The first successful test jump with a free fall parachute is made by Leslie Irving at McCook Field, Ohio. He uses the prototype Model AA parachute as he jumps from a USD-9 (the US built version of the British deHavilland DH-9), piloted by Floyd Smith.
Amid a high-profile recruiting crisis, Air Force leaders and experts have increasingly noted the challenging long-term trends the service will face in enticing young Americans to sign up—decreasing eligibility to serve, less propensity to do so, and less familiarity with the military. But while those same leaders say there’s no “silver…