Lt. Col. William “Skate” Parks, an Air Force F-16 commander who deliberately flew into one of the most heavily defended air-defense zones in the Middle East and dodged enemy missiles for 15 minutes while dangerously low on fuel, has been awarded the Silver Star, one of the nation’s highest honors for valor in combat.
Parks received the medal during a Pentagon ceremony Nov. 26. According to an official Air Force release, his actions during a high-risk mission in early 2025 not only crippled enemy ballistic missile production facilities, but saved the lives of his wingman and likely prevented the loss of two American aircraft.
At the time, Parks was the commander of the 480th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron and served as mission commander for a 21-aircraft strike package March 27.
Parks simultaneously led a four-ship of F-16 Fighting Falcons tasked with Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses, or SEAD, the mission responsible for drawing enemy fire and clearing a path for the rest of the force.
“Parks intentionally placed himself in threat range of a complex air defense zone protecting the enemy’s capital,” the Air Force said. His decision, the citation states, was key to “crippling enemy ballistic missile production facilities.”
It also placed his formation squarely in the crosshairs. Enemy forces fired a “barrage of precisely targeted” missiles and anti-aircraft fire at the F-16s, triggering a 15-minute sequence of violent high-G maneuvers and countermeasures.
“For 15 minutes, with enemy missiles detonating mere feet from his aircraft, Parks led his flight through a series of high-G maneuvers and countermeasure employment,” the citation states.
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The danger didn’t end once the barrage stopped. Parks was still deep in enemy territory and below minimum fuel levels, according to the Air Force. He quickly coordinated an emergency rendezvous with two separate tankers to keep the jets airborne long enough to reach safety, a move the service said likely prevented the loss of two aircraft.
The citation concludes that Parks’ “courageous and steadfast actions directly contributed to the survival of his wingman and himself.”
Gen. Ken Wilsbach, Air Force chief of staff, who presented the Silver Star, stressed the rarity of the honor.
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“It’s a rare day when someone earns a Silver Star, with less than 100 being earned during the Air Force era,” Wilsbach said. “After hearing Skate’s story, his leadership, decisive action and skill in the face of danger, I absolutely believe he deserves this honor.”
Before Parks’ ceremony, only 96 Silver Stars had been awarded to Department of the Air Force personnel. Parks also received the Bronze Star Medal during the event.
The March mission occurred during an eight-month deployment in which Parks and the 480th EFS supported Operations Prosperity Guardian, Inherent Resolve, Spartan Shield and Rough Rider. The operations focused on countering Iranian-backed militants and hostile drone and missile threats across the region.
During that deployment, the squadron recorded 108 aerial victories against enemy drones and land-attack cruise missiles, a modern Air Force record, according to official releases. Parks is credited with pioneering cost-saving tactics that used AGR-20F rockets, traditionally air-to-ground weapons, in an air-to-air role and prioritized older AIM-9M Sidewinder missiles over newer AIM-9X variants. Those decisions saved more than $25 million and resulted in the first AIM-9M air-to-air kill in 30 years.
Six of the squadron’s 108 shootdowns protected the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman and its crew of more than 5,000 sailors. Parks “personally defended against five deadly surface-to-air missile engagements targeting his aircraft,” the Air Force said.
Speaking at the ceremony, Parks described the emotional whiplash of the mission from the moment he realized how alone he was over hostile territory to the relief of hearing friendly voices on the radio as he escaped the threat ring.
“The loneliness settles in … and then that transitioned very quickly to elation,” he said. As I got a little bit closer, the [command and control] agencies and the Air Force team started picking me up, and my requests of ‘Hey, I need help! We’re out of gas. I need tankers moved’.”
Parks said the award carries special meaning because of his family’s deep aviation legacy, which spans World War II, Vietnam and multiple generations of Air Force service.
“It is incredible, and this means a lot,” he said. “The amount of aviation and everything that we have in our family, that’s what shaped me and helped mold me.”
