Maj. Jeremiah Parvin, an A-10C pilot and director of operations at the 75th Fighter Squadron at Moody AFB, Ga., and Capt. Aaron Cavazos, 61st Fighter Squadron weapons officer at Luke AFB, Ariz., were recently awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for heroism in Afghanistan in 2008. The two airmen responded to an urgent request for close air support from a Marine Special Operations Team under intense attack in the mountains of Afghanistan on Oct. 28, 2008. Without adequate maps of the area, the A-10 descended below a low-cloud deck to differentiate friendly from enemy forces in the rugged terrain. Parvin drew intense ground fire away from the marines by switching on the A-10’s external lights, and decimated insurgents in close proximity to the group, allowing the marines to withdraw with their casualties to safety. “You hear gunshots in the background; you hear screams of urgency in their voices. You could just tell they need help and they needed it now,” said Parvin recounting the mission at the award ceremony at Moody on Jan. 29. Cavazos was awarded his DFC during a ceremony at Luke on Jan. 16. (Luke release.) (Moody release.)
Competitors Not Picked for CCA Look Forward to Increment 2
April 25, 2024
While none of the major aircraft contractors were selected to develop the Collaborative Combat Aircraft, all three say they are seeking further autonomous aircraft work for the Navy, foreign partners, or in the classified arena, and maybe future versions of the CCA itself.