Retired Air Force Col. Mike Butler, working for DynCorp Intl. in Iraq as a senior logistics program manager was killed June 12 near Tikrit, while traveling with a convoy that came under attack. Butler had served as the logistics director for US Central Command prior to his retirement after 31 years of service in the Air Force. The Hampton Roads (Va.) Daily Press reports that Butler, 53, retired last summer and went to Iraq in December 2006 to support the company’s efforts to help train Iraqi police.
The Air Force is spending heavily on F-22 improvements through the end of the decade, suggesting it may not retire the jet in 2030 as it previously planned. New sensors, fuel tanks, communications, and electronic warfare systems are among the upgrades that comprise the package.