrinking the fleet size before a possible mid-decade Taiwan contingency, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said May 17. “With the Air Force,…