Fullbore Friday

into the teeth

As a kid, I grew up hearing about he exploits of the Wild Weasels from the Vietnam War.

If you’re not familiar with their origin story, “First in, Last Out” is superb.

From F-100s to F-105s to F-4s and now F-16s, they are still making the magic happen, giving the USA a capability unmatched by other nations.

They’re still leading the way.

In case you missed it, a great story from the strikes in Yemen.

Parks, while commanding the 480th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, was serving as the mission commander for a force package consisting of 21 strike aircraft while simultaneously leading four F-16 Fighting Falcons conducting Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses. Parks intentionally placed himself in threat range of a complex air defense zone protecting the enemy’s capital.

For 15 minutes, with enemy missiles detonating mere feet from his aircraft, Parks led his flight through a serious of high-G maneuvers and countermeasure employment.

While his fuel was below minimum levels and still within enemy territory, Parks quickly coordinated for an emergency rendezvous with two separate tankers, ensuring his flight access to critical fuel and ultimately prevented the probable loss of two aircraft due to fuel starvation.

…

During his eight-month deployment supporting operations Prosperity Guardian, Inherent Resolve, Spartan Shield, and Rough Rider, Parks led 12 F-16s and 56 Airmen.

As the 480th EFS commander, Parks led the squadron to a record 108 aerial victories against enemy Unmanned Aerial Systems and Land Attack Cruise Missiles. Additionally, Parks guided innovative employment standards by using air-to-ground AGR-20F rockets in an air-to-air role and prioritizing older AIM-9M missiles, saving more than $25 million dollars in munitions costs and leading to the first successful AIM-9M combat employment in 30 years.

Parks has been credited with six aerial victories protecting the lives of more than 5,000 Sailors aboard the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), and he personally defended against five deadly surface-to-air missile engagements targeting his aircraft.

Parks isn’t just meeting the highest standards of his community’s history, he’s part of the family business.

One grandfather helped the Allies achieve victory in World War II, while the other flew C-47s in Vietnam. His father was an Air Force test pilot, and his uncle was an F-111 weapons system officer. In Parks’ generation, his cousin is a KC-135 and C-17 pilot, while his brother flies the C-146.

Fullbore to the entire Parks family.