Gen. Norton Schwartz, Chief of Staff, on Monday issued the list of books that he recommends airmen read in 2009. “Continued education is a crucial part of being a professional warrior,” said Schwartz in a release Dec. 8. He continued, “The books we have selected for our 2009 reading list capture a rich history, both intense and compelling, that offer a perspective to tackle the challenges of today and tomorrow.” Click here for the 12-book collection.
Retired Col. Carlyle "Smitty" Harris, known for introducing the "tap code" by which American POWs in North Vietnam could surreptitiously communicate with one another, died July 6. Harris was brutalized by the North Vietnamese over almost eight years of captivity.