Air Force Commander Earns Silver Star After Braving Missile Barrage in Middle East

Amid rising global instability and mounting threats across the Middle East, one American pilot’s extraordinary bravery has stood out earning him one of the nation’s highest honors for valor in combat.

Lt. Col. William "Skate" Parks, commander of the Air Force’s 480th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, was awarded the Silver Star after deliberately flying into a heavily fortified enemy air-defense zone in March 2025, facing down a 15-minute barrage of missiles all while low on fuel to complete a high-risk mission that likely saved American lives and crippled a hostile regime's missile program.

At a Pentagon ceremony on November 26, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ken Wilsbach praised Parks’ decisive leadership and courage, noting the rarity of the award: fewer than 100 Silver Stars have been earned in the modern Air Force era.

Parks’ mission details reveal a harrowing sequence of events:

• He led a 21-aircraft strike package, flying a four-ship F-16 unit responsible for Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD), a role designed to absorb and neutralize enemy fire.

• Parks intentionally flew into the heart of the enemy’s air defense, drawing fire away from the strike force targeting critical ballistic missile production sites.

• Enemy forces responded with a barrage of missiles and anti-aircraft fire, detonating just feet from his aircraft as he maneuvered through high-G evasive actions for 15 straight minutes.

• With fuel running dangerously low, Parks coordinated in real time with two separate aerial refueling tankers, a move that kept both his jet and his wingman’s in the air and out of enemy hands.

The Air Force citation called his actions directly responsible for the survival of his wingman and the success of the mission, describing his leadership as both "courageous and steadfast."

Parks’ March 27 mission was part of an eight-month deployment supporting Operations Prosperity Guardian, Inherent Resolve, Spartan Shield, and Rough Rider all focused on countering Iranian-backed militias, drone threats, and missile systems across the region.

Under his command, the 480th EFS shattered modern records, notching 108 aerial victories against enemy drones and cruise missiles. Six of those shootdowns protected the USS Harry S. Truman, safeguarding over 5,000 U.S. sailors from aerial attack.

Parks also pioneered cost-effective combat strategies, employing AGR-20F rockets (normally air-to-ground weapons) in air-to-air roles and reviving the older AIM-9M Sidewinder achieving the first air-to-air kill with that missile type in over 30 years. These decisions alone saved taxpayers more than $25 million.

Despite facing five separate surface-to-air missile engagements, Parks returned safely not by luck, but by unshakable resolve and razor-sharp judgment. Reflecting on the mission, Parks said, “The loneliness settles in … and then that transitioned very quickly to elation” when friendly command voices broke through his radio, guiding him home.

This is what real leadership looks like not in press briefings, but in the skies over enemy territory. While politicians bicker in Washington and the Biden administration struggles to project strength abroad, it’s men like Lt. Col. Parks who remind us what American excellence truly is.

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