Shaw Pilot Broke His Legs: When Capt. Ted Schultz of the 55th Fighter Squadron, Shaw AFB, N.C., bailed out of his F-16 last week before it crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, he suffered two broken legs, some facial cuts, and a broken wrist, according to The (Sumter, S.C.) Item. Exactly when and how he sustained the injuries has not been released by the Air Force. Shaw spokesman Lt. Bryan Cox told The Item that the Air Force would mount an aircraft recovery effort, but he did not know whether it would be military or contracted. Col. Michael Beale, the vice commander of the 20th Fighter Wing, is leading the interim accident investigation. Last fall, the incoming wing commander, Col. Bill Hyatt, instituted new maintenance procedures following an earlier F-16 crash. There is no indication that the latest crash was maintenance related.
Airmen basic rarely go on to become four-star generals, but one who did retired last week after a 42 year career that saw him rise from a lowly slick-sleeve to the head of one of the Air Force’s most important major commands.