More than
500 friends, family members, and military personnel gathered July 2 at Hurlburt Field, Fla., home of Air Force Special Operations Command, to honor retired Brig. Gen. Heinie Aderholt, who died May 20, at the age of 90. Aderholt, known as “Air Commando One,” is considered one of the pioneers in the establishment and maturation of USAF special operations. His military career ranged from World War II to Vietnam. “With his passing, our nation has lost a storied member of the greatest nation, a visionary leader of combat air power, and a founding father of modern special operations,” said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz, who spoke at the remembrance ceremony. Medal of Honor recipient retired Air Force Col. Bud Day also attended. (Hurlburt report by SrA. Ryan Whitney)
Fresh off the first combat deployment of its new EA-37B, the Air Force is nearly doubling the planned number of new electronic attack jets and projecting more than $3 billion in spending on the program in the next five years.