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 For their actions during a 2 March 2002 rescue mission in Afghanistan, the crew of Grim 31, an AC-130 Spectre gunship from the 16th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Florida, has been awarded the Mackay Trophy for 2002. The award, presented by the National Aeronautic Association and the Air Force, is presented annually for the most meritorious flight of the year. During the two-hour engagement, the Grim 31 crew destroyed numerous Taliban positions and allowed two Black Hawk helicopter crews to rescue a company of Army soldiers, including twenty-eight who were injured and trapped in a rugged mountain valley where they had been under attack since dawn. |
