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)
A KC-46 touched down at McConnell Air Force Base, Kan., on July 1 after a record 45-hour nonstop flight around the world. The mission, called Project Magellan, saw the two crews aboard test their limits as they refueled Air Force jets around the planet.