A U-2 pilot achieved 100 combat sorties in the Dragon Lady earlier this month during a mission in Southwest Asia. Identified only by his call sign “Spock,” for security reasons, this major joined an elite handful of pilots to reach the triple-digit mark while supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and combined operations in the Horn of Africa. “The 100 combat sorties is still kind of a new thing since we’ve started to support OIF and OEF within the last five years. It’s a milestone for me,” said Spock, who accumulated the missions during six deployments in a two-and-a-half-year period. He reached the milestone on April 7. A B-52 pilot before transitioning to the U-2 cadre, Spock is deployed from Beale AFB, Calif., to an unnamed air base in the region. He’s flying with the 99th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron. (380th AEW report by MSgt. Julie Briden-Garcia)
AFRL Taps Rocket Lab for Space Cargo Experiment
May 12, 2025
The Air Force Research Laboratory’s ambitious program to explore using rockets to deliver cargo around the globe took another step forward with an announcement of an experimental mission planned for 2026.