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.
US Space Command Should Always Be Led by a Guardian
Sept. 12, 2026
General Stephen Whiting took command of U.S. Space Command in January 2024, and if customary three-year tenures hold, his tour would end in January 2027. The question now before the President and Senate is who should follow him? Whoever they choose, it has to be a Guardian—and so should every successor…
