A local paper announced the victory of the Demons over their adversaries during US Air Force Academy basic training, which ends soon as the new cadets will begin their academic year.
Much has been made of the apparently “supernatural” terminology sometimes invoked during Basic Cadet Training (BCT) at the US Air Force Academy. Read more
Despite a prior Washington Post article, the Accident Investigation report released by the Air Force indicates that the reason for the F-22A crash in March was the affects of the high-g environment. While he did not G-LOC, the report basically says that he was trying very hard not to and he was only partially successful.
This mishap was caused by the [pilot’s] adverse physiological reaction to high acceleration forces and subsequent loss of situational awareness…The [pilot] channelized his attention to fight off the effects of high g-forces…[and] entered an extreme nose down, high-speed attitude from which safe recovery was not possible…
The Accident Investigation Board report can be read here (pdf) in its entirety. Other sites have translated this accident as being caused by “A-LOC” or by “pilot error.”
Update: Speicher has previously been described by his family as “a true leader, a devout Christian and a role model.” He was a father to a then-3 and 1 year old, and also a Sunday School teacher at his Lake Shore United Methodist church in Jacksonville, FL. His widow subsequently married another fighter pilot and friend of Scott Speicher. Speicher has also been promoted twice since his shootdown, and is now a Captain (USN).
US Navy Lt Cmdr Michael Scott “Spike” Speicher, an F/A-18 pilot, was shot down over Iraq on 17 January 1991, during Operation Desert Storm.
Various news outlets have covered the US military’s announcement that Speicher’s remains have been recovered, following leads from local Iraqis. All indications are that he was buried near his aircraft crash location, leading to the conclusion that he was killed when he was shot down.
While many military cadets may look forward to graduation and moving on to the “real” military (getting out of the fishbowl), a small group gets the pleasure of pinning on their Lieutenant bars and heading right back to school. For example, after graduating from the US Air Force Academy, 87 cadets will have the opportunity to continue their education through a variety of advanced degree programs as varied as MIT and Oxford. Not only will their attendance be paid by scholarship or stipend, but the young officers will also continue to receive their Lieutenant paychecks.
Advanced education is considered desirable in the military, particularly for officers in specialized fields and those who will go on to strategic ranks. Obtaining a graduate degree this early gives the young officers an advantage Read more
The Princeton Review has published its annual rankings of American colleges, which this year includes 371 academic institutions. (The website requires a free registration to see the rankings.) The 2009 discussion is here. The rankings are based on surveys submitted by students of the universities.
This year, the US Air Force Academy repeats its #14 ranking of “most religious students” Read more
Tim Tebow, the now-famous college football quarterback (previously discussed), is currently featured on the cover of Time Magazine, with the headline “Man of Many Missions.” With a fruitful college football career and an outspoken heart for Jesus Christ, Tebow truly does have many (very successful) missions. The champion college player had the option of quitting school and entering the NFL, but chose instead to finish his college career, in part because of
the platform that I had at the University of Florida, the opportunity that I had to minister to a lot of kids around the south, and the US for that matter, and just what was going on around the University of Florida, how much I loved it, how I loved being a Gator.
Tebow’s statements about the value of his witness express the very heart of Christianity, and of living Read more
How much do US Air Force fighter pilots get paid?
Perhaps as a result of the current economy, the pay scale of US military members (and pilots, in particular) has become an increasingly frequent question.
Unlike some private corporations, who may keep such information confidential, US government pay packages are public information. With very little detail, you can actually get a pretty good idea of how much any given Sailor, Soldier, Airmen, or Marine makes on a monthly basis.
The Air Force Times ran an article entitled “More 6-month tours” presenting the picture of longer combat tours for Air Force personnel. The content is unremarkable, but what was interesting was the picture the AF Times used to headline the article, even on the site’s front page. Taken by Petty Officer 2nd Class Todd Frantom, it shows a group of US Air Force Airmen praying as a group prior to “going outside the wire,” something the caption says is a “tradition” for every such mission. (See picture and read more below the fold.) Read more