An F-16 Viper taking off on a training mission out of Luke AFB, Ariz., crashed near Phoenix Tuesday at 9:51 a.m., according to Air Force officials. The pilot, Capt. Jason Attaway, 26, of Dallas, ejected safely. Attaway, with the 62nd Fighter Squadron at Luke, had just taken off for a routine training flight and, within two miles of Luke, the F-16 crashed.
Airmen basic rarely go on to become four-star generals, but one who did retired last week after a 42 year career that saw him rise from a lowly slick-sleeve to the head of one of the Air Force’s most important major commands.