SSgt. Shaun Meadows on June 15 became the first active duty airman to complete a parachute jump after losing both legs in combat. Meadows is a combat controller assigned to the 22nd Special Tactics Squadron at JB Lewis-McChord, Wash. He lost both legs to an improvised explosive device blast during a reconnaissance patrol in Afghanistan in July 2008. “Everything went well today,” said Meadows after finishing the jump. He added, “It felt good to get up there and jump again after two years.” The June 15 jump was a practice run that Meadows made along with 39 colleagues in preparation for a change of command ceremony for his unit. Meadows will participate in the ceremony, which will be his last jump before he separates from the Air Force. (Lewis-McChord report by Amn. Leah Young)
Gene Smith, Former POW and AFA Chair, Dies at 91
Jan. 19, 2026
Lt. Col. Richard “Gene” Smith, who overcame five and a half years as a prisoner of war in the notorious Hanoi Hilton from 1967 until 1973, died Jan. 16. He was one day short of his 91st birthday.
