An Air Force Special Operations Command MC-130 crew inserts a European survey and assessment team into Congo and extracts 56 people, including 30 US citizens, from Brazzaville, Congo- in 23 minutes-in the midst of violent civil strike. Led by Lt. Col. Frank J. Kisner, the crew flew more than 13 hours over 3,656 miles and thwarted hostile gunfire. They received the 1997 Mackay Trophy.
Less than a day after arriving in the Middle East, F-15E Strike Eagles from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C. defended Israel from an Iranian attack in April 2024. DUDE flight, four F-15Es from the 335th Fighter Squadron, downed two dozen Iranian drones in roughly 45 minutes.