The Defense Department has announced that the remains of nine airmen missing in action since 1968 have been recovered and returned to their families. These airmen were buried with full military honors June 10 at Arlington National Cemetery. They are: Col. William H. Mason, Camden, Ark.; Lt. Col. Jerry L. Chambers, Muskogee, Okla.; Maj. William T. McPhail, Chattanooga, Tenn.; Maj. Thomas B. Mitchell, Littleton, Colo.; CMSgt. John Q. Adam, Bethel, Kan.; CMSgt. Calvin C. Glover, Steubenville, Ohio; CMSgt. Thomas E. Knebel, Midway, Ark.; CMSgt. Melvin D. Rash, Yorktown, Va.; and MSgt. Gary Pate, Brooks, Ga. The airmen were aboard a C-130A transport that went down May 22, 1968, during an evening flare mission over northern Salavan Province, Laos. Four excavations were held in Quang Tri Province, Vietnam, between 1989 and 2008 that led to the recovery and subsequent identification of their remains.
Air Force Changes Rules for Pregnant Aircrew—Again
April 3, 2025
The Air Force is changing its policy for pregnant aircrew, generally reverting to rules set in 2019 that barred female aviators from flying during the first trimester—or from flying in aircraft with ejection seats at all—due to potential risks to the pilot and her unborn fetus.