In a ceremony Oct. 6, 9th Special Operations Squadron airmen at Eglin AFB, Fla., dedicated the unit’s auditorium to the late Brig. Gen. Benjamin H. King, the first commander of the nascent 1st Air Commando Wing at Hurlburt Field, Fla. in 1961. Taking charge of the wing as a colonel, King understood men and the dynamics of command, said retired Lt. Col. Eugene Rossel, USAF (Ret.), according to an account of the ceremony in the Bradenton Herald. King, a former World War II ace with seven kills, was remembered as a highly charismatic leader who inspired his troops, as he prepared them for action in Vietnam. He died in 2004.
F-35 Deliveries Soared to New Record in 2025
Jan. 8, 2026
Lockheed Martin says it delivered 191 F-35 fighters in 2025—just ahead of the goal it set for itself at the beginning of the year as it works to clear a backlog of jets in storage.

