Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University earlier this month bestowed an honorary degree to Maj. Brad Funk, an instructor pilot at Sheppard AFB, Tex., who was killed May 1 in a T-38 crash on the base. The Times Record News of Wichita Falls, Tex., reported June 7 that Funk received a posthumous master of aeronautical science degree with honors during the 2008 commencement ceremony at the university’s Sheppard campus on June 6. Funk, 35, was working on his master’s degree at Emory-Riddle the time of his death. The T-38 crash also took the life of 2nd Lt. Alec Littler, a student pilot.
Depot-level maintenance took longer than expected for nearly three-quarters of Air Force aircraft from fiscal 2019-2024, according to a new report, as unplanned repairs rise across the aging fleet. The report, from the Government Accountability Office, also found that the extent of the delays has been masked because officials often revise their target timelines after unplanned work occurs.