Army Capt. Jon E. Swanson, flying a Hughes OH-6 Cayuse helicopter, is called in to provide close air support to South Vietnamese ground troops in Cambodia. Flying at treetop level, he repeatedly exposes himself to enemy gunfire, firing grenades at targets and marking others with smoke rounds for other helicopter gunships in the area. His helicopter damaged, Swanson flies to safety, rearms, and reenters the fight to mark additional targets. Over the battle, his OH-6 is hit by ground fire and explodes. Swanson’s remains and those of his observer, SSgt. Larry Harrison, are not recovered until 1999. Swanson is posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on May 2, 2002, the day before he and Harrison are buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
The Air Force is spending heavily on F-22 improvements through the end of the decade, suggesting it may not retire the jet in 2030 as it previously planned. New sensors, fuel tanks, communications, and electronic warfare systems are among the upgrades that comprise the package.