Retired Col. Eugene Martin “Gene” Faber, 85, a decorated fighter pilot of World War II and the Korean War, died Nov.1. The Kingsville, Md., resident passed away in his sleep, the Baltimore Sun reported Nov. 6. Faber was born in El Modena, Calif. After graduating high school, he joined the Army Air Forces, eventually becoming a fighter pilot, flying missions over Germany in the P-47 Thunderbolt with the 404th Fighter Group based in Belgium. During the Korean War, he flew the F-86 Sabre with the 4th Fighter Wing. After the Korean War, he tested fighter aircraft at Eglin AFB, Fla., for several years. He also flew the F-4 Phantom in combat for one year during the Vietnam War. During his 33-year career, he flew 300 combat missions, according to the Sun.
A provision in the fiscal 2025 defense policy bill will require the Defense Department to include the military occupational specialty of service members who die by suicide in its annual report on suicide deaths, though it remains to be seen how much data the department will actually disclose.