Air Force Historical Foundation

Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. 2003: Just after 9:30 p. m. Eastern Standard Time (EST), US forces fired about 40 Tomahawk cruise missiles into Iraq, striking three targets around Baghdad. The attack began the US-led, multinational coalition effort to liberate the people of Iraq and depose Saddam Hussein and his regime from power. F-117A Nighthawks, flying “decapitation strikes,” successfully used the new dual-door and ripple launch techniques. (Above left: Wingtip vortices are visible trailing from an F-15E as it disengages from midair refueling with a KC-10 during Operation Iraqi Freedom, USAF Image) On the evening March 19, 2003, one day prior to the onset of combat operations, Air Force F-117 stealth fighters struck the Dora Farms complex southwest of Baghdad based on intelligence that Saddam Hussein was in the area. Unfortunately, the attack was not successful. Combat operations began the next day, and the USAF participated in air strikes on key targets in and around Baghdad, launching more than 1,700 coalition air sorties and missile launches against Iraq. Like Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, during the first six weeks of operations 68 percent of weapons employed were precision guided munitions. Additionally, on March 26, 2003, C-130 and C-17 aircraft dropped nearly 1,000 paratroopers of the 173d Airborne Brigade onto Bashur airfield near Erbil in Northern Iraq. That marked the first time that the C-17 had been used in a combat airdrop. (C-17 Globemaster III above; F-16, Predator, F-15Es and F-117 prepare for takeoff during OIF, USAF Image)

1943: 1st Lt Jack W. Mathis of the U.S. Army Air Corps, 359th Bomber Squadron, 303rd Bomber Group as the leading bombardier of his squadron flying over Vegesack, Germany was hit with antiaircraft fire and was mortally wounded as well as knocked from the bomb sight to the rear of the bombardier compartment. 1st Lt Mathis dragged himself back to the sight released his bombs and then died at his post. (NMUSAF Image, PD)

1961: The first T-38A Talon supersonic jet trainer is delivered to Randolph AFB, Texas, where it enters operational service with Air Training Command. The Northrop T-38 Talon is a two-seat, twinjet supersonic jet trainer designed and produced by the American aircraft manufacturer Northrop Corporation. It was the world's first and most produced supersonic trainer. (USAF Art Program) "Tails of a Pilot Maker" depicts the various paint schemes of the T-38 Talon in USAF service and is on display at the University of Texas at San Antonio's Institute of Texan Cultures. (Air Force Art Program painting/Rick Herter)

1958: America’s second satellite, Vanguard 1, is launched into orbit from Cape Canaveral. It operates on solar-powered batteries and has an extremely long life expectancy. Data returned from the satellite proves that the earth has a slight ‘pear-shape.’ Vanguard 1 was the first satellite to have solar electric power. Although communications with the satellite were lost in 1964, it remains the oldest human-made object still in orbit, together with the upper stage of its launch vehicle. It is not forecast to re-enter the atmosphere until 2198.

16-17 March 1966: Gemini 8 is forced to return to earth earlier than expected due to a faulty spacecraft maneuvering thruster, which induced a disorienting roll of one revolution per second in the Gemini capsule. The mission conducted the first docking of two spacecraft in orbit. Astronauts Neil A. Armstrong and Air Force astronaut David Scott splashed down in the secondary return zone. Air Force rescue forces recover the capsule within 20 minutes after splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. This marks the first time that Air Force has participated in a Gemini recovery operation. (Agena target vehicle from the Gemini 8 capsule, NASA Image)

1962: The first Titan II missile is successfully launched at Cape Canaveral, Florida. The missile stands more than 100 feet tall. Titan II missiles were designed to be launched from underground missile silos hardened to with stand nuclear attack. This was to allow retaliation with a second-strike response. (Titan II test launch, Vandenburg, USAF Image)

1926: Robert H. Goddard successfully launches the world’s first liquid-fueled rocket. The launch takes place near Auburn, Massachusetts. The flight lasts for 2.5 seconds, accelerates to 60 miles per hour, and achieves the height of 184 feet.

1994: On this date in 1994 the first Taurus rocket launched the AF Space Test Program’s Space Test Experiments Platform mission 0 and the Phillips Lab’s Technology for Autonomous Operational Survivability (TAOS) space mission from Vandenberg AFB. The TAOS mission, originally scheduled for a one-year mission, pursued mission objectives for more than 6 years. In the final four years operational years it was commanded by the 1st Space Operations Squadron. (Taos Satellite by P.J. Weisgerber, PD)

1917: Chief Signal Officer, Brig. Gen. George O. Squier, approves the establishment of the Intelligence subdivision. This signals the birth of Army Air Intelligence. (USAF Art Program)

AIR FORCE HISTORICAL FOUNDATION SYMPOSIUM 13 MAY 2026 AFA Headquarters Center, Crystal City, VA (DC area) 2026 THEME: Unmanned Air & Space Flight-1915-2025 Anyone may attend the Symposium. There is no requirement to present on a panel. For those willing, there will be a few slots for volunteer panel Chairs who will see that timing rules are followed. All attendees must be registered to attend the symposium daily sessions. AFHF is looking for panel proposals related to the early history of unmanned aircraft, museum collections of unmanned aircraft, operational uses of unmanned air and space flight during the past century. EVENTS - Air Force Historical Foundation (afhistory.org ) $120 REGISTRATION FEE INCLUDES: Access to all panel sessions Gourmet Boxed Lunch for working lunch session Post-event password protected panel recordings $50 Discount off registration price for the AFHF Annual Awards Banquet on 14 May at the Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA.

Episode 231 — The Future of Uncrewed Airpower: Pilot Perspective AFHF is excited to highlight our continuing affiliation with the Mitchell Institute during 2026. Periodically, supporting our annual theme— “The History of Unmanned air and Space Flight; 1915-2025,” AFHF will repost specific episodes of the Aerospace Advantage Podcast created by the Mitchell Institute. Their archive is rich with interviews related to the history and operations of unmanned aircraft. Click the link below and enjoy! mitchellaerospacepower.org/podcast/ccaand… As the Air Force develops the operational construct for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, Doug Birkey and Brig Gen Houston Cantwell, USAF (Ret) urge the service to tap into two decades of lessons learned flying highly sophisticated uncrewed aircraft like the MQ-1 Predator, MQ-9 Reaper, RQ-4 Global Hawk, and RQ-170. Harnessing his experience as an uncrewed aircraft pilot and commander, Cantwell explores the tremendous insights gained through uncrewed operations and the fundamental differences from traditional crewed combat aircraft operations. While CCA will execute at an entirely new level of performance, thanks to technologies like artificial intelligence and advanced mission systems, there are also foundational realities tied to uncrewed aviation that will shape how these aircraft fly and fight. Join us to learn more about this aspect of tomorrow’s airpower.

1967: Captain Merlyn H. Dethlefsen, 354th Tactical Fighter Squadron, flying F-105’s over North Vietnam, is hit while attacking a surface to air missile site. Ignoring the enemy’s overwhelming air and ground firepower, he repeatedly attacks and renders ineffective many of the enemy defenses allowing the accompanying fighter bombers to complete their mission. For his bravery, Dethlefsen is awarded the Medal of Honor.

1966: Major Bernard F. Fisher, 1st Air Commando Squadron, successfully landed his A-1E aircraft in Vietnam on the dangerous A Shau Valley airstrip, which had been overrun by the enemy and was covered with battle debris and parts of an exploded aircraft. Fisher rescued downed airman Major D.W. Myers and was later awarded the Medal of Honor. This is the first USAF Medal of Honor awarded during the Vietnam War and the first to be awarded as the “Air Force Medal of Honor” having been redesigned in 1963.

1957: The NACA Lewis Laboratory begins research on the Ion engine that electrically charges an inert gas and accelerates it through the discharge nozzle. When these ions are emitted as exhaust from a spacecraft at this speed, the craft is propelled in the opposite direction. These fuel-efficient engines provide low thrust but gradually accelerate to high speeds over time at extreme altitudes. By 1964, Lewis Laboratory had produced two ion engines for testing.

KNOW THE PAST…SHAPE THE FUTURE 1979: Cadet Reza Pahlavi, the Crown Prince of Iran, graduated from undergraduate pilot training at Reese AFB, Texas. (USAF Image) Reza Pahlavi[a] (born 31 October 1960), formerly addressed as Prince Reza Pahlavi, is an Iranian political activist and dissident in exile in the United States. He is described as one of the most prominent figures in the opposition to the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Born in Tehran, Reza Pahlavi was officially named Crown Prince of Iran at the time of his father's coronation in 1967. As a cadet of the Imperial Iranian Air Force, he moved to the United States for pilot training at Reese Air Force Base in 1978. The next year, his father was overthrown and the monarchy was abolished by the Iranian Revolution led by Ruhollah Khomeini. In 1980, following the death of his father in exile in Cairo, Egypt, Reza Pahlavi declared himself shah of Iran, styling himself "Reza Shah II", and actively participated in political activities opposing the Islamic Republic from abroad. (VOA Farsi, Public Domain, 2024)

1942: The first class of African American pilots graduate from the aviation school established at the Tuskegee Institute, Alabama. Capt. Benjamin O. Davis is among them. (US Army/USAF Images)

1918: Elmer and Lawrence Sperry successfully test an unpiloted aircraft near Long Island, New York. The Curtiss/Sperry “Flying Bomb” was constructed from a Curtiss N-9 seaplane and intended for launch from a catapult. The “Flying Bomb” was mounted on the top of an automobile and driven into the wind until it lifted off and flew straight ahead for about 1,000 yards and then dove to the ground when the engine was cut off by the revolution counter. For the first time in history, an unmanned, heavier-than-air vehicle had flown in controlled flight. The feat, however, could not be duplicated, and it was thought that the roadway was too rough. The craft was fitted with railroad wheels, and an unused spur of the Long Island Rail Road, four miles (6.4 km) east of Farmingdale, New York was put back into service. On the first try, before full flying speed had been reached, the aircraft developed enough lift to raise the front wheels off the track, and another crash resulted. (Image PD)

AIR and SPACE HISTORY by AFHF MEMBERS afhistory.org/research/book-… AFHF members have always been passionate about history. Since the Foundation was created in 1953, members have written on a myriad of subjects—technology, biography, operations, culture, strategy and much, much more. Once you view this list, you will get the idea. Our Foundation membership not only participates in our service history, but they also document that history in important and lasting ways. In 2023, we asked our members to send us a list of their writings, and we promised to create a web page to highlight them. The response was tremendous, but there are more of you out there who have not weighed in yet or need to update your contributions. The Foundation member author page is off to a great start—more than 120 significant books. Click the link above to have a look at what our members have accomplished! Send your publication updates to angelabear@afahistory.org

AFHF SYMPO AND BANQUET REGISTRATION AFHF 2025-26 Honors will be presented at the Annual Awards Banquet on 14 May 2026. It will be held at the Smithsonian National Air and Space, Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA., from 6-10 pm. Dress for the event is Black Tie (optional). There will be a social hour with music provided by the USAF Band, a Change of Command of the Foundation Chair, a Guest dinner speaker, Silent Auction, and the presentation of the honors. All recipients are slated to attend. The 2026 AFHF Symposium will take place at the AFA HQ building in Crystal City, Va., from 8 am to 5 pm. The theme revolves around the history of unmanned air and space flight from 1915-2025. Both history and operational panels are planned along with a working lunch to highlight our book prize winners. A special Operation MIDNIGHT HAMMER panel including members from both trophy winning units will be a highlight. AFHF is seeking to create a panel of museum experts to make a presentation highlighting their unmanned collections. Registration and agendas for both events may be found at the link below. Contact the Staff to sponsor a table at the event (10 seats per table) XD@AFHISTORY.ORG afhistory.org/events/

Apollo 9 Command/Service Modules (CSM) nicknamed "Gumdrop" and Lunar Module (LM), nicknamed "Spider" are shown docked together as Command Module pilot David R. Scott stands in the open hatch. Astronaut Russell L. Schweickart, Lunar Module pilot, took this photograph of Scott during his EVA as he stood on the porch outside the Lunar Module. (NASA) 3-13 March 1969: During Apollo 9, Air Force astronauts Colonel James A. McDivitt and Colonel David R. Scott are joined by civilian Russell L. Schweickart, carry out the first in-space tests of the lunar module while orbiting the Earth. During the mission, a crew transfers between space vehicles using an internal connection for the first time.