USAF crews from the 75th Airlift Squadron and the 86th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron launch two C-9 Nightingales within one hour of alert to provide aeromedical evacuation for survivors of the Oct. 12 terrorist attack on the USS Cole docked at Aden, Yemen. The crews, including Critical Care Air Transport Teams (CCATT), receive the 2000 Mackay Trophy.
B-52 Stratofortress bombers marked a new first in Operation Epic Fury when some of the BUFFs flew over Iran carrying JDAM-guided gravity bombs, according to people familiar with the matter. The development signals a weakening of Iranian air defenses and a new use for the venerable bomber in the nearly…