The Air Force last month honored the history office of the 3rd Wing at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, as winner of the John R. Burton Award, the biennial honor that recognizes the best multiperson history office across the service. “It means a lot to get recognition like this,” said Doug Beckstead, one of the office historians. The 3rd Wing historians track and write annual histories not only for the wing, but also 11th Air Force, Alaskan NORAD Region, Alaskan Command, and Joint Task Force-Alaska. One of these reports is the “equivalent to writing a Ph.D. dissertation every year,” said Joe Orr of the office. (Elmendorf June 11 report by A1C Christopher Gross)
Celebrating 100 Years of Liquid-Fueled Rockets
March 11, 2026
March 16, 2026, marks 100 years since Dr. Robert H. Goddard launched the world’s first liquid-fueled rocket. Over the past century, new and ever more capable liquid-fueled rockets have literally propelled humanity into space. Why liquid-fueled rockets?