Members of Det. 1 of the 314th Troop Carrier Wing received the Presidential Unit Citation for their service during the Vietnam War during an Oct. 9 ceremony at Hurlburt Field, Fla. Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz presented them with the high honor, which recognizes extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy. These former special operations airmen flew MC-130E Talons in support of the Military Assistance Command Vietnam Studies and Observations Group from 1966 to 1968 on missions such as transport, air rescue, and leaflet drops over enemy territory. Although the MACVSOG and its supporting units received the citation on June 8, 2001, Det. 1 was not included as a supporting unit on the citation, prompting former Capt. Richard Sell of Det. 1 to wage a six-year campaign for the unit’s recognition, which finally came this past July. (Hurlburt report by A1C Joe McFadden)(General Order 25 plus Det. 1 amendment)
With key members of Congress wavering on the possibility of a $350 billion defense reconciliation bill, defense experts told Air & Space Forces Magazine that the Pentagon is likely drawing up budget backup plans—but such plans would face hard choices between high-end weapons and low-cost drones and other programs in…