Ralph Jackson, 49th Wing historian at Holloman AFB, N.M., recently came across a forgotten gem of base history while doing some research in the history office vault: a VHS tape with footage of President Kennedy’s visit to the base on June 5, 1963. It was the young President’s only Holloman call and marked the first time in recorded history that a sitting President visited the base. The tape shows Air Force One taxiing and stopping on Holloman’s ramp. It shows JFK shaking hands with the crowd and giving a brief speech; however, there’s no audio. The President then boards Marine One for his trip to White Sands Missile Range. Based on best estimates, Kennedy’s visit lasted only about five minutes. He never returned to Holloman that day—he flew out of El Paso, Tex., after departing WSMR. Five months later, Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. (Holloman release)
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth vowed to undertake far-reaching reforms on the way the U.S. military buys weapons, promising a sweeping overhaul of the way the Defense Department determines requirements, handles the acquisition process, and tests its kit. The fundamental goal, which Hegseth underscored in a 1-hour and 10-minute speech…
