Retired Lt. Col. William H. Holloman, a member of the famed World War II Tuskegee Airmen and the Air Force’s first black helicopter pilot, died June 11 in Kent, Wash. He was 85. A native of St. Louis, Holloman volunteered during World War II for the all-black aviation training program at Tuskegee Army Air Field in Tuskegee, Ala. During 1944-45, he flew the P-51 Mustang with the 99th Fighter Squadron out of Italy, escorting bombers and attacking enemy targets in Germany, Austria, and Eastern Europe. He was called back to active duty during the Korean War and later served with the Army during the Vietnam War. Holloman’s name is on the list of the original Tuskegee Airmen pilot graduates compiled by Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. (AFNS release) (See also Seattle Times obituary.)
The Pentagon has concluded a new agreement to buy laser-guidance kits that turn rockets into drone-killing weapons. BAE Systems and the Defense Department announced a framework deal of up to seven years for 25,000 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System guidance kits annually for the U.S. military.