Retired Air Force Col. James P. Cooney, 80, died May 3 in Niceville, Fla. During his 27 year career, Cooney flew as part of the YF-12 record-setting test flight that earned the 1965 Mackay Trophy for Cooney and four other Air Force officers. Cooney also flew 186 combat missions in the F-4 during the Vietnam War as a member of the then-555th Tactical Fighter Squadron. He received a Silver Star for shooting down a MiG-19 and went on to receive a total of six Distinguished Flying Crosses and 20 air medals. He retired from the Air Force in 1977.
In the face of Chinese war plans to disrupt U.S. command-and-control networks in the event of a conflict, the Air Force needs to focus less on its “connect everything” efforts and prepare its combat aviators to fight without a constant connection to higher-ups, according to a new report from AFA’s…
