Charles Ramey

NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- As he flies a combat air patrol over the cities of Medina Wasl and Medina Jabal, Capt. James Russell pushes up the throttle on his F-16. His $20 million aircraft is running low on fuel and a KC-135 is standing by in the distance to top off the tanks, but it will have to wait. Soldiers are pinned down in a firefight below and he can hear the hail of gunfire over the radio as he checks in with the on-scene joint terminal attack controller.