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  • USAF Humanitarian Efforts in Bosnia-Herzegovina

    "Throughout this bloody conflict, Sarajevo remained a symbolic reminder of UN resolve to achieve peace in the region thanks to the efforts of professional flight crews and ground crews of the U.S. Air Force."- Gen. Ronald R. Fogleman, Chief of Staff, USAF, March 1996As communism collapsed and the

  • U-2 Aircraft Carrier Tail Hook and "Q-tip"

    Aircraft Carrier Tail HookIn the 1960s, U-2s could not reach certain remote targets because political difficulties prevented basing the aircraft in some foreign nations. The CIA and U.S. Navy, therefore, studied the idea of launching U-2s from aircraft carriers.Project Whale Tale fitted a few U-2s

  • U-2 Pilot's Party Suit

    This "party suit" was not worn on missions, but instead was a strictly recreational outfit. It belonged to U-2 pilot Capt. Frank "Fuzzy" Furr, who wore it during the Southeast Asia War while deployed at U-Tapao, Thailand, in the early 1970s. Many pilots had customized party suits, and wore them for

  • U-2s Around the World in the Cold War

    The U-2 flew from bases around the world during the Cold War, including West Germany, England, France, Cyprus, Saudi Arabia, Panama, Pakistan, South Vietnam, the Philippines, Japan, Thailand and South Korea. The USAF called its U-2 operators "Air Weather Squadrons," while the CIA called the same

  • U-2 Mission

    The Air Force jointly managed U-2 development, testing and missions with the CIA from the start. Pilots for overflights of the USSR, though, were civilians working for the CIA. President Dwight D. Eisenhower believed sending military pilots over the USSR would be perceived as an act of war, so USAF

  • USAF Satellite Launch Vehicles

    Over the years, the USAF has developed several types of launch vehicles for the ballistic missile program. These ballistic missile launchers were modified and used to place many USAF and NASA projects into space. The three most important boosters to the United States' unmanned space program were the

  • Unbroken Will: The Lance Sijan Story

     The Vietnam POW experience includes many examples of extraordinary endurance and courage. One of the most notable is the story of Air Force Lt. Lance Sijan, who was shot down, captured and ultimately awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for his actions as a POW. After being shot down over Laos

  • U.S. Air Force Dog Handlers

    Air Force dog handlers provided a unique and critical capability in defending air bases against attack. Under PROJECT TOP DOG 145, the U.S. Air Force sent 40 sentry dogs and 40 handlers to South Vietnam in the summer of 1965. Many more followed, with the U.S. Air Force sentry force in Southeast Asia

  • USAF Southeast Asia War Aces

    Three USAF F-4 Airmen, Capts. Charles "Chuck" DeBellevue, Richard "Steve" Ritchie and Jeffrey Feinstein, became aces during the Southeast Asia War. Ritchie was the only USAF pilot ace (DeBellevue and Feinstein, backseat weapon system officers [WSO], received equal credit for victories as the pilot

  • USAF Gunships in Southeast Asia

    Spooky, Spectre, Shadow and Stinger Developed by the USAF, the side-firing gunship first saw combat during the Southeast Asia War. Able to remain airborne for hours, gunships provided devastating, accurate gunfire against many different types of ground targets. Always in high demand, these gunships