A US District Court judge has ruled in favor of the Air Force and against former Air National Guard pilot Maj. Harry Schmidt, who had claimed USAF violated privacy rules in revealing a letter of reprimand written about him following a hearing into the Tarnak Farms friendly fire incident in 2002. Judge Jeanne Scott in Springfield, Ill., found that the “competing public interest in disclosure clearly outweighs Schmidt’s privacy interest.” Schmidt had accepted a hearing before a general officer in lieu of a court-martial.
As Hurricane Melissa hammers the Caribbean, the U.S. Air Force’s “Hurricane Hunters” are busy flying into the massive Category 4 storm to collect atmospheric data—with one experiencing greater than expected turbulence Oct. 28.
