THE PROGRESS REPORT: Direct hit over Baghdad – the pilot who outflew a surface-to-air missile

How do you stay composed when your aircraft is struck by a surface-to-air missile over enemy territory, your hydraulics fail, and you’re staring down at the city of Baghdad? For Colonel (Ret’d) Kim Campbell, the answer wasn’t luck – it was 24 years of rigorous training, a “lead with courage” mindset, and the redundant, rugged engineering of the A-10 Warthog.

In this gripping episode, Tash Taylor sits down with one of the United States Air Force’s most courageous pilots to recount the harrowing mission on 7 April 2003 that earned her the Distinguished Flying Cross. Kim shares the split-second decision making required to fly a manual “cranks and pulleys” system for an hour-long flight back to safety, proving that while the jet doesn’t know your gender, it certainly knows your competence.

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