The Air Force has recognized the combat actions of SSgt. Jeffrey Dicicco by awarding him a Bronze Star with Valor medal. He is a combat controller assigned to the 321st Special Tactics Squadron at RAF Mildenhall, Britain. During a deployment to Southwest Asia, Dicicco was on a combat reconnaissance patrol when the lead vehicle in his convoy came under attack. Insurgents were shooting rocket-propelled grenades and small arms at the troops from above, so Dicicco requested close air support. When the air support arrived about 10 minutes later, he helped maneuver it into position. “Over the course of the attack, I was responsible for dropping three 500-pound bombs and one 2,000-pound bomb on enemy firing positions,” he explained. By the end of the attack, there were 30 insurgents confirmed killed. (Mildenhall release by TSgt. Marelise Wood)
The Air Force’s Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile is behind schedule and may significantly overrun its expected cost, which could partially explain why the service is reviving the hypersonic AGM-183 Air-Launched Rapid-Response Weapon.