The Air Force Association has named Lt. Gen. Michael Hamel as recipient of the 2007 Thomas D. White USAF Space Trophy. Hamel is commander of the Space and Missile Systems Center at Los Angeles AFB, Calif. An Air Force release cited Hamel’s stewardship of the service’s space launch enterprise, which has seen 49 successful launches in a row, and his role in the development of the global positioning satellite system, and other accomplishments in the space arena.
The Air Force has finished modifying and testing the new VC-25B Bridge aircraft that will serve as a temporary Air Force One, the service announced May 1. All that’s left now is to finish painting the jet before it starts flying this summer.