Adm. Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, last week presented the Bronze Star with Valor Medal to three pararescuemen during a ceremony at Nellis AFB, Nev. Mullen individually recognized TSgt. Jeffrey Hedglin, TSgt. Ryan Manjuck, and SSgt. Asher Woodhouse for their courage under enemy fire in rescuing three wounded US soldiers in Afghanistan on June 3, 2010. Each airman is assigned to Nellis’ 58th Rescue Squadron. “I’m accepting this award on behalf of the rescue community as a whole,” said Hedglin during the April 14 ceremony. He acted as the Guardian Angel team leader. He organized and led the pararescuemen, carrying a wounded soldier more than 25 meters across open terrain while under fire to a rescue helicopter for evacuation. Manjuck, while under enemy fire, provided hoist extractions for the wounded soldiers and gave medical treatment to one who was critically injured. “[W]hat I did is nothing compared to some of my brethren in the rescue community who do this every day,” he said. Woodhouse alerted a helicopter aircrew of incoming surface-to-air missiles and safely evacuated two of the injured soldiers from the hostile area. (Nellis report by SrA. Michael Charles)
Celebrating 100 Years of Liquid-Fueled Rockets
March 11, 2026
March 16, 2026, marks 100 years since Dr. Robert H. Goddard launched the world’s first liquid-fueled rocket. Over the past century, new and ever more capable liquid-fueled rockets have literally propelled humanity into space. Why liquid-fueled rockets?