‘Chappie’ James Becomes First Black Four-Star in US History

Sept. 1, 1975

Gen. Daniel “Chappie” James Jr., USAF, becomes the first black officer to achieve four-star rank in the U.S. military.

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Pentagon, Lockheed Agree on 10-Year Framework for Buying F-35s

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The Pentagon and Lockheed Martin on Oct. 22 announced a framework agreement to buy F-35 Joint Strike Fighters for the next 10 years. But the deal, touted by the Pentagon as “landmark” and a first of its kind, depends on Congress granting the military authority to enter into such a…

Michael Wynne, Fired as SECAF Alongside CSAF Moseley, Dead at 82 

Oct. 22, 2026
Michael Wynne, the 21st Secretary of the Air Force died Oct. 17. He was 82 years old. Wynne was Secretary from 2005 to 2008, a stretch of time when the U.S. military was struggling to quell insurgencies in Iraq and Afghanistan and the Army was struggling to simultaneously man occupation…