Lt. Col. Eric Perlman, assistant director of operations with Air Force Reserve Command’s 69th Fighter Squadron at Luke AFB, Ariz., last month reached 4,000 flight hours in the F-16, a feat that only 30 other Viper pilots have accomplished. “The nonstop challenges of flying and continuously evolving tactics have helped me strive to be the best every day,” said Perlman upon achieving this milestone on June 21. “When I am finished flying for the Air Force, I want to be able to walk away knowing I didn’t leave anything unfinished.” Perlman began his military pilot training at Sheppard AFB, Tex., in 1986, flying the T-37. After completing his training, he went to MacDill AFB, Fla., to train in the F-16. Perlman, a commercial airline pilot, has been a Reservist for most of his military career. He instructs F-16 pilots. (Luke report by A1C David Owsianka)
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.
