Col. Wilfred B. Crutchfield and Lt. Col. Ivan E. O’Dell received full military honors at their burial in Arlington National Cemetery on Dec. 7—37 years after their T-33 Shooting Star crashed into Mount Rainier on a flight back to McChord AFB, Wash., on April 15, 1968. The wreckage was embedded in a glacier, which over time slowly melted as it moved down the mountain. In 2004, hikers discovered wreckage debris. The colonels were both Air Force veterans, with Crutchfield flying in three wars and O’Dell the recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross and Bronze Star.
Air Force F-16s from Germany Deploy to Middle East
Oct. 27, 2024
As tensions spiral in the Middle East, U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons from Germany have flown to the region, U.S. Central Command said Oct. 25. The F-16s are from the 480th Fighter Squadron at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, and represent some of the service’s most advanced models.