Maintainers from various specialties joined forces at Beale AFB, Calif., recently to get the high-flying U-2 reconnaissance aircraft back into the air after USAF grounded the fleet on March 13 when airmen noted fuel seeping from the sump tank on one U-2 Dragon Lady. Journalist A1C George Cloutier reports that Beale maintainers in the 9th Reconnaissance Wing worked 12-hour shifts to inspect and repair the entire fleet. They attributed the problem to a wire that was arcing against the fuel tank. “After we found the problem, I realized that this could have been catastrophic if the wire had ignited the fuel inside the tank,” said TSgt. Charles Warren, 9th Maintenance Squadron fuels craftsman.
Billy Mitchell: Lessons a Hundred Years Hence
Dec. 16, 2025
Exactly 100 years ago, on Dec. 17, 1925, Brig. Gen. Billy Mitchell was convicted by court-martial for violating an order that required approval before he could engage with the media. Mitchell’s provocative thoughts and unorthodox methods sought attention for a cause that he saw as uniquely American.
