Air Force officials at Luke AFB, Ariz., confirmed during a Saturday afternoon press conference that the pilot of the F-16 that crashed in the rugged mountains about 80 miles west of Phoenix was found dead in a ravine near the aircraft wreckage. The Air Force was still withholding the name, but the Arizona Republic reports that officials said the pilot was a 26-year-old man who was about two months into the eight-month advanced flight training course. The Republic also reports that the mishap pilot was engaged in a mock dogfight with an instructor pilot when his F-16 crashed. Officials were uncertain Saturday whether he had attempted to ejects. His parachute was found near the wreckage. Search and rescue crews did not discover his body until Saturday morning.
As commander of Air Forces Central, Lt. Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich has been at the heart of almost all U.S. military action in the Middle East, from overseeing airstrikes against Iranian proxy groups to protecting troops as America’s air defense commander for the region. Just before handing over his command to…