Capt. Phelps Collins of Alpena, Mich., becomes the first member of the Air Service to lose his life on a combat mission. Collins, a pilot with the 103rd Aero Squadron, was on a combat patrol near Paris, when for some unknown reason, his SPAD XIII crashed to Earth in a high speed dive from high altitude.
The Air Force is requesting about $141 million for initial enlistment bonuses in its fiscal 2026 budget, while Space Force wants $13 million.
