Keen to retain remotely piloted aircraft operators, Air Force officials have announced Fiscal 2011 aviator continuation pay for qualified pilots and combat systems officers who fly RPA. This program intends to “stabilize the force today . . . in response to supporting Air Force and joint-warfighter missions,” said Col. David Slade, assignments director for the Air Force Personnel Center at Randolph AFB, Tex. “It also serves as a continued commitment to the development of critical skills in support of emerging technologies,” he added. Active duty pilots who are initially eligible qualify for $25,000 annually under a five-year commitment. Uncommitted pilots and CSOs in the 12U specialty may enter into three-, four-, and five-year contracts for $15,000 per year. Reserve component RPA operators are ineligible for ACP, but are eligible under separate Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve programs. (Randolph report by TSgt. Steve Grever)
Gene Smith, Former POW and AFA Chair, Dies at 91
Jan. 19, 2026
Lt. Col. Richard “Gene” Smith, who overcame five and a half years as a prisoner of war in the notorious Hanoi Hilton from 1967 until 1973, died Jan. 16. He was one day short of his 91st birthday.
