With famed company test pilot Tony LeVier in the cockpit, Article 341, the prototype Lockheed U-2 high altitude reconnaissance aircraft makes an inadvertent first flight during a high-speed taxi test. The first official flight came three days later. Since then, pilots in full pressure suits alone, unarmed, and unafraid have flown the Dragon Lady to more than 70,000 feet over every flashpoint worldwide. From film cameras capturing images of Soviet medium-range ballistic missiles in Cuba to enhanced sensors allowing today’s real-time data collection and distribution, the U-2’s mission hasn’t changed—getting information to the decision makers who need it most.
Top Lawmakers Want 15 Percent Pay Raise for Enlisted Troops
April 19, 2024
A new law introduced by Congress would raise the pay rate 15 percent for junior enlisted troops and seek improvements on a range of quality of life issues, such as pay and compensation, child care, housing, health care access, and military spouse employment.