Two airmen will posthumously receive the Distinguished Flying Cross nearly 14 years after the CV-22 Osprey they were flying crashed in Afghanistan. "I found a spot in the clouds [where] I could see the ground, and then we basically dove," Maj. Mark Ross said of the evacuation. The announcement marks the largest batch of awards to date for the airmen who participated in Operation Allies Refuge. The visit is the latest in a small but expanding series of exchanges ahead of a possible meeting between Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping next month. At least 12 T-6s require intensive repairs before they can return to flight, base spokesperson Terri Schaefer said. The pilot, an instructor with the 49th Fighter Training Squadron, sustained minor injuries but safely ejected. The Federal Aviation Administration issued a directive to ground all airworthy Boeing B-17E, F and G models of the Flying Fortress aircraft. Master Sgt. Zachary Cooper saved the lives of 184 U.S. and partner troops who faced “intense and effective enemy fire” from insurgents in Afghanistan. The Air Force expects pilot training shortfalls through the end of the fiscal year, and that the J85 enterprise won’t fully recover until April 2024. The U.S. has now collected 510 reports of unidentified flying objects, many of which are flying in sensitive military airspace. Load More