Serbian ground forces shoot down a USAF F-16 over Yugoslavia, the second and last USAF aircraft lost to enemy fire in Allied Force. An MH-60 helicopter crew rescues the pilot, Lt. Col. David L. Goldfein. Goldfein would go on to become the 21st Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force.
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.

