The 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth AFB, S.D., has just marked the 10th anniversary of the loss of four of its airmen, when a B-1 crashed during a training flight on Sept. 19, 1997, reports A1C Kimberly Moore Limrick. Killed in the accident were Col. Anthony Beat, pilot and 28th BW vice commander; Maj. Kirk Cakerice, instructor pilot; Maj. Clay Culver, weapons system officer; and Capt. Gary Everett, weapons system officer. “We learned from the crash and changes were made to aircrew training, which has paid dividends in that no B-1 has crashed since then while flying the same mission profile,” said retired Lt. Col. Clete Knaub, who was a 37th Bomb Squadron maintenance officer at the time of the crash.
The Pentagon’s fiscal 2026 defense budget, submitted to Congress last week, accelerates the downsizing of the U.S. Air Force. It proposes divesting 340 aircraft, while only acquiring 76. These cuts risk the Air Force’s ability prevail. “Peace through strength” has...
