Predator Loss Explained: A failed ignition module was the primary cause of an MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle crash July 30, 2007, at Balad AB, Iraq, according to the findings of the accident investigation board that Air Combat Command released March 27. The Predator, assigned to the 432d Wing at Creech AFB, Nev., went down 92 meters short of the Balad runway and was severely damaged with losses valued at about $2.2 million, plus some damage to airfield lights.
Billy Mitchell: Lessons a Hundred Years Hence
Dec. 16, 2025
Exactly 100 years ago, on Dec. 17, 1925, Brig. Gen. Billy Mitchell was convicted by court-martial for violating an order that required approval before he could engage with the media. Mitchell’s provocative thoughts and unorthodox methods sought attention for a cause that he saw as uniquely American.
