U-2 pilot Maj. Ralph Shoukry logged his 1,000th combat flying hour in the aircraft type during a sortie supporting operations in Southwest Asia, according to the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing. “I think reaching 1,000 combat hours is a byproduct of us supporting the war effort,” said Shoukry after the milestone sortie on March 6 from the wing’s undisclosed air base in the region. “I love my job and the fact that the U-2 provides a robust combat capability that directly supports the warfighter,” he added. Shoukry hit the milestone on his 113th combat sortie; he racked up these sorties over the course of nine deployments, according to the wing. He is currently deployed with the 99th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron from Beale AFB, Calif. He has flown combat missions over Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya. (See 380th AEW Facebook posting.)
How Miss America 2024 Took the Air Force Somewhere New
Dec. 20, 2024
When 2nd Lt. Madison Marsh became the first ever active service member crowned Miss America on Jan. 14, top Air Force officials recognized a rare opportunity to reach women and girls who otherwise might not consider military service as an option.