The Pentagon has identified the remains of two members of a four-person Army Air Forces crew that went missing in action on March 27, 1944, while trying to complete a C-46 resupply mission over the Himalayas. The two identified are 1st. Lt. Herbert W. Evans of Rapid City, S.D., and Pfc. Gerald L. Rugers, Jr. of Tacoma, Wash. Group remains of all four crew members—including Capt. Douglas R. Wight of Westfield, N.J., and Cpl. John W. Hanlon of Arnett, Okla.—will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery. On the date they went missing, the last radio contact was the crew’s call for a bearing as their aircraft flew over the mountain range. In 2001, Chinese officials notified the US that wreckage of a World War II era aircraft had been discovered in a remote corner of Tibet, where investigators ultimately discovered remains and personal effects.
New Air Force Safety Tool Forecasts Mishap Risk
March 10, 2026
When you check the weather forecast, it can tell you there’s a 40 percent chance of rain for the day based on the barometric pressure, the wind, the humidity, or any number of factors. A new Air Force Safety Center dashboard offers commanders the same kind of outlook, but for mishaps—a forecast that quantifies their units’ risk level based on dozens of…