Retired Brig. Gen. Thomas R. Mikolajcik, who last served as the Air Staff’s director of transportation and was a member of the C-X Task Force that led to development of the C-17, died April 17 at age 63 after a battle with Lou Gehrig’s disease (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). He graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1969 and over his career flew the C-9, C-17, C-130, and C-141 airlifters. Among his assignments, he served in Air Staff and NATO positions, was project officer for a Congressionally directed mobility study, and commanded two airlift wings, one at Ramstein AB, Germany, and one at Charleston AFB, S.C., where he established the first C-17 squadron. (Also read JB Charleston report by Rose Alexander; WCSC-TV report)
The Pentagon is considering ditching the Air Force’s plan to buy the E-7 Wedgetail as it looks to outsource the airborne target-tracking mission to space, defense officials indicated this week.