‘Missiles detonating mere feet away’: Air Force F-16 commander earns rare Silver Star for Middle East mission

Lt. Col. William "Skate" Parks, an Air Force F-16 commandant who deliberately flew into 1 of the astir heavy defended air-defense zones successful the Middle East and dodged force missiles for 15 minutes portion dangerously debased connected fuel, has been awarded the Silver Star, 1 of the nation’s highest honors for valor successful combat.

Parks received the medal during a Pentagon ceremonial connected Nov. 26. According to an authoritative Air Force release, his actions during a high-risk ngo successful aboriginal 2025 not lone crippled force ballistic rocket accumulation facilities, but besides saved the lives of his wingman and apt prevented the nonaccomplishment of 2 American aircraft.

At the time, Parks was the commandant of the 480th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron and served arsenic ngo commandant for a 21-aircraft onslaught bundle connected March 27.

Parks simultaneously led a four-ship of F-16 Fighting Falcons tasked with Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses, oregon SEAD, the ngo liable for drafting force occurrence and clearing a way for the remainder of the force.

PURPLE HEART RECIPIENT AND VETERAN ADVOCATE SGT. MICHAEL VERARDO LAID TO REST WITH HONORS AT ARLINGTON

Lt. Col. William Parks speaks to the assemblage during a ceremonial astatine the Pentagon. During the ceremony, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ken Wilsbach presented Parks with some the Silver and Bronze Star Medals. (Staff Sgt. Stuart Bright)

"Parks intentionally placed himself successful menace scope of a analyzable aerial defence portion protecting the enemy’s capital," the Air Force said. His decision, the citation states, was cardinal to "crippling force ballistic rocket accumulation facilities."

It besides placed his enactment squarely successful the crosshairs. Enemy forces fired a "barrage of precisely targeted" missiles and anti-aircraft occurrence astatine the F-16s, triggering a 15-minute series of convulsive high-G maneuvers and countermeasures.

"For 15 minutes, with force missiles detonating specified feet from his aircraft, Parks led his formation done a bid of high-G maneuvers and countermeasure employment," the citation reads.

TRAILBLAZING VIETNAM VETERAN MAJOR JAMES CAPERS JR HONORED WITH PATRIOT AWARD AT 88

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ken Wilsbach presents the Silver Star Medal to Lt. Col. William Parks during a ceremonial astatine the Pentagon connected Nov. 26, 2025. Parks besides received the Bronze Star Medal during the ceremony.  (Staff Sgt. Stuart Bright)

The information didn’t extremity erstwhile the barrage stopped. Parks was inactive heavy successful force territory and beneath minimum substance levels, according to the Air Force. He rapidly coordinated an exigency rendezvous with 2 abstracted tankers to support the jets airborne agelong capable to scope safety, a determination the work said apt prevented the nonaccomplishment of 2 aircraft.

The citation concludes that Parks’ "courageous and steadfast actions straight contributed to the endurance of his wingman and himself."

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ken Wilsbach, who presented the Silver Star, stressed the rarity of the honor.

INSIDE OPERATION MIDNIGHT HAMMER: B-2 COMMANDER REVEALS HOW US PULLED OFF SURPRISE STRIKES ON IRAN

The Silver Star Medal was presented to Lt. Col. William Parks during a ceremonial astatine the Pentagon. Before the ceremony, determination had been 96 Silver Stars presented to members of the Department of the Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photograph by Staff Sgt. Stuart Bright)

"It’s a uncommon time erstwhile idiosyncratic earns a Silver Star, with little than 100 being earned during the Air Force era," Wilsbach said. "After proceeding Skate’s story, his leadership, decisive action, and accomplishment successful the look of danger, I perfectly judge helium deserves this honor."

Before Parks’ ceremony, lone 96 Silver Stars had been awarded to Department of the Air Force personnel. Parks besides received the Bronze Star Medal during the event.

The March ngo occurred during an eight-month deployment successful which Parks and the 480th EFS supported Operations Prosperity Guardian, Inherent Resolve, Spartan Shield and Rough Rider. The operations focused connected countering Iranian-backed militants and hostile drone and rocket threats crossed the region.

During that deployment, the squadron recorded 108 aerial victories against force drones and land-attack cruise missiles, a modern Air Force record, according to authoritative releases. Parks is credited with pioneering cost-saving tactics that utilized AGR-20F rockets, traditionally air-to-ground weapons, successful an air-to-air role, and prioritized older AIM-9M Sidewinder missiles implicit newer AIM-9X variants. Those decisions saved much than $25 cardinal and resulted successful the archetypal AIM-9M air-to-air termination successful 30 years.

Six of the squadron’s 108 shoot-downs protected the craft bearer USS Harry S. Truman and its unit of much than 5,000 sailors. Parks himself "personally defended against 5 deadly surface-to-air rocket engagements targeting his aircraft," the Air Force said.

Speaking astatine the ceremony, Parks described the affectional whiplash of the ngo from the infinitesimal helium realized however unsocial helium was implicit hostile territory to the alleviation of proceeding affable voices connected the vigor arsenic helium escaped the menace ring.

"The loneliness settles in… and past that transitioned precise rapidly to elation," helium said. As I got a small spot closer, the [command and control] agencies and the Air Force squad started picking maine up, and my requests of ‘Hey, I request help! We’re retired of gas. I request tankers moved’."

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Parks said the grant carries peculiar meaning due to the fact that of his family’s heavy aviation legacy, which spans World War II, Vietnam and aggregate generations of Air Force service.

"It is incredible, and this means a lot," helium said. "The magnitude of aviation and everything that we person successful our family, that’s what shaped maine and helped mold me."