Cmdr. Layne McDowell, 38, aboard the aircraft carrier John C. Stennis. He has flown sorties over Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. Tyler Hicks/The New York Times
A Changed Way Of War In Afghanistan’s Skies -- New York Times
INSIDE STRIKE FIGHTER VENGEANCE 13, over Kandahar Province, Afghanistan — Cmdr. Layne McDowell glanced over his left shoulder, through the canopy of a Navy F/A-18, to an Afghan canyon 9,000 feet below. An American infantry company was down there.
The soldiers had been inserted by helicopter. Now a ground controller wanted the three strike fighters circling overhead to send a sign — both to the grunts and to any Taliban fighters shadowing them as they walked.
Commander McDowell banked and aligned his jet’s nose with the canyon’s northeastern end. Then he followed his wingmen’s lead. He dived, pulled level at 5,000 feet and accelerated down the canyon’s axis at 620 miles per hour, broadcasting his proximity with an extended engine roar.
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More News On Afghanistan
ISAF Joint Command morning operational update -- Dvids
Scattered fighting reported in Afghanistan -- UPI
Taliban claims it shoots down helicopter in Helmand province -- The Telegraph
Afghan official: 3 killed in helicopter crash -- Yahoo News/AP
Eight Diggers sent home from Afghanistan after being caught drinking -- Daily Telegraph
Afghan snowfall: 16 dead in Badakhshan province -- BBC
NATO supply route closure leaves 1000s jobless -- CBS
Afghan militant leader 'ready for talks' - -AFP
Afghanistan: outlook remains bleak despite progress in some areas -- Alertnet
Afghanistan's future -- Sacramento Bee/McClatchy News
Looking For Mullah Omar: Will the United States be able to negotiate with a man it has hunted for a decade? -- Steve Coll, New Yorker
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