MSgt. Cary Miller of the Kentucky Air National Guard flew into the Hindu Kush Mountains in Afghanistan to aid in the rescue of a Special Forces crew from a downed Army CH-47 helicopter surrounded by hostiles. Lt. Gen. Steven Blum, head of the National Guard Bureau, who was introducing a couple of Guardsmen to Senators last week, said that Miller, an ANG pararescueman, “fought for seven hours,” calling in close air support “as close as 50 feet away.” Blum noted that for Miller’s “bravery, his concern for his fellow man, his leadership, his courage under fire” resulted in his receiving the Silver Star.
The KC-Z4, a blended wing body tanker concept being developed by startup JetZero, could fuel larger groups of aircraft at longer range to hold more targets at risk, company officials say.