This Army Pilot Proved Airplanes Could Sink Battleships and Predicted Pearl Harbor — He Was Fired For It
In 1921, Army Brig. Gen. Billy Mitchell proved airplanes could sink battleships. Three years later, he predicted Japan would launch a surprise air attack on Pearl Harbor at dawn. Navy and Army brass dismissed him. They court-martialed him, forced him out, then spent the next two decades building more battleships. On Dec. 7, 1941, Mitchell’s […]
Vietnam DUSTOFF Pilot Who Saved 3,000 Earned Gold Medal Honor for MEDEVAC Crews
Warrant Officer Stephen Peth was making his final turn at treetop level when he looked through the green Plexiglas above his head. In the landing zone below, South Vietnamese soldiers were standing upright — usually a good sign. Suddenly, enemy rounds punched through the helicopter. Peth felt the impact in his right arm and pulled […]
Army Identifies 101st Airborne Pilot Killed in Apache Helicopter Crash
The Army on Friday identified the soldier killed in an AH-64 Apache helicopter crash last week near the Kentucky-Tennessee border as Chief Warrant Officer 2 Dustin K. Wright, a pilot assigned to the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade. Wright, 40, was conducting a routine training mission alongside another pilot when their aircraft went down around 7 […]
Virginia National Guard Pilot Wrongly Identified as Involved in DC Midair Collision Sues for Defamation
Army National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk pilot Jo Ellis listened attentively to the breaking news the evening of Jan. 29 that a helicopter had struck an American Airlines jet over the Potomac River near Washington, D.C., killing all aboard both aircraft. The next day, Ellis, who is transgender, was alarmed to hear Defense Secretary Pete […]
Army Orders More Helicopter Pilot Training After Spate of 12 Crashes Kills, Injures Soldiers
The Army will have its helicopter pilots conduct hours of additional training after a rash of a dozen crashes that has killed 10 service members just since October. “We’ve seen a troubling trend with our accident rates, and certainly any loss of life is 100% unacceptable,” Maj. Gen. Walter Rugen, director of Army aviation, told […]
Pregnant Soldiers Across US Get Expanded Access to Free Maternity Uniforms as Part of Army Pilot Program
Pregnant soldiers based in the U.S. may have easier access to maternity uniforms after a recent expansion of a program offering to lend out the garments for free, according to the Army. The Maternity Uniform Pilot Program now allows soldiers to coordinate directly with program representatives to obtain the free uniforms and other Army maternity […]
Cobra Pilot Who Lifted Troops to Safety in Vietnam Is Awarded Medal of Honor at White House Ceremony
President Joe Biden awarded the Medal of Honor on Tuesday to Capt. Larry Taylor, a Vietnam War pilot who flew his attack helicopter into heavy enemy gunfire until he ran out of ammunition, then led a daring rescue of a small team of soldiers who had been left for dead. It was June 18, 1968. […]
Once a Pilot, Army Program for Recruits Who Fall Short of Weight, Academic Standards Is Becoming Permanent
FORT JACKSON, South Carolina — The Army’s pre-basic training courses are here to stay and will likely be a fundamental tool for the service to fill the ranks amid falling academic performance and growing obesity among young Americans. The Future Soldier Preparatory Course was launched as a pilot program in August last year, with most […]