Category AIRFORCE

January 1 At Falcon Air Force Base, Colorado, the 7th Space Operations Squadron is the first Reserve space unit activated.

January 3 President George H. W. Bush and President Boris Yeltsin of Rus­sia conclude the second Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START II), which

eliminates all multiple, independently tar­geted reentry vehicles (MIRV), and reduces the number of nuclear weapons bombers can carry.

JANUARY 13 Over Iraq, Air Mobility

Command (AMC) transports con­vey forces to support SOUTHERN WATCH II, the no-fly zone near Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

Air Force Major Susan J. Helms becomes the first U. S. military female in space when she enters orbit in the space shuttle Endeavor.

JANUARY 17 Over Iraq, an F-16 detects a MiG-23 and destroys it with an AIM-120 “Slammer” missile as it covers an F-4G Wild Weasel mission against Iraqi antiair­craft sites.

JANUARY 18 Over Iraq, F-4G Wild Weasels shoot back at an Iraqi missile site that fired upon them; F-16s also bomb an airfield whose antiaircraft gun had opened upon them.

In Zagreb, Croatia, a joint air opera­tions cell arises to coordinate airlifting supplies by aircraft of the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Canada.

FEBRUARY 2 Air Force transports deliver medical and humanitarian aid to Zagreb, Croatia, as ethnic fighting in the former region of Yugoslavia intensifies. Opera­tion provide promise will expand this effort with direct airdrops to Muslims fleeing a Serbian advance.

February 13-March 9 Operation

provide refuge commences as Air Mobility Command (AMC) trans­ports fly supplies from Hawaii to Kwaja- lein Atoll to assist 535 Chinese sailors who defected after their vessel broke down.

FEBRUARY 19 The 64th Flying Train ing Wing introduces the new T-1A Jayhawk trainer to prospective student pilots.

FEBRUARY 28 Over eastern Bosnia, Operation provide promise continues as transports of the 435th Airlift Wing air­drop supplies to Muslim refugees fleeing Serb forces.

March 13-14 In Florida, the 301st Rescue Squadron dispatches helicopters to save 93 victims of heavy flooding brought about by a blizzard blanketing the Gulf Coast region.

March 31 Operation deny flight, a

no-fly zone over Bosnia, is established by the United Nations. It becomes effec­tive on April 5 and is aimed at limiting Serbian use of airplanes in the Bosnian civil war.

April 19-24 In Siberia, aircraft of the

Russian and U. S. air forces conduct joint rescue operations for the first time.

May 17-29 Over Cambodia, Air Mobil­ity Command (AMC) C-5s and C-151s fly 24 missions conveying UN troops to supervise the first free elections held since 1970.

JUNE 11 Over Somalia, AC-130 Spectre gunships participate in Operation CON­TINUE HOpE by attacking Somali warlords who had shelled UN ground forces on June 5.

JUNE 14 At Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina, the first C-17A Globe – master IIIs are accepted by the 437th Air­lift Wing. This is the first Air Force transport capable of hauling oversized cargo loads to relatively short, unprepared runways.

June 17 At Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, Lieutenant Colonel Patricia Fornes assumes control of the 740th Missile Squadron, becoming the first woman to command a combat missile unit.

June 29 At Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, the prototype OC-135B air­craft flies for the first time, being designed to function over nations participating in the Open Skies Treaty.

July 1 The new Air Education and Training Command (AETC) absorbs the Air Training Command (ATC) and the Air University (AU).

The Twentieth Air Force, which con­trols and monitors daily operations of the intercontinental ballistic missile force, falls under the purview of the Air Force Space Command (AFSPACECOM).

At Vandenberg Air Force Base, Cali­fornia, the Fourteenth Air Force is assigned missile warning and space sur­veillance missions under the aegis of the Air Force Space Command (AFSPACE – COM).

July 5—12 In Macedonia, transports of the Air Mobility Command (AMC) deliver Army troops and their equipment from Germany to bolster UN peace­keeping efforts there.

July 11-AUGUST 1 In the Midwest a huge flood inundates eight states along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. Air Force C-5 and C-141 transports deliver 800 tons of relief equipment, including 1 million empty sandbags, to assist the res­idents.

AUGUST 6 In Washington, D. C., Dr.

Sheila E. Widnall gains appointment as the secretary of the Air Force; she is the first woman to hold the position.

AUGUST 11—15 In Nepal, the 436th Air­lift Wing dispatches three C-5 Galaxies to Nepal after floodwaters wash out several bridges; they convey 190 tons of bridge components made in England.

AUGUST 18 At White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, Air Force Space and Missile Center (SMC) personnel observe the first launch ofthe Delta Clip­per Experimental (DC-X) vertical takeoff and landing rocket.

OCTOBER 1 At Barksdale, Louisiana, the 93rd Bomber Squadron becomes the first Air Force Reserve unit to employ B-52 bombers.

OCTOBER 2—4 In Bombay, India, the Air Mobility Command dispatches two C-5 Galaxies carrying 1,000 rolls of plastic sheeting, 950 tents, and nearly 19,000 five-gallon water containers for survivors of recent earthquakes.

OCTOBER 3—4 In Mogadishu, Somalia, Air Force pararescueman Technical Ser­geant Tim Wilkerson rescues and treats five wounded U. S. Army Rangers; he receives the Air Force Cross.

OCTOBER 5—13 Over Mogadishu,

Somalia, Operation restore hope ii com­mences once Air Mobility Command (AMC) C-5s and C-141s deliver 18 Abrams tanks, 44 Bradley fighting vehicles, and 1,300 troops to bolster the American peacekeeping force.

OCTOBER 8 Over Bosnia, Operation

provide hope is the Air Force’s longest, most continuous airlift operation; it is surpassed only by the Berlin Airlift, 1948-1949.

NOVEMBER Lieutenant Colonel Betty Mul- lis takes control of the 336th Air Refueling

Squadron, becoming the first woman to command an Air Force Reserve unit.

December 2—13 At Cape Canaveral, Florida, the space shuttle Endeavor goes aloft under the command of Air Force Colonel Richard O. Covey. Its mission is to repair the $2 billion Hubble space telescope which is in need of a “contact lens” to correct its malformed main lens.

December 8 In accordance with the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, the Air Force begins destroying the first of 450 Minuteman II missile silos.

December 17 At Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, the first B-2A Spirit bomber, The Spirit of Missouri, deploys with the 393rd Bomb Squadron.

JANUARY 13 Major H. J. Deutschendorf breaks six world speed records in his B-58 Hustler by flying 1,200.2 miles per hour over a closed course while carrying a 4,408 pound payload and a three-man crew.

JANUARY 22 The Air Force selects the new Titan II launch vehicle to loft the Dyna-Soar into orbit.

JANUARY 31 At Cape Canaveral, a chim­panzee named Ham (Holloman Aero Medical) is blasted into orbit by a Red­stone rocket. His Mercury capsule is safely recovered and Ham exhibits no ill effects from his 18-minute ride.

At Point Arguello, California, an Atlas – Agena rocket booster launches SAMOS II, a 4,100-pound photographic test satellite, into orbit.

At Cape Canaveral, an LGM-130 Minuteman ICBM is launched for the first time and travels 4,600 miles downrange. This is a three-stage solid-propellant weapon and designed to replace more dangerous, labor-intense liquid-fueled designs.

FEBRUARY 3 The Strategic Air Com­mand initiates the new Looking Glass program. This entails keeping modified KC-135 tankers, converted into fly­ing communication centers, airborne 24 hours a day, all year long. These craft are in constant touch with the Joint Chiefs of Staff and all SAC bases and air­planes should a preemptive enemy strike wipe out American command structures.

MARCH 6 At Wichita, Kansas, Boeing unveils its first B-52H Stratofortress, which is equipped with economical turbofan engines and is capable of carry­ing the GAM-87A Skybolt air-to-surface missile.

MARCH 7 The North American X-15 hypersonic research aircraft is flown by Major Robert M. White to 2,905 miles per hour; White thus becomes the first man to exceed Mach 4.

The GAM-72A Quail missile is authorized to serve as an electronic diver­sionary missile on B-52 bombers, enhancing its survivability.

MARCH 17 At Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, the first Northrop T-38 Talon jet trainer is deployed with the Air Training Command. It is still widely in use to present times.

April 1 This day the Air Force Air Materiel Command is renamed the Air Force Logistics Command (AFLC), and the Air Research and Development Command becomes known as the Air Force Systems Command (AFSC).

April 12 In another memorable event, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space and the first to orbit the Earth.

April 17 At Vernalis, California, a constant-altitude balloon designed by the Air Force Cambridge Research Center deploys at 70,000 feet for nine days while carrying a 40-pound payload.

April 19 During the ill-fated Bay of Pigs invasion, four Air National Guard B-26 crew members are shot down over Cuba and killed.

April 21 The X-15 hypersonic rocket airplane flown by Captain Robert M. White zooms to 105,000 feet at a speed of 3,074 miles per hour. This is the first aircraft to reach that velocity.

May 2 Over Paris, France, the B-58 Hus­tler Fire Fly touches down after traveling from New York in 3 hours and 56 minutes; this is a new transatlantic record.

May 3 At Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, the Air Force Systems Command (AFSC) launches the first Titan I ICBM from a hard “silo lift” launcher.

May 5 At Cape Canaveral, U. S. Navy commander Alan B. Shepard, Jr., becomes the first American in space when his capsule Friendship 7 is lofted into a suborbital flight of15 minutes and 28 sec­onds.

May 26 In Paris, a B-58 Hustler flown by Major William R. Payne, Captain Wil­liam L. Pollemus, and Captain Raymond Wegener, 43rd Bombardment Wing, arrives from New York in only 3 hours and 20 minutes. They average 1,300 miles per hour and win the Mackay Trophy for their flight, which commemorates the 34th anniversary of Charles Lindbergh’s crossing.

June 1 At Kincheloe Air Force Base,

Michigan, the first Bomarc-B site becomes operational.

June 3 Over Paris, France, the B-58 Hustler Fire Fly stalls and crashes at the Paris Air Show, killing all three crew members.

June 9 The Military Air Transport Ser­vice (MATS) obtains its first C-135A Stratotlifter as the process of switching over from piston-powered aircraft to jets begins.

June 23 The X-15 hypersonic research

aircraft flown by Major Robert M. White reaches 3,603 miles per hour; White is the first man to exceed Mach 5.

June 30 In Washington, D. C., General

Curtis E. LeMay gains appointment as the new Air Force chief of staff.

July The Strategic Air Command (SAC) orders 50 percent of all airborne assets on a 15-minute ground launch alert to deter a surprise attack.

July 1 The North American Air Defense Command (NORAD) begins cataloging all man-made space objects with a special detection and tracking computer system.

The Air Force Communications System (AFCS) begins and is tasked with communications and air traffic control at all Air Force bases around the globe.

July 12 An Air Force Agena-B launch rocket places the MIDAS II satellite in orbit using new “kick in the apogee” technology, whereby a second-stage booster is ignited at the apogee of the first stage, pushing the satellite out to 1,850 miles above the Earth’s surface.

July 21 At Cape Canaveral, Florida, Air Force captain Virgil I. “Gus” Grissom becomes the second American in space when a Redstone booster blasts his Liberty Bell 7 Mercury capsule to a height of 118 miles at 5,310 miles per hour.

AUGUST 8 At Cape Canaveral, Florida, the Air Force test fires its first Atlas F missile. This version is designed for long-term storage of liquid-fuel propel­lants and will be deployed in hardened silos.

AUGUST 24 Aviatrix Jacqueline Cochran sets a new women’s speed record of 844.2 miles per hour in a Northrop T – 38 Talon.

AUGUST 25 Lockheed’s improved C – 130E Hercules transport performs its maiden flight.

September 8 A T-38 Talon flown by aviatrix Jacqueline Cochran sets a new women’s 1,000-kilometer closed course

speed record by hitting 639.4 miles per hour.

SEPTEMBER 15 Aviatrix Jacqueline Co­chran sets another women’s world dis­tance record by flying 1,346.4 miles in a Northrop T-38.

SEPTEMBER 19 At Gunter Air Force Base, Alabama, a Bomarc B automated inter­ceptor rises to 7 miles in altitude before destroying a supersonic Regulus II drone 250 miles away. To do so the Bomarc had to complete a 180-degree turn to intercept.

OCTOBER 1 With the Berlin Wall Crisis in full play, Operation stairstep unfolds, whereby 18,500 Air National Guardsmen report for active duty while ANG units are activated for service in Europe.

October 11 The X-15 hypersonic rocket research aircraft flown by Major Robert M. White zooms to an altitude of 217,000 feet—becoming the first manned aircraft to exceed 200,000 feet above the Earth.

OCTOBER 12 Aviatrix Jacqueline

Cochran flies her T-38 Talon to a new women’s altitude record of56,071 feet.

OCTOBER 18 An Air Force Kaman H – 43B helicopter rises to a record altitude of 32,840 feet.

OCTOBER 20 In Southeast Asia, the first RF-101C Voodoos are dispatched to fly over North Vietnam to monitor Com­munist troops activities.

November 9 The X-15 hypersonic rocket research aircraft flown by Major Robert M. White reaches 4,000 miles per hour at 101,600 feet. This is the X- 15’s 45th flight and the first time it has exceeded Mach 6.

The Farm Gate Air Commando detachment arrives in south Vietnam to instruct Vietnamese pilots how to fly T – 28 Trojan ground-attack aircraft. The advisers also bring along numerous sC – 47s and B-26 Invaders.

November 15 At Saigon, South Viet­nam, the 2nd Advanced Echelon, Thir­teenth Air Force deploys for active duty, officially initiating U. S. Air Force partici­pation in the Vietnam War.

November 17 At Cape Canaveral, Florida, a Minuteman ICBM is launched from a silo for the first time and travels

3,0 miles downrange as planned.

November 21 At Cape Canaveral, Florida, the 6555th Aerospace Test Wing launches an Air Force Titan ICBM with a nose cone designed for Nike-Zeus anti­missile testing.

November 22 The Air Force launches a highly secret SAMOS reconnaissance sat­ellite atop an Atlas-Agena rocket booster.

November 29 At Cape Canaveral, two chimpanzees are launched in a Mercury space capsule, which orbits the Earth twice before being safely recov­ered.

December 1 At Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, the 10th Strategic Missile Squadron becomes the first active Minuteman unit.

DECEMBER 15 At Sioux City, Iowa, the North American Air Defense Com­mand’s SAGE system becomes opera­tional after its 21st control center is finished and activated.

January 1 At Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, the 479th Tactical Training Wing forms with three squad­rons of AT-38B Talons. These aircraft have been modified with gunsights and form the backbone of the Fighter Lead – in School.

January 8 At Marietta, Georgia, the first production C-141B “stretched” transport rolls off the assembly line. This new version is 23 feet longer, and is capable of in-flight refueling for unlim­ited range.

January 31 – February 11 At Buffalo, New York, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Military Airlift Command transports arrive with 1,160 tons of snow removal equipment following a massive blizzard.

MARCH 23 At Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, the first Boeing E-3A is deliv­ered to the Tactical Air Command (TAC). This airborne command and con­trol station is characterized by a large rotating disk on its back.

MARCH 27—30 At Tenerife, Canary Islands, Air Force C-141s arrive to assist survivors of civil aviation’s worst disaster when two Boeing 747s collide. C-130s also arrive with medical teams and equip­ment.

May At Colorado Springs, Colorado, the U. S. Air Force Academy selects the De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter for its par­achute jump program. It receives the new designation UV-18B.

May 2 Lieutenant Christine E. Schott is the first woman to solo in a T-38 Talon trainer as part of the Air Force University undergraduate flying program.

May 19 A B-52 flown by Captain James A. Yule experiences a severe in-flight emergency, yet he manages to bring his aircraft in for a safe landing; he wins a Mackay Trophy.

June 16 In Moscow, Soviet Union, a C-5A Galaxy arrives carrying a large superconducting magnet to support a joint U. S.-USSR energy research project. The flight, nonstop from Chi­cago, Illinois, required two in-flight refu­elings and wins the crew a Mackay Trophy.

June 30 In Washington, D. C., President Jimmy Carter cancels the B-1A bomber after four prototypes have been con­structed; however, he also orders testing and research to continue.

AUGUST 3 At Colorado Springs, Colo­rado, Cadet Colonel Edward A. Rice, Jr., becomes the first African American Cadet Wing Commander at the Air Force Academy.

AUGUST 4 At Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, the Air Force dispatches it last operational T-33 Shooting Star trainer to the “bone yard.”

AUGUST 12 Over Edwards Air Force Base, California, the space shuttle Enterprise makes its first glide test with Air Force fighter pilot Fred Haise and Colonel C. Gordon Fullerton in con­trol. It glides in safely from 22,800 feet while an estimated 70,000 onlookers cheer.

September 2 Another gender barrier falls as the first 10 female Air Force pilots are given their wings.

SEPTEMBER 30 From Charleston, South Carolina, a C-141 Starlifter flies across the Atlantic without a navi­gator, being guided instead by a Delco inertial guidance system. This new tech­nology leads to navigators being phased out.

OCTOBER 1 In the Panama Canal Zone,

C-130s from the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard arrive at Howard Air Force Base as part of a new series of quarterly deployments entitled Operation

VOLANT OAK.

OCTOBER 12 At Colorado Springs, Colorado, the first five female navi­gators graduate from the Air Force Academy’s undergraduate navigator training (UNT).

JANUARY 4 At Rhein-Main Air Base, Germany, the 435th Airlift Wing dispatches a C-130 Hercules with relief supplies to Bosnia. This unit consists of both Reserve and Air National Guard members.

January 10 Off the coast of Iceland, HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters Air Rescue 206 and 208, 56th Rescue Squadron, save six sailors from a stranded tugboat amidst heavy seas; they receive a Mackay Trophy.

JANUARY 13 At Soesterberg Air Base, the Netherlands, the last remaining F-15s of the 32nd Fighter Group depart, ending a 40-year American presence there.

January 17-25 C-5s and C-141s

deliver 150 tons of relief supplies and 270 medical personnel after parts of Southern California are struck by a powerful earthquake.

February KC-135 tanker aircraft sup­porting Operation deny flight in Bosnia receive permission to overfly French air­space for the first time in 20 years.

February 3 At Hondo Field, Texas, the Air Education and Training Command receives the first T-3A enhanced flight screening aircraft.

February 5 A crew from the 317th Air­lift Squadron, an Air Force Reserve unit, checks out in a new C-17 Globemaster III for the first time.

After a Serbian mortar attack in Sarajevo kills 68 and injures 200, four C-130s are dispatched to fly the wounded to medical facilities in Germany.

February 7 The Air Force Space Com­mand launches a Titan IV/Centaur rocket which hurls the first Military Stra­tegic and Tactical Relay Satellite into orbit. This device enhances ready, secure communications around the world during any conflict.

FEBRUARY 10 Lieutenant Jeannie Flynn becomes the Air Force’s first female F-15E-qualified fighter pilot.

February 18 At Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, the last remaining F-4G Wild Weasels depart for Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.

February 25 Bitburg Air Base, Ger­many, is closed by the Air Force, which begins transferring F-15s of the 53rd

Fighter Squadron over to Spangdahlem Air Base.

FEBRUARY 28 Over Bosnia-Herzegovina, Operation deny flight heats up when an F-16 piloted by Lieutenant Robert Wright, 526th Fighter Squadron, spots four Serbian J-1 Super Galeb attack air­craft violating the “no-fly zone.” He brings down three with Sidewinder and AIM-120 Slammer missiles while another F-16 downs the final Jastreb. The F-16’s aerial record is now 69 kills and no losses. This is also NATO’s first-ever military action.

MARCH The new T-3A flight screening aircraft is ordered to replace the older T-41 Mescalero trainer, which has been in service with the Air Force since 1964.

At Edwards Air Force Base, California, an AGM-84 Harpoon antiship missile is fired by an F-16 for the first time.

MARCH 13 At Vandenberg Air Force Base, two military satellites are placed into orbit for the first time by a Taurus booster rocket.

MARCH 15 In Washington, D. C., after the director of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum unveils plans to exhibit the B-29 Enola Gay as a prop in a politi­cally correct revisionist diatribe, an public outcry from Congress, veterans groups, and the news media halts the attempt in its tracks; the director is subsequently fired for distorting national history.

MARCH 18 In California, Norton Air Force Base, which has served as an im­portant aircraft repair depot for 52 years, is ordered shut down.

MARCH 25 In Somalia, an Air Force C-5 Galaxy departs, removing the last Ameri­can military personnel still there and end­ing Operation RESTORE HOPE.

MARCH 31 Aviano Air Base, Italy, is upgraded to become a NATO main operating base.

In light of ongoing aerial operations over Bosnia, two F-16 fighters arrive there to support them.

April At Ellsworth Air Force Base, the final 150 Minuteman II missiles are removed to comply with the 1992 Stra­tegic Arms Reduction treaty.

April 6—12 In Africa, Operation distant

runner commences as Air Force trans­ports evacuate citizens and foreign nationals from Bujumbura, Burundi, to Nairobi, Kenya. A genocidal civil war has broken out.

April 7 A Rockwell B-1B Lancer piloted by Captain Michael S. Menser sets a world speed record of 599.59 miles per hour by flying between Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota, and Mullan, Idaho. Concurrently, a Lancer flown by Captain R. F. Lewandowski sets another speed record of 594.61 miles per hour over the same course.

APRIL 10 Over Bosnia, two Air Force F – 16Cs destroy a Bosnian Serb Army com­mand post near Gorazde in retaliation for an attack on UN personnel. This is also NATO’s first air-to-ground attack, and the first close support mission of Operation DENY FLIGHT.

April 14 Over northern Iraq, F-15C fighters of the 53rd Fighter Squadron misidentify and accidentally down two Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters in the northern no-fly zone, killing 15 Americans and 11 international observers. The pilots believed they were Russian- built Mi-24 Hind gunships of the Iraqi Air Force.

May 3 At Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, the last operational B – 52G is retired to the bone yard. How­ever, the fan-jet powered B-52H contin­ues serving into the 21st century.

May 6 At Tucson, Arizona, Lieutenant Leslie DeAnn Crosby becomes the first female Air Force Reserve fighter pilot once she passes through the F-16 RTU.

May 7—9 In Yemen, the outbreak of civil strife prompts six Air Mobility Command (AMC) transports to evacuate 623 citi­zens and foreign nationals to safety.

May 8 The Air Mobility Command (AMC) dispatches five C-141 Starlifters in support of Operation provide promise in Bosnia. By July 26, they will deliver 7,000 tons of supplies.

May 11-17 From Turkey, Operation provide assistance unfolds as Air Mobility Command (AMC) C-141 Starlifters con­vey 329 tons of supplies to thousands of refugees in Rwanda; they ultimately deliver 10,000 rolls of plastic sheeting and 100,000 blankets.

June-September As raging forest fires consume 2 million acres throughout six Western states, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard C-130 aircraft douse afflicted regions with 5 million gallons of fire retardant.

June 3 At Edwards Air Force Base, California, a C-17 Globemaster III piloted by Major Andre A. Gerner establishes a record 44,088 pounds to 6,600 feet.

June 22-30 In to Uganda, Air Mobility Command (AMC) C-5 Galaxies and C-141 Starlifters transport armored vehicles to assist UN peacekeeping forces in neighboring Rwanda.

June 24 The Lockheed F-117 stealth bom­ber receives the official designation “Night – hawk.” Previously, air crews referred to it as the “Wobblin’ Goblin” and “Black Jet.”

June 26 In the Ukraine, a C-5 Galaxy of the 60th Military Airlift Wing carries a 34-ton magnetic resonance imaging sys­tem for victims of the 1986 nuclear acci­dent at Chernobyl.

June 30 In Berlin, Germany, Detach­ment I, 435th Airlift Wing, is deactivated 46 years after the famous Berlin Airlift.

July The last production McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is delivered to the Air Force.

After Tropical Storm Alberto ravages the Georgia coastline, aircraft of the 507th Air Refueling Group flies in 1,000 pounds of supplies to assist flood victims.

July 1 In Kansas, the 184th Bomb Group becomes the first Air National Guard (Kansas ANG) unit to fly B-1B Lancers.

The Air Combat Command (ACC) yields responsibility for the nation’s nuclear ballistic missiles to the Air Force Space Command (AFSPACECOM), and now manages all missile warning, space surveillance, space launch, and satellite control functions.

July 21 Over Bosnia, small arms fire damages a C-141 Starlifter, and humani­tarian operations are temporarily sus­pended. The aircraft returns to Rhein – Main Air Base, Germany, with 25 holes in its fuselage and wings.

At Ramstein Air Base, Germany, the Air Force transfers F-16s of the 86th Fighter Wing to Aviano Air Base, Italy, thereby concluding all fighter operations there.

July 24-October 6 Over Zaire, Operation support hope begins as Air Mobility Command (AMC) transports fly in humanitarian relief to thousands of refugees in nearby Rwanda. A total of 3,660 tons of supplies is delivered by air­craft from 22 airlift wings.

AUGUST 2 At Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, two B-52s from the 2nd Bomb Wing circumnavigate the globe in 47.2 continuous hours and five aerial refuel­ings, setting a new world record. They then land in Kuwait on the fourth anni­versary of the Iraqi invasion.

AUGUST 3 A B-52 launches a Pegasus

rocket at high altitude, which then suc­cessfully places a satellite in Earth orbit.

AUGUST 4 Brigadier General Susan L. Pamerleau becomes the first female com­mander of the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps.

In Kansas, two B-1B Lancers from the 384th Bomb Group and the 184th Bomb Group (Kansas ANG), fly a 19-hour non­stop mission to Hawaii in another display of strategic air power.

AUGUST 5 Over Bosnia, after heavy weapons are stolen from a UN com­pound, two A-10 Thunderbolt IIs destroy a Serbian armored vehicle near Sarajevo in retaliation.

AUGUST 24—25 On Johnston Island, Pacific Ocean, Air Force transports evacuate over 1,000 people as a huge typhoon approaches.

August 31-September 10 In Cuba, Operation safe haven unfolds as the Air Force transports thousands of Cuban and Haitian refugees from crowded facilities at Guantanamo Bay to Panama.

September 9 At Cape Canaveral, Florida, the space shuttle Discovery lifts off with a crew of four Air Force officers and two civilian technicians.

SEPTEMBER 19 In Haiti, Air Force trans­ports supply logistical support throughout the life of Operation uphold democracy.

September 26 At Poltava Air Base, Ukraine, a B-52 Stratofortess, a B-1B Lancer, and a KC-10 Extender make the first appearance of American warplanes since the shuttle-bombing missions of World War II.

October 4 F-16 Falcons replace the few

remaining F-4G Wild Weasel air defense suppression aircraft.

OCTOBER 10 In Kuwait, Operation vigi­lant warrior unfolds as Air Force war­planes arrive to deter possible Iraqi aggression in the Persian Gulf region. Within days the number of aircraft increases from 77 to 270, including F – 15s, F-16s, and A-10s.

OCTOBER 14—16 At Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, two C-17 Globemaster Ills perform their first logistical mission by conveying military supplies to Saudi Arabia. This 17.2-hour jaunt is also the longest flight logged by C-17s to date.

OCTOBER 26 In Washington, D. C., General Ronald R. Fogleman gains appointment as the Air Force chief of staff; he is also the first Air Force Acad­emy graduate to hold this position. Chief Master Sergeant David J. Campanale also becomes chief master sergeant of the Air Force.

OCTOBER 30 At Vladivostok, Russia, a C-141 Starlifter arrives, loaded with 20 tons of medical supplies, blankets, and tarpaulins to assist flood victims.

October 31-November 1 In Kuwait,

a pair of B-1B Lancers fly nonstop for 25 hours from Ellsworth Air Force Base, North Dakota, to reach a bombing range.

This mission also marks the B-1’s opera­tional debut in the Persian Gulfregion.

NOVEMBER 6—8 In Egypt, a pair of C – 141 Starlifters arrives with 37 tons of relief goods to assist the victims of recent flash flooding.

November 21—23 Over occupied Croatia, NATO and the Air Force strike Serbian airfields and missile sites at Ubdina, in retaliation for a Serb attack on Bihac.

In Kazakhstan, Project sapphire unfolds as two C-5 Galaxies remove 1,300 pounds of enriched uranium to Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, for safekeeping from terrorists.

December 17-21 In Albania, the 94th Air Lift Wing dispatches a C-130 Her­cules loaded with clothing, furniture, and beds to assist orphan shelters there.

December 22 At Edwards Air Force Base, the first of three Lockheed SR-71 Blackbirds arrives; they have been reacti­vated for research purposes.

December 29 Off the coast of Ireland, the 56th Rescue Squadron dispatches helicopters that save eight Dutch sailors from their sinking vessel.

JANUARY This month the Air Force dis­bands the Trailblazers, a precision flying demonstration team first formed in 1948.

JANUARY 7 At Tan Son Nhut Air Base, South Vietnam, C-123 Providers are assigned to Operation ranch hand, a massive defoliation campaign, to deny communist units cover in the jungle undergrowth. This project lasts nine years and is not finally halted until January 7, 1991.

January 10—11 A B-52H flown by Major clyde P. Evely sets a new unrefu­eled flight distance of 12,532 miles by fly­ing between Okinawa to Madrid, Spain, in 22 hours and 10 minutes.

JANUARY 13 Over South Vietnam, Air Force C-123 Providers fly the first ranch hand defoliation mission.

JANUARY 29 At Cape Canaveral, Florida, the final Titan I ICBM test firing occurs; of 47 tests, 34 are successful while only 3 are complete failures.

FEBRUARY 2 Over South Vietnam, a ranch hand C-123 crashes while on a defoliant training mission, and Captain Fergus C. Groves, Captain Robert D. Larson, and Sergeant Milo B. Coghill become the Air Force’s first fatalities in Southeast Asia.

FEBRUARY 11 In Berlin, East Germany, U-2 pilot Francis G. Powers is exchanged for a Soviet agent after serving a year and a half in a Russian prison for spying.

MARCH 5 A B-58 Hustler flown by Captains Robert G. Sowers, Robert MacDonald, and John T. Walton, 43rd

Bombardment Group, establishes three world air speed records by flying from New York to Los Angeles and back in 4 hours, 41 minutes, and 11 seconds at an average speed of 1,044.5 miles per hour.

MARCH 16 At Cape Canaveral, Florida, the 100-foot tall Titan II missile is test launched for the first time.

MARCH 21 A B-58 Hustler, traveling at 870 miles per hour, test ejects an escape capsule at 35,000 feet. The passenger—a bear—lands safely after a seven-minute parachute descent.

MARCH 22 At Tan Son Nhut Air Base, South Vietnam, four Convair F-102 Delta Daggers are deployed from Clark Air Force Base, the Philippines, in response to sightings of unidentified air­craft over the region.

APRIL 18—20 At Lowry Air Force Base, Colorado, the 724th Strategic Missile Squadron (SMS) becomes the first operational Titan I unit. It possesses nine of the huge missiles, all stored in hardened underground silos. The first Titan goes on operational alert two days later.

APRIL 22 Aviatrix Jacqueline Cochran breaks 68 world records when she becomes the first woman to cross the Atlantic in a Lockheed Jetstar named Scarlet O’Hara. She is also the first woman to make a transatlantic crossing in a jet.

APRIL 26 The high-speed, high-altitude Lockheed A-12 makes its maiden flight; it is a forebear of the more famous SR- 71 Blackbird.

April 27 At Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, the Special Air Warfare Center is created.

June 19 The classified Dyna-Soar space vehicle receives the designation X-20.

June 29 At Cape Canaveral, Florida, a military crew launches a Minuteman mis­sile for the first time and it flies 2,300 miles downrange.

July 9 Over Johnson Island in the Pacific, Operation dominic unfolds as a 1 megaton warhead is shot to an altitude of248 miles before being detonated. This is the highest thermonuclear blast and the electromagnetic pulse it generates is felt 800 miles away in Hawaii.

July 17 The X-15-1 hypersonic rocket aircraft piloted by Major Robert M. White reaches an altitude of 58.7 miles above the Earth’s surface at a speed of 3,784 miles per hour. Because White is technically in space, he becomes the first Edwards test pilot to acquire astronaut’s wings.

July 19 At Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, an Atlas missile is launched towards Kwajalein Island, where its nose cone is successfully intercepted by a Nike-Zeus antimissile missile. This marks the first time that an ICBM has been intercepted by a missile, the equivalent of one bullet hitting another.

August 1 At Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, an Atlas F missile is test launched for the first time from an under­ground silo, and it travels 5,000 miles downrange to the Pacific Test Range.

August 9 At Cape Canaveral, Florida, the Air Force simultaneously launches two Atlas D missiles to demonstrate its multiple countdown capabilities.

September 14 NASA announces the names of the next nine astronauts selected for the new Gemini space program. Of these, four are Air Force officers: Major Frank Borman, and Captains James A. McDivitt, Edward H. White, and Thomas P. Stafford.

September 18 A B-58 Hustler flown by Major Fitzhugh L. Fulton zooms to an altitude of 85,360 feet while carrying an 11,000-pound payload. The record remains unbroken to the present day.

OCTOBER 14 Over Cuba, a U-2 piloted by Major Steve Heyser, 4080th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, photographs irrefutable evidence of Soviet ballistic missiles deployed there. This sets in motion a chain of events culminating in the Cuban Missile Crisis.

OCTOBER 17 High above the Earth, a Vela Hotel satellite detects a ground – based nuclear explosion for the first time.

October 17—22 Over Cuba, the U. S. Air Force U-2s and RF-101Cs, backed by Navy RF-8 aircraft, continue high­speed reconnaissance flights and discover several Soviet IL-28 Beagle bombers on Cuban airfields.

OCTOBER 22 Once President John F. Kennedy declares a blockade of Cuba until all Soviet offensive weapons are removed, the Strategic Air Comm­and (SAC) places all its units on 24-hour alert. All B-47s are dispersed for their protection while B-52s maintain a continuous orbit outside of Soviet air­space where they can easily be seen on radar.

OCTOBER 25 Over the Atlantic, the Strategic Air Command (SAC) sends RB-47s and KC-97 Stratotankers to assist the Navy to locate Soviet vessels heading for Cuba.

October 27 Over Cuba, a U-2 piloted

by Major Rudolph Anderson of the 4080th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing is shot down and killed by a Soviet missile. He is posthumously awarded the first Air Force Cross for his sacrifice.

At Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, all Minuteman I missiles of the 10th Strategic Missile Squadron are placed on high alert.

October 28 After the Soviet Union agrees to remove all its offensive weapons from Cuba, the Air Force and other service elements begin to stand down. The United States, for its part, agrees to remove all obsolete Jupiter missiles from bases in Turkey.

OCTOBER 29 Over Cuba, photographic intelligence relayed by Air Force RF – 101C Voodoos reveals that the Soviets are complying with the agreement to remove all missiles and jets from the island.

NOVEMBER 2 In the wake of the Chinese invasion of northern India, President John F. Kennedy authorizes Operation long skip to transfer over 1,000 tons of military equipment to Indian forces. The Miliary Air Transport Service (MATS) complies with its new C-135 jet trans­ports and completes the task in only two weeks.

NOVEMBER 24 General Dynamics and Grumman contract with the Department of Defense to construct and build the new Tactical Fighter Experimental (TFX), a variable-swept wing, twin – engined jet fighter capable of carrying

20,0 pounds of ordnance at two-and – a-half times the speed of sound.

December 5 At Cape Canaveral, Florida, the Atlas missile test program ter­minates with the 151st launch; 101 of these are successful.

DECEMBER 13—14 Over New Mexico, Project stargazer unfolds as Captain Joseph A. Kittinger and a civilian astrono­mer, William C. White, drift to 82,000 feet with a telescope in their gondola for the clearest possible view of the stars. They remain aloft for 18 hours.

December 27 The Air Force orders six of the top secret Lockheed SR-71 high-speed, high-altitude reconnaiss­ance aircraft; it enters service as the Black­bird.

February 8—17 In New England, Operation snow blow її unfolds as Air Force C-5As, C-141s, and C-130s deliver 2,300 tons of snow-removal equipment to help assist stranded moto­rists.

February 22 An Atlas F rocket places the first global positioning system (GPS) satellite into orbit. A total of 24 such sat­ellites are planned by 1994, which prom­ises to revolutionize navigation and weapons delivery.

May 16—27 In Zaire, Operation zaire i unfolds as two C-5A Galaxy transports deliver French and Belgian troops to help local forces suppress rebels in Katanga Province. The aircrews are awarded a Mackay Trophy.

May 31—June 16 Over Zaire, Air Force transports continue bringing in UN peacekeeping forces and evacuate French and Belgian troops. A total of 1,600 tons of cargo and 1,225 passengers are deliv­ered in 72 sorties.

July 12 The last remaining Boeing KC- 97L Stratotanker is retired from active duty following a quarter-century of service.

July 27 In England, new Fairchild A-10 Thunderbolt Ils of the 81st Tactical Fighter Wing deploy at Bentwaters/ Woodbridge Royal Air Force Base for the first time.

AUGUST 14—16 In Khartoum, Sudan, 26 tons of relief supplies are delivered to flood victims by a single C-141 Starlifter.

AUGUST 17 At Fort Worth, Texas, the first production F-16 Fighting Falcon is accepted into Air Force service.

NOVEMBER 22—29 In Guyana, the 55th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squad­ron dispatches several HH-53 helicopters to assist in the removal of 900 bodies in the wake of a mass suicide at Jonestown. Once deposited at Georgetown, they are placed aboard C-141s and flown to the United States.

December 9 In Tehran, Iran, Air Force C-5As and C-141s arrive to evacuate 900 U. S. citizens as the Shah’s regime begins to crumble.

JANUARY 17 The 17th Airlift Squadron becomes the first Air Mobility Command (AMC) unit equipped with the C-17 Globemaster III and placed on active duty.

JANUARY 19 At Yokota Air Base, Japan, the 374th Airlift Wing begins humanitar­ian missions to assist earthquake victims in southwestern Honshu.

FEBRUARY 1-20 In Panama, Operation safe passage unfolds after Cuban refugees riot in their camps and C-5 Galaxy, C – 141 Starlifter, and C-130 Hercules air­craft transport 7,300 passengers back to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

FEBRUARY 3 At Cape Canaveral, Florida, Air Force colonel/astronaut Eileen M.

Collins becomes the first female space shuttle commander during a mission on the Discovery.

FEBRUARY 7 Over Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, a Northrop B-2A Spirit makes the first live bomb drop as part of a Red Flag exercise.

February 3-10 In Haiti, eight C-141 Starlifters transport 300 Nepalese troops as part of UN peacekeeping force there.

MARCH 5 At Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, Russian arms inspectors arrive to monitor the destruction ofMinuteman II intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). Their visit is in accordance with terms of the recent Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START II).

MARCH 10 The 11th Space Warning Squadron is the first unit able to detect launching ballistic missiles in a given the­ater, and warn battlefield commanders of their approach.

MARCH 16 At Keflavik, Iceland, the 56th Rescue Squadron dispatches an HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter to save three skiers marooned by a sudden blizzard.

MARCH 24 At Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, Air Force technici ans launch the last remaining Atlas E booster rocket; it hoists a satellite into polar orbit.

MARCH 31 At Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, Lieutenant Kelly Flinn becomes the first female bomber pilot in the U. S. Air Force when she commences training with the 11th Bomb Squadron, 2nd Bomb Wing.

April 8 In Sarajevo, Bosnia, as Operation provide promise continues, a C-130
transport is hit 12 times by small arms fire from the ground.

April 27 The Air Force Space Com­mand (AFSPACECOM) declares the Global Positioning System (GPS) opera­tional. This device provides accurate geo­graphical coordinates for both navigation and guided bomb delivery purposes.

May 8-11 In Louisiana, a deluge of rain results in Air National Guard units rescu­ing thousands of flood victims over a two-day period.

May 10-17 In Kinshasa, Zaire, trans­ports of the 60th and 349th Airlift Wings deliver several tons of medical supplies in the wake a deadly Ebola virus outbreak in Central Africa.

May 25-26 Over Bosnia, NATO high command commits aircraft strikes against Serbian artillery emplacements shelling Sarajevo, Bosnia. Air Force F-16s drop precision-guided munitions on gun emplacements while Marine Corps jets bomb Serbian ammunition dumps near the town of Pale.

JUNE 1 At Palmdale, California, the Dark Star Tier III Minus high-altitude unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is rolled out by Lockheed Martin and Boeing.

June 2-3 At Dyess Air Force Base,

Texas, pair of B-1B Lancers flown by Lieutenant Colonel Doug Raaberg and Captain Gerald Goodfellow fly around the world in 36 hours, 13 minutes, and 36 seconds. Raaberg’s plane also sets an official speed record of 631.16 miles per hour. En route, the bombers refuel six times, and drop bombs on three ranges on three continents and in two hemispheres; air crews win the Mackay Trophy.

June 2—7 Over Banja Luka, Bosnia, an F – 16C flown by Captain Scott O’Grady is shot down by Serbian antiaircraft fire. He spends six days evading capture by subsisting on insects and rainwater.

June 22 In Washington, D. C., Air Force Secretary Sheila E. Widnall declares that Beechcraft will develop the Joint Primary Aircraft Training System (JPATS), a modified Swiss Pilatus PC-9 turboprop aircraft that will replace aging Cessna T – 37Bs and Beech T-34Cs.

June 27—July 7 The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor prototype, an advanced air superiority fighter, begins construction.

June 28 In Washington, D. C., the Smithsonian Institution puts the B-29 Enola Gay on public display, in a factual and straightforward exhibit, devoid of political correctness.

June 30-AuGUST 10 In Croatia, Opera­tion quick lift unfolds as Air Mobility Command (AMC) C-5 Galaxies and C – 141 Starlifters transport British and Dutch peacekeepers.

July 7-AUGUST 5 In Washington, D. C.

, the Department of Defense declares that the C-17 Globemaster, whose spotty performance record threatened it with cancellation, has since been re­paired to the effect that the Air Force is now willing to purchase 120 of the giant craft.

July 8 This day the Minuteman III inter­continental ballistic missile (ICBM) achieves 100 million hours of operational duty.

July 23 In Byelorussia, a C-5 Galaxy from the 433rd Airlift Wing conveys 20 tons of medical supplies, blankets, clothes, and other supplies to alleviate economic deprivation there.

July 29 At Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, the 11th Reconnaissance Squad­ron is activated as a UAV unit and equipped with the Tier II Predator for operational testing purposes.

July 31 At Whiteman Air Force Base,

Missouri, the 351st Missile Wing deacti­vates its final Minuteman II missile.

AUGUST 13 A C-5 Galaxy of the 60th Air Mobility Wing delivers 75 tons of food from Germany to Croatia to feed victims of the recent civil war there.

AUGUST 17 The E-8C joint surveillance target attack radar system (JSTARS) begins final flight-testing. These will replace pre-production models that saw extensive and successful service during the 1991 Gulf War.

AUGUST 20—21 At Ramstein Air Base, Germany, a C-5 Galaxy flies to Zagreb, Croatia, to assist refugees of the ongoing civil war.

AUGUST 25 At Edwards Air Force Base, California, a B-52H piloted by Captain Russell F. Mathers arrives from Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, setting a world record of 549.45 miles per hour over a 6,200-mile course. They were airborne for 11 hours, 23 minutes.

August 25—29 In Kuwait, 11 new C-17 Globemaster Ills of the 315th and 437th Airlift Wings haul 300 tons of troops and equipment; this is also their first major exercise as an operational unit.

AUGUST 31 Over Sarajevo, Bosnia, Air

Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and NATO warplanes attack Serbian targets, including

air defense systems, ammunition dumps, and equipment storage facilities. A 24- hour suspension of aerial activities then ensues to encourage peace negotiations with recalcitrant Serbian leaders.

September 1 The Air Combat Com­mand (ACC) reactivates its remaining SR-71 Blackbird reconnaissance aircraft to resume missions previously handled by satellites.

September 5 In Bosnia, peace negotia­tions between NATO and Serbian leaders break down, and air strikes of Operation

DELIBERATE FORCE resume in full fury

against remaining targets.

September 6 Over Bosnia, an Air Force F-16C from the 23rd Fighter Squadron destroys a Serbian SA-6 radar site with a combination HARM (High-Speed Anti­Radiation) Targeting Pod System and an AGM-88 missile.

SEPTEMBER 7 Over Bosnia, Air Force and NATO warplanes deliver six strike packages against integrated targets, including six bridges and one chokepoint.

September 8 In northwest Bosnia-

Herzegovina, Operation DELIBERATE FORCE begins planning additional strike packages using standoff missiles against the Serbian integrated air defense system (IADS).

SEPTEMBER 9 Over Bosnia, three strike packages are flown against Serb targets using HARM missiles and 2,000-pound GBU-15 precision-guided glide bombs.

September 10 In northwestern Bosnia,

Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and NATO forces use Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAM), HARM, and other standoff ordnance to strike down Serbian antiaircraft defenses. Other sorties support UN positions near the Tulza airport that are being shelled.

At Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, the C-130 Hercules dubbed First Lady, which was the first production model accepted into the Air Force back in 1955, is finally retired as a museum exhibit.

SEPTEMBER 11 Over Bosnia, Operation

DELIBERATE FORCE continues with four

strike packages planned and delivered under favorable weather conditions. Reconnaissance efforts are also increased to provide accurate bomb damage assess­ments (BDA).

September 14 Serbian factions final­ly come to terms with UN negotia­tors, and the NATO commander orders a halt to all aerial offensive operations in Bosnia.

SEPTEMBER 14—30 In Hanoi, Vietnam, transports of the Air Mobility Command (AMC) deliver 30 tons of medical sup­plies; this is the first American military
visit to Vietnam since the war ended in 1975.

September 15-21 Throughout the eastern Caribbean, Air Force, Reserve, and National Guard transports are mobi­lized in the wake of Hurricane Marilyn to bring relief aid. C-17 Globemaster IIIs also perform their first disaster relief effort.

SEPTEMBER 20 In Bosnia, Operation DELIBERATE FORCE formally concludes, having forced tough and professional Serb forces from their positions with air power alone.

SEPTEMBER 22 At Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, an E-3B AWACS jet crashes on takeoff when two geese are ingested by the engines; all 24 crew members are killed, including 2 Cana­dians. This is also the first AWACS acci­dent in 18 years of operation.

September 30 Castle Air Force Base, California, and Plattsburgh Air Force Base, New York, both former Stra­tegic Air Command (SAC) bases, are closed down. The 93rd Bombardment Group, the first Air Force unit to operate B-52s, also deactivates after 47 years of service.

OCTOBER At Marietta, Georgia, the first C-130J Hercules, an advanced technol­ogy version, rolls off the assembly line; this is instantly recognizable by its six – bladed propellers.

OCTOBER 1 Chief Master Sergeant Carol Smits becomes the first woman selected as senior enlisted adviser in the Air Force Reserve.

At Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, the Air Combat Command

activates the 609th Information Warfare Squadron.

OCTOBER 16—17 In the Gulf of Mexico, the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron dispatches aircraft to search for survivors of a Mexican pipe-laying barge that sank during Hurricane Roxanne. A single crewman is spotted and his location is relayed to the Coast Guard, who ulti­mately rescue 23 people.

October 28-December 18 In Bah­rain, Operation VIGILANT SENTINEL unfolds as F-16Cs of the 20th and 357th Fighter Wings deploy quickly and en masse. This is also the first test ofthe air expeditionary force concept.

NOVEMBER 1 At Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Croatian, Bosnian, and Serbian delegates meet to conclude a for­mal peace agreement. These are all former states of the by now defunct Yugoslavia.

NOVEMBER 2 Lieutenant Colonel Greg Feest is the first Air Force pilot to acquire

1,0 hours of flight time in the F-117A Nighthawk stealth fighter.

DECEMBER In Washington, D. C., New World Vistas, a forecast of air and space technology, is unveiled by Dr. Gene McCall of the Air Force Scientific Advi­sory Board (SAB). This study was com­missioned by Secretary of the Air Force Dr. Sheila Widnall and Air Force Chief of StaffRonald R. Fogleman.

December 6 In Bosnia, Operation joint endeavor commences as Air Mobility Command (AMC) C-130 transports from the 37th Airlift Squadron deliver American peacekeeping troops and equipment. They arrive in anticipation of a comprehensive peace treaty previously arranged at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

December 20 In Washington, D. C., the levels have dipped below the 400,000

Air Force declares that its manpower level for the first time since 1948.

JANUARY 2 Over Ap Bac, South Vietnam, South Vietnamese aircraft attack suspected Viet Cong positions. Afterwards, Air Force Piasecki H-21 helicopters arrive to deliver supplies to troops there.

FEBRUARY 6 At Cape Canaveral, Florida, members of the 655th Aerospace Test Wing test launch a Titan II missile for the first time.

FEBRUARY 23 At Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, the 10th Strategic Missile Squadron becomes the first operational Minuteman ICBM unit.

April 12 An F-104 Starfighter piloted by aviatrix Jacqueline Cochran sets a wom­en’s world speed record of 1,273 miles per hour over a straight course.

May 1 Over Edwards Air Force Base,

California, aviatrix Jacqueline Cochran establishes another women’s speed record by flying a TF-104 Starfighter at 1,203.7 miles per hour over a 10-kilo­meter course.

May 7 Over South Vietnam, an Air Force RB-57E flies a reconnaissance mis­sion for the first time in conjunction with Operation PATRICIA LYNN.

May 15—16 At Cape Canaveral, Major L. Gordon Cooper is blasted into orbit in his Faith 7 Mercury capsule. He circles the Earth 22 times and lands safely after 34 hours and 19 minutes. Cooper is the first American astronaut to remain in space longer than one day and he is also the last American to fly alone.

May 24 At Wendover, Utah, a top secret Lockheed A-12 crashes while undergoing an extensive flight-test.

May 27 At St. Louis, Missouri, the McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II makes its maiden flight; the Tactical Air Command acquires 580 of this model.

June 8 At Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, the 570th Strategic Missile Squad­ron becomes the Strategic Air Command’s (SAC) first operational Titan II unit.

June 17 The new Sikorsky CH-3C, which features a hydraulic rear ramp, per­forms its maiden flight.

July 20 The top secret Lockheed A-12 reaches Mach 3 in level flight for the first time.

July 20—21 Over South Vietnam, a C-47 piloted by Captain Warren P. Tomsett makes a dangerous landing at Loc Ninh, near the Cambodian border, to rescue six wounded Vietnamese soldiers. The mission requires careful planning and timing, yet goes offsuccessfully; Tomsett and his crew consequently win the Mackay Trophy.

July 26 The Air Force launches Syncon 2, the first satellite placed in a geosynchro­nous orbit above the Earth. This leaves the satellite hovering over a fixed position in space.

AUGUST 1 The NASA satellite Mariner II is

launched by the Air Force; this device is destined to travel 540 miles to orbit the sun.

AUGUST 7 At Groom Lake, Nevada, the YF-12A, a high-speed, advanced inter­ceptor, performs its maiden flight.

AUGUST 22 The X-15 hypersonic research aircraft piloted by Joe Walker reaches 67 miles above the Earth’s surface, placing it on the very edge of space. This is also the highest point achieved by the X-15 program.

OCTOBER 16 In concert with Project vela hotel, the Air Force launches twin 475-pound satellites that assume circular orbits at opposite ends of the planet.

Operation GREASED LIGHTNING unfolds

as a B-58 Hustler covers the 8,028-mile distance between Tokyo, Japan, and RAF Greenham Common, England, in 8 hours and 35 minutes.

October 22 The Cessna YAT-37D prototype performs its maiden flight; this an armed, light attack version of the T-37 jet trainer.

NOVEMBER 29 Cape Canaveral, Florida, is renamed Cape Kennedy in honor of the recently assassinated President John F. Kennedy.

December 10 In Washington, D. C., Defense Secretary Robert S. McNamara

tasks the Air Force with developing the new Manned Orbiting Laboratory.

Over Edwards Air Force Base, Colonel Chuck Yeager zooms up to 90,000 feet in a rocket-augmented NF-104A before entering a flat spin. He falls to 10,000 feet before being able to eject safely, although he suffers severe burns.

The Air Force cancels the X-20 Dyna – Soar program without ever launching a test vehicle.

December 17 At Dobbins Air Force Base, Georgia, the Lockheed C-141A prototype performs its maiden flight. This giant jet transport enters service as the Starlifter.

December 31 In Washington, D. C., President Lyndon B. Johnson authorizes the 4080th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron to perform U-2 clandestine photographic missions over Southeast Asia.

January 6 At Hill Air Force Base, Utah, the first operational F-16 Falcon deploys with the 388th Tactical Fighter Wing. This multirole aircraft is capable of performing air superiority and close support missions.

January 29 E-3A Sentry AWACS air­craft are assigned responsibilities within the continental air defense mission.

February 27 At St. Louis, Missouri, the improved F-15C Eagle flies for the first time.

March 9 Two E-3A AWACS aircraft participate in Operation flying star, as they are dispatched to Saudi Arabia in light of perceived threats from revolutionary Iran.

MARCH 31 Over the Yellow Sea, Major

James E. McArdle, Jr., pilots an H-3 Helicopter which rescues 28 Taiwanese seamen whose ship had run aground; he wins the Mackay Trophy.

Following the nuclear accident at Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania, C-5 Galaxy, C-141 Starlifter, and C-130 Her­cules transports begin flying in lead shielding and testing equipment to the afflicted area.

April 3—5 At Nandi International Air­port, Fiji, two C-141s of the Military Air­lift Command (MAC) deliver 20 tons of food and supplies to assist survivors of Typhoon Meli.

April 13 A C-141 Starlifter carrying 20 tons of vegetable seed is dispatched by the Military Airlift Command (MAC) to assist famished inhabitants of Kamina, Zaire.

APRIL 19—20 Transports of the Military Airlift Command (MAC) deliver 139 tons of humanitarian supplies to Titograd International Airport, Yugoslavia, after earthquakes ravage Adriatic coastal regions.

May Sembach Air Base, West Germany, becomes the first forward operating base (FOB) for A-10 Thunderbolt IIs. This new tactical planning allows Air Force jets to operate closer to the front in the event of a Soviet invasion.

MAY 2—3 Two E-3A Sentry AWACS

aircraft begin their first overseas training mission in central Europe.

June 1 The Air Force Community Col­

lege departs Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, for a new home as part of the Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.

RAF Fairford, England, becomes an active in supporting Strategic Air Com­mand (SAC) tanker operations.

June 5 In Washington, D. C., develop­ment of the new MX intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is authorized by President Jimmy Carter.

July 8-16 Operation GLOBAL SHIELD 79 commences. This intricate nuclear war plan exercise also involves 100,000 mem­bers ofthe Strategic Air Command (SAC) and hundreds of bombers, tankers, and missiles being placed on alert or dispersed to various locations to test the Single Integrated Operational Plan (SIOP). GLOBAL SHIELD remains an annual SAC exercise for the rest of the Cold War.

July 26 At Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, the 400th Minuteman missile test is performed by Air Force crews.

August 31-November 21 Military Airlift Command (MAC) cargo planes begin delivering 2,900 tons of relief sup­plies to Caribbean islands devastated by Hurricanes David and Frederic.

SEPTEMBER 12 At RAF Fairford, England, Strategic Air Command (SAC) refueling operations are assisted by the first two KC-135 Stratotankers deployed there.

SEPTEMBER 15-22 Over Southern Cali­fornia, 732,000 gallons of water and flame retardant are dropped by Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard C-130s in a massive firefighting operation.

OCTOBER 1 The Air Defense Command (ADC) is gradually decommissioned as the Air Force begins phasing out its responsibilities to the Strategic Air Com­mand (SAC) and the Tactical Air Com­mand (TAC).

OCTOBER 19 At Yokota Air Base, Japan, specially-equipped C-141 Starlifters arrive to transport 38 severely burned marines to medical facilities at Kelly Air Force Base, Texas.

OCTOBER 26 At St. Louis, Missouri, McDonnell Douglas terminates F-4 Phantom II production after a run of 5,000 machines.

December 2-21 The Military Airlift Command (MAC) transports begin delivering 650 tons of relief supplies and 250 medical personnel to Majuro Atoll, Marshall Islands, in the wake of Typhoon Abby.

December 20 A Minuteman I missile carries an Advanced Maneuvering Reentry Vehicle (AMaRV) on board for the first time. This device employs an autonomous navigation system to avoid enemy antimissile weapons.

JANUARY 9 Over Bosnia-Herzegovina, Operation provide promise begins com­ing to an end; Air Force transports have flown 4,597 sorties and delivered

62,0 metric tons of cargo to numerous refugees throughout the region. This is the longest sustained humanitarian airlift in aviation history.

FEBRUARY 14 Over the Balkans, the E-8A JSTARS aircraft flies its 50th mission in support of Operation joint endeavor; this is a highly advanced, joint surveillance and target attack radar aircraft.

February 24 The space shuttle Endeavor, commanded by Air Force colonel John H. Casper, completes a 10- day mission after spending 240 hours and 39 minutes in space and completing 160 Earth orbits.

MARCH 29 At Edwards Air Force Base, California, the Tier III Minus Dark Star unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flies for the first time. This is intended as a stealthy, jet-propelled reconnaissance sys­tem, but only five are built before the program is cancelled.

April 3 Outside Dubrovnik, Croatia, an Air Force CT-43 transport jet from the 76th Airlift Squadron crashes into a mountain, killing Secretary ofCommerce Ron Brown and 34 passengers.

APRIL 9—25 Over Monrovia, Liberia, Operation assured response commences as Air Force AC-130s, MC-130s,

C-130s, and MH-53J Pave Low helicop­ters execute 94 missions to evacuate

2,0 citizens and foreign nationals.

April 15 At Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, Navy and Air Force navigator trainees will jointly study in a single class for the first time.

April 18 In Sierra Leone, Africa, a pair of C-17 Globemaster Ills convey two MH – 53J Pave Low helicopters to England, at a considerable savings in time and expense had they flown under their own power.

April 30 The top secret Tacit Blue air­craft is publicly revealed for the first time; this formed the basis of the B-2A Spirit stealth bomber.

MAY 1 At Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, a German officer takes charge of the German tactical training center; this is the first time that a foreign officer commands a foreign unit within the united States.

MAY 31 The Air Force signs a $16.2 billion contract to purchase 80 additional C-17 Globemaster III transports. This is the most costly military order ever placed, bringing the total number of C-17s acquired to 120. These aircraft also allow the aging C- 141 Starlifters to be phased out.

June 6 Lieutenant Colonel Kai Lee Nor­wood assumes control ofthe 91st Logistic Group, becoming the first woman com­mander of a unit responsible for main­taining Air Force missiles.

June 11 The Air Force accepts delivery of the first production Boeing E-8 JSTARS aircraft. Previously, several pre­production models had demonstrated their utility during Operations desert storm and joint endeavor.

June 21 At Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, Navy commander David J. Cheslak assumes control of the 562nd Flying Training Squadron. He becomes the first naval officer to lead an Air Force unit, which, in this instance, is respon­sible for training navigators for both services.

June 25 At Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, a ter­rorist bomb explodes outside the Khobar Towers, killing 19 airmen and injuring hundreds of passersby.

July 27 At Fort Worth, Texas, the Air Force retires its last General Dynamics F – 111s from active duty, ironically at the same plant where the first model was accepted 30 years earlier. The final unit operating F-111s, the 524th Fighter Squadron at Cannon Air Force Base,

New Mexico, is reequipped with F-16 Falcons. The nickname Aardvark, which had been the unofficial moniker for the F-111 for years, also gains official status.

September 3 The Air Combat Com­

mand (ACC) activates the 11th Recon­naissance Squadron as the first unit to operate RQ-1B Predators, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). These are initially deployed to monitor the peace agreement in Bosnia.

SEPTEMBER 3—4 Over Iraq, Operation des­ert strike commences following Iraqi seiz­ure of the city oflbril. Consequently, two B-52Hs depart Guam, fly to the Middle East, and launch 13 cruise missiles against antiaircraft and command and control cen­ters. The mission requires the assistance of 29 tanker aircraft and wins the crew of Duke 01 the Mackay Trophy; this is also the first combat mission of the B-52H.

SEPTEMBER 3 Over Bosnia-Herzegovina, the 11th Reconnaissance Squadron becomes the first Air Force unit operating the new RQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial

vehicle (UAV). They help enforce peace treaty provisions.

September 4 At Bujumbura, Burundi, a C-141 Starlifter from the 305th Air Mobility Wing arrives from McGuire Air Force Base to help evacuate 30 foreign nationals during a period of civil strife.

SEPTEMBER 14 In Bosnia-Herzegovina, Air Force security personnel are on hand to help provide security during the first free elections since their civil war.

September 15—19 In northern Iraq, Operation pacific haven unfolds as Air Force transports convey two thousand Kurdish refugees to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, for processing prior to set­tling in the United States.

September 30 In Western Europe, the

Seventeenth Air Force is inactivated after four decades of service.

OCTOBER 8 Over the Nellis Air Force Base Range, Nevada, three Northrop B – 2A Spirit bombers score 16 hits on 16 tar­gets using the live Global Position System-Aided Targeting System. The air­craft were dropping 2,000-pound bombs from 41,000 feet.

OCTOBER 21 Over Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, an F-16C Fighting Falcon success­fully conducts the first guided launch of a GBU-31 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM). The 2,000-pound bomb, released from 20,000 feet, was partially guided by the Global Positioning System (GPS) and its own internal navigation system.

OCTOBER 22 Operational control of all C-130 Hercules transports and Learjet C-21 liaison craft in the United States is transferred from the Air Combat Com­mand (ACC) to the Air Mobility Com­mand (AMC), although aircraft deployed in Europe and the Pacific remain under their respective local commands.

NOVEMBER 5 In Washington, D. C.,

Chief Master Sergeant Eric W. Benken gains appointment as chief master ser­geant of the Air Force.

November 21 In Washington, D. C.,

Secretary of the Air Force Dr. Sheila Wid – nall releases the policy projection paper Global Reach, Global Power, to the pub­lic. This far-sighted work conceptualizes Air Force power into the next century.

NOVEMBER 26 At Elgin Air Force Base, Florida, the first armed test of a GBU-31 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) transpires as an F-16C releases one from

20,0 feet; although the target was obscured by heavy cloud cover, the bomb fell within 9.2 meters of the target.

December 4 At Hill Air Force Base, Utah, an F-16C piloted by Captain Kurt Gallegos, 388th Fighter Wing, flies the 5 millionth hour in the Air Force’s Fight­ing Falcon fleet.