March 17, 1981
1981: At Long Beach, the Douglas Aircraft Company turns over the 1st KC-10 (79-0434) to Lt Gen Edgar S. Harris, 8AF Commander (shown here with McGuire AFB markings).
March 15, 1967
1967: The Sikorsky HH-53B, the largest and fastest helicopter in the USAF inventory, makes its first flight.
March 12, 1998
998: Operation HOMECOMING’s Anniversary. The same C-141 used in the original 1973 mission (tail # 66-0177) carries 50 former Vietnam War POWs to festivities.
March 11, 1912
1912: Lt Frank Lahm opens an air school in Philippines with 2 students, Lt Moss Love and Cpl Vernon Burge; Burge becomes the first 1st enlisted pilot.
March 9, 1995
1995: The 11th Space Warning Squadron becomes the first unit with the ability to warn battlefield commanders of incoming theater ballistic missiles, such as the Scud missiles fired by Iraq in DESERT STORM.
March 8, 2007
2007: The Air Force marks its 50th consecutive successful launch using an Atlas V loaded with six experimental satellites. The Space and Missile Systems Center at Los Angeles AFB, Calif., successfully launches the rocket from
March 5, 1986
1986: MACKAY TROPHY. From the 68 AREFG, Capt Marc C. Felman and his KC-10 Extender crew receive the Trophy for providing emergency refueling to a KC-10 and three A-4s Skyhawks over the Atlantic Ocean when
March 4, 2002
2002: Operation Anaconda/Medal of Honor. For valorous service this date, air combat controller TSgt John A. Chapman is awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously on August 22, 2018 by President Trump. Citation: http://www.cmohs.org/recipient-detail/3526/chapman-john-a.php
March 3, 2001
2001: COLLIER TROPHY. The National Aeronautic Association awards the 2000 Robert J. Collier Trophy to the Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle system as the nation’s greatest achievement in aeronautics.