USAF officials announce the service has created a new enlisted aviator field-1A9X1 Special Missions Aircraft-that will encompass aerial gunners and flight engineers who serve aboard the HH-60G Pave Hawk and CV-22 Osprey and loadmasters who serve on AC-130 gunships and special operations non-standard aircraft.
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.