Air Force pilots and combat systems officers and Navy/Marine Corps naval aviators and flight officers flying fighter aircraft, are often considered eligible to receive the Silver Star upon becoming an ace (i.e., having five or more confirmed aerial kills), which entails the pilot and, in multi-seat fighters, the weapons system officer or radar intercept officer, intentionally and successfully risking his life multiple times under combat conditions and emerging victorious. However, during the Vietnam War, the last conflict to produce U.S. fighter aces: an Air Force pilot and two navigators/weapon systems officers (who were later retrained as Air Force pilots), a naval aviator and a naval flight officer/radar intercept officer who had achieved this distinction, were eventually awarded the Air Force Cross and Navy Cross, respectively, in addition to SSMs previously awarded for earlier aerial kills.
air force pilots and combat systems officers and navy/marine corps naval aviators and flight officers flying fighter aircraft are often considered eligible to receive the silver star upon becoming an ace (ie having five or more confirmed aerial kills) which entails the pilot and in multi-seat fighters the weapons system officer or radar intercept officer intentionally and successfully risking his life multiple times under combat conditions and emerging victorious however during the vietnam war the last conflict to produce us fighter aces an air force pilot and two navigators/weapon systems officers (who were later retrained as air force pilots) a naval aviator and a naval flight officer/radar intercept officer who had achieved this distinction were eventually awarded the air force cross and navy cross respectively in addition to ssms previously awarded for earlier aerial kills