{"id":17151,"date":"2017-12-01T21:18:57","date_gmt":"2017-12-01T21:18:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2017\/12\/01\/spooky-43-gunship-crew-honored-for-actions-during-grueling-afghan-battle\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T20:27:43","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T20:27:43","slug":"spooky-43-gunship-crew-honored-for-actions-during-grueling-afghan-battle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2017\/12\/01\/spooky-43-gunship-crew-honored-for-actions-during-grueling-afghan-battle\/","title":{"rendered":"Spooky 43 gunship crew honored for actions during grueling Afghan battle"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The 14 crewmembers of Spooky 43, an AC-130U gunship that fought a ferocious battle in Kunduz province, Afghanistan, last November were honored Wednesday with the Mackay Trophy for the \u201cmost meritorious flight of the year.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Stephen Wilson presented the trophy to the crew during the Arlington, Virginia, ceremony, the Air Force said in a Friday release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spooky 43 fought an intense, two-hour battle over Boz Kandahari, Afghanistan, on Nov. 2, 2016, to support a team of Army Special Forces soldiers, Afghan Army commandos and combat controller Staff Sgt. Richard Hunter, who were on a late-night mission to capture or kill Taliban leaders. In an August interview with Air Force Times, several members of Spooky 43 described fighting through smoke and overheating, malfunctioning weapons to keep their comrades on the ground safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In that interview, Maj. Aaron Hall, the fire control officer for Spooky 43, described how the gunners acted fast to keep loading the severely overheating 105mm cannon immediately before firing. If the shells stayed in the hot cannon too long, he said, they could have \u201ccooked off\u201d and exploded, destroying the plane.<\/p>\n\n\n\t