Thunderbolt 09/22/2022

No rest until they are home

Photo by Airman 1st Class Michael Killian

NEWS/FEATURES

Remembering Flying Tiger

by Brady McCarron Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs

ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) Sixty years ago on Sept. 23, 1962, Flying Tiger Flight 923 took off from Gander, Newfoundland, headed for Ger many. Seventy-six souls boarded the aircraft, but only 48 survived when the plane went down approximately 500 miles off the coast of Ireland.

With freezing temperatures and waves over 20 feet high, the story of the survivors has impacted not only members of the U.S. Air Force but those in the civilian aviation world as well. The event has even brought changes to air safety itself. Yet, many service members know very little about the heroes and how their actions ensured such a high survival rate when all the experts expected no survivors.

The crash

There was no warning; nothing to indicate Flight 923 would be anything but normal. All of that changed when engine No. 3 caught fire. The flight crew was able to extinguish the flames, but more trouble lay ahead and they knew it. Almost immediately, engine No. 1 had to be shut down because a bad propeller would spell disaster for the flight. The crew had no other choice but to tell the passengers to prepare for a compro mised landing when the time came. As the flight continued, everyone on

MacDill Thunderbolt

Publisher: Joe Deluca Editor: Nick Stubbs

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Air Refueling Wing

Photo courtesy Eric Lindner

Capt. John Murray, Tiger Flight 923 pilot, used his U.S. Air Force pilot training to safely ditch the aircraft into the Atlantic Ocean after multiple engines failed on the aircraft.

Pitch Black 2022

International interoperability exercise in Pacific

by Staff Sgt. Savannah Waters

ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE BASE DARWIN, Australia (AFNS)—Approximately 110 Pacific Air Forces Airmen participated in exercise Pitch Black 2022, the Royal Australian Air Force Chief of Air Force’s biennial capstone international engagement activity with forces drawn from a wide range of regional, coalition and allied nations This year, 17 nations participated in PB22 from Aug. 19 to Sept. 8.

The exercise focused on the tactical execution of Large Force Employment Offensive Counter Air and Counter Land operations in a multi-national coalition environment to en

See PITCH BLACK, Page 8

U.S. Air Force Capt. Ross Kohler, 67th Fighter Squadron F-15 Eagle pilot, takes off during Ex ercise Pitch Black 2022 at Royal Australian Air Force Base Darwin, Australia, Sept. 7. PB22 is the latest in long standing, multilateral exercises designed to enhance participating countries’ air op erations. This year, 17 nations are participating in PB22, and is scheduled from Aug 19 to Sept. 8.

Special devices Flight ‘STRETCH’es training capability

by Airman 1st Class Veronica McMahon 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla.—The 17 personnel assigned to Tyndall’s 53rd Weapons Evaluations Group, 53 Test Support Squadron

Special Devices Flight design, create, build and test their own products which they develop for the Air Force test agencies. Their efforts have resulted in many huge projects throughout the years.

The most recent project, the Self-Towing Reusable Engagement Target Coverage Haft Pod for towing the aerial gunnery target practice banner, completed its first successful test flight Feb. 25 here. This was the first time the F-15 towed the banner for aerial gunnery training and is the start to get this capability out to the Combat Air Forces.

“The STRETCH Pod is a perfect example of the unique capabilities Special Devices Flight brings to the table,” said Capt. William Hope, 325th Special Devices flight commander. “We’re talking about a system which required extensive machining and sheet metal work, along with an onboard central processing unit programmed in-house.”

The STRETCH Pod is designed to tow the TDU-32 banner; the ban ner is 8 feet by 40 feet and is towed 2,000 feet in trail the F-15. This spacing in trail provides a safety margin when conducting aerial gunnery training.

“Around 1996, the Air Force’s F-15 stopped practicing aerial gun nery training at home station,” said Lt. Col. Terry ‘Stretch’ Scott, 53 Weapons Evaluation Group Deputy Commander and master-mind be hind the new product. “In 2002 the Air-to-Air Gunnery Program was reinvigorated by starting the Combat Banner program. The object of the STRETCH Pod is so fighter units can self-tow the banner for their Ready Aircrew training requirements.”

Colonel Scott has been working the Banner program since 1999 and was proud of the final banner’s test flight.

“The test flight was uneventful,” said the colonel. “It was as good as any test flight could get It worked like a champ and did exactly what I thought it would.”

After an extensive engineering assessment and successful flight test, the STRETCH Pod earned a flight recommendation from the Air Force Seek Eagle office at Eglin AFB and is currently awaiting formal flight clearance authorization for local use of the pod at Tyndall.

“This is a complete in-house project,” said Tech. Sgt. Paul Noblit, 53 TSS Special Devices Flight chief. “Everything on it was done at the fabrications shop.”

The fabrications shop is only one of the three areas which binds the Special Devices Flight together; engineers and avionics specialists also

Photo by Staff Sgt. Savannah L. Waters

WEEK IN PHOTOS

Gen. Michael ‘Erik’ Kurilla recently participated in the International Israeli Defense Forces Operational Innovation Conference in Camp Dayan and the Tze’elim Israeli Defense Force Base. A total of 22 nations, seven chiefs of General Staff, the US chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and more than 2,000 Soldiers and civilians participated in the conference. The conference was a critical event in strengthening the cooperation between CENTCOM and the Israeli Defense Forces. A portions of this image has been altered for security purposes.

U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Jason Stewart, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Central Command G-6 operations officer, carries his father’s ashes on an HC-130J Combat King II aircraft assigned to the 920th Rescue Wing, Patrick Space Force Base, Florida, over Tampa Sept. 1. J. Stewart’s father, Rector Stewart, was an Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft crew chief during the Vietnam War era. On Sept. 1, 2021, J. Stewart held his father’s hand during his final moments and promised to take his ashes on a C-130 for one last flight. One year after his father’s passing, J. Stewart fulfilled his promise by taking his father’s ashes on a C-130 flight that took off from MacDill Air Force Base.

U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Taylor Downs, an information systems technician assigned to Joint Communications Support Element, poses for a photo with his son after clearing debris along Bayshore Boulevard in Tampa Sept. 9. Service members volunteered with the JCSE Petty Officer’s Association to give back to the Tampa community.

Photo by Airman 1st Class Joshua Hastings

Photo by Airman 1st Class Lauren Cobin

Courtesy photo

B-1s border Arctic for Baked Alaskan; enhance ACE practices

by Senior Airman Colin Hollowell 7th Bomb Wing Public Affairs

DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFNS)—Two B-1B Lancers and approximately 50 Airmen assigned to Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, engaged in an Agile Combat Employment exercise, Baked Alaskan, at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, Sept. 9-10.

The Dyess AFB teams tested new technol ogy, simulated joint tactics and long-range strike capabilities with fighter aircraft, and took on new ground roles, allowing the units to improve tactics, techniques, and procedures

One of the key objectives of this mission was to operationalize the ACE concept by sending Dyess AFB Airmen to a different region. It also employed the multi-capable Airman construct, where Airmen were tasked with fulfilling multiple duties outside of their traditional Air

See ALASKA, Page 14

A B-1B Lancer assigned to the 7th Bomb Wing at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, sits on the flight line at Eielson AFB, Alaska, during the Baked Alaskan exercise, Sept. 9, 2022. Two B-1’s and approximately 50 Total Force Airmen from the 7th BW and 307th BW engaged in the Agile Combat Employment exercise to refine multiple skills in less than 24 hours.

Photo by Senior Airman Colin Hollowell

NEWS/FEATURES

KC-46A performs first operationally-tasked combat refueling sortie

by Airman 1st Class Brenden Beezley 22nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs

AL UDEID AIR BASE, Qatar Approximately 100 Airmen and four KC-46A Pegasus aircraft conducted 24-hour operations during Air Mobility Command’s multi-week Employ ment Concept Exercise 22-08 at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, from Aug. 27 through mid-September.

Airmen from the 22nd Air Refueling Wing and 931st Air Refueling Wing participated in the ECE, working in two teams to operate around-the-clock, testing the KC-46A’s ability to support real-world missions and assess its ca pabilities on the path to full-operational status

On Aug. 29, the KC-46A Pegasus completed its first operationally-tasked combat sortie, refueling two F-15E Strike Eagles assigned to the 335th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron.

“The CENTCOM ECE allowed us to stresstest the KC-46A in an extreme desert environ ment while completing operational missions in support of a combatant command,” said Lt. Col. Josh Renfro, AMC KC-46 Cross-Functional Team deputy

The ECEs, coupled with ICR, reflect a risk-

The aircrew from the KC-46A Pegasus’ first combat sortie pose for a group photo Aug. 29, during Air Mobility Command’s Employment Concept Exercise 22-08 at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. The Pegasus and aircrew are participating in the exercise to provide air refueling operations to the U.S. Central Command theater. The team refueled two F-15E Strike Eagles assigned to the 335th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron.See KC-46, Page 13

Photo by Airman 1st Class Brenden Beezley

PITCH

hance interoperability among the U.S., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Philippines, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and United Kingdom forces

“The objective of the United States is to have a free and open Indo-Pacific for all nations within this region,” said Gen. Ken Wilsbach, Pacific Air Forces commander. “The main idea behind our strategy in the Indo-Pacific, specifically PACAF, is to work with allies and partners, and Pitch Black represents a perfect place for our air forces to train together and become interoperable.”

Photo by Staff Sgt. Savannah L. Waters

Senior Airman Edwin Guerrero, 67th Aircraft Maintenance Unit assistant dedicated crew chief, marshals an F-15C Eagle during exercise Pitch Black 2022 at Royal Australian Air Force Base Darwin, Australia, Sept. 1. Approximately 110 Pacific Air Forces Airmen participated in PB22, the RAAF chief of air force’s biennial capstone international engagement activity with forces drawn from a wide range of regional, coalition and allied nations. This year, 17 nations participated in PB22 from Aug. 19 to Sept. 8.

Photo by Staff Sgt. Savannah L. Waters

A U.S. Airman from the 67th Aircraft Maintenance Unit prepares an F-15C Eagle for take off during Exercise Pitch Black 2022 at Royal Australian Air Force Base Darwin, Australia, Sept. 1.

Bugsy’s final flight

6th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs

Just after his 16th birthday, he heard President John F. Kennedy deliver his empowering inaugural address to the nation, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”

Inspired by JFK’s words, Rector Stewart II gained clarity on what he wanted to do. Two years later, as an 18-year-old high school senior in Miami, he drove an unreliable car to class.

Frustrated at his vehicle, he told himself one morning that if his car did not start, he would drop out of school and serve in the armed forces. Soon after that day, he swore the Oath of En listment and joined the U.S. Air Force

“My dad became a C-130 Hercules aircraft mechanic and got stationed at Sewart Air Force Base in Tennessee,” said U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Jason Stewart, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Central Command G-6 operations officer. “Not long after that, he was in Vietnam flying missions in Southeast Asia as a crew chief.”

Rector Stewart also went by the name “Bugsy,” a nickname passed down to him from his father Bugsy shared stories of his military experience with his family

“Serving in the Air Force was a formative experience for him,” Jason Stewart said. “He

story and photos by Airman 1st Class Joshua Hastings

U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Jason Stewart, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Central Command G-6 operations officer, carries his father’s ashes inside an HC-130J Combat King II aircraft assigned to the 920th Rescue Wing, Patrick Space Force Base, Florida, at MacDill Air Force Base Sept. 1.

U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Jason Stewart, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Central Command G-6 operations officer, holds his father’s ashes on an HC-130J Combat King II aircraft assigned to the 920th Rescue Wing, Patrick Space Force Base, Florida, over Tampa Sept. 1.

U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Jason Stewart, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Central Command G-6 operations officer, speaks with his son, Senior Airman Cameron Stewart, Air Force Special Operations Command administrator on an HC-130J Combat King II aircraft assigned to the 920th Rescue Wing, Patrick Space Force Base, Florida, over Tampa, Florida, Sept. 1. J. One year after his father’s passing, J. Stewart fulfilled his promise by taking his father’s ashes on a C-130 flight that took off from MacDill Air Force Base.

informed, data-driven, constraint-analyzed approach to releasing KC46A operational capabilities to the Joint Force, he added.

All four aircraft operated out of Al Udeid Air Base, with three of the KC-46As focused on completing aerial refueling missions and a fourth aircraft on alert in the event of a grounded aircraft, simultaneously testing the limits of the aircraft in the extreme desert climate.

“This ECE gave AMC valuable data needed to meet aircraft-turn times, maintenance requirements, and engineering dispositions, and provided output for air refueling as needed while we continued to refine the aircraft performance parameters,” said Renfro. “It also allowed AMC to gain a deeper understanding of how best to employ and deploy the KC-46A in future operations.”

During their time at Al Udeid Air Base, leaders from Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central), 379th Air Expeditionary Wing and a variety of other squadrons from around the base visited the Air Force’s newest air refueling platform.

“This was my first time flying on the KC-46 and seeing it in action was very impressive,” said Brig Gen. Jeffrey Nelson, 379th Air Expe ditionary Wing commander. “The onboard systems provide great situational awareness of the surrounding area to the crew, and watching the boom operator accomplish air refueling using the remote vision system was equally impressive.”

Employment Concept Exercises are a subset of the KC-46A Interim Capability Release plan that allows AMC to employ the KC-46A in different scenarios for further operational employment testing and evaluation. The ECEs allow AMC to rapidly gather actionable data on the KC-46A’s performance in various scenarios, increasing operational capability to the tanker fleet requirements and increased tanker capacity

Over the past 16 months, the KC-46A has demonstrated growing operational capacity at a swift pace. In May 2021, the KC-46A was not cleared to operationally support any U.S. Transportation Command missions. Through the Interim Capability Release plan and dedicated work by members of the growing KC-46A community, the KC-46A is now cleared to operationally refuel 97 percent of the daily Joint Force air refueling demands as tasked by U.S. Transportation Command.

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Abigail Sherbondy, 931st Maintenance Squadron crew chief, guides a fuel truck Aug. 30, at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. Airmen from McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, were participating in Air Mobility Command’s multi-week Employment Concept Exercise and worked in conjunction with Airmen from the 379th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron at AUAB.

Photo by Airman 1st Class Brenden Beezley

Force specialty code on the flight line.

“As a crew chief, our team was responsible for quick-turning the jets for takeoff,” said Airman 1st Class Nicholas Deanda, 7th Air craft Maintenance Squadron crew chief. “After we accomplished our traditional duties, we were utilized as Petroleum, Oil, and Lubrication troops. This is an example of how we as crew chiefs can be multi-capable,accomplishing a variety of mission sets which reduces our personnel footprint.” The multi-capable Airmen initiative directly supports ACE, which is a proactive and reactive operational scheme of maneuver within threat timelines to increase resiliency and survivability while generating combat power by training Air men to be capable of accomplishing tasks outside of the core AFSC.

During the Baked Alaskan exercise, Dyess AFB Airmen and re serve mission partners deployed two B-1s from home station to Ei elson AFB. While there, they tested fly away communication kits, conducted routine maintenance and armament reloading, and integrated with a variety of joint force aircraft to include F-35A Lightning IIs, F-16 Fighting Falcons, F-15C Eagles, E-3G Sentrys, and KC-46A Pegasus, all with the intent of redeploying the aircraft back to home station on a compressed timeline.

Col. David Martinez, 489th Bomb Group commander, joined the team in Alaska for the exercise.

“This exercise showcased the seamless integration of our tra ditional reservists with their active-duty counterparts,” Martinez said. “Deliberate, planning, training, and inclusion ensures Reserve readiness and accessibility, and preserves the combat power of the Total Force.”

“I am proud of our Total Force Airmen from Dyess for taking the initiative in planning and executing this exercise,” said Col. Jo seph Kramer, 7th BW commander. “The bomber ACE construct has evolved into a mission-type which could include a sortie generation from home station to an area of responsibility and then recovery to a different main or forward operating base. The 7th BW must be prepared to execute in this way. Through exercises like Baked Alaskan, we are training to be prepared to fight tonight.”

(Top) Staff Sgt. Jon Belk, assigned to the 489th Bomb Group, drives a bomb lift truck onto a C-17 Globemaster III during the Baked Alaskan exercise at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, Sept. 9. (Above) Capt. Ryan Gorski, 9th Bomb Squadron B-1 pilot, sets up a communications flyaway kit at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, Sept. 9. The communications flyaway kit utilizes SpaceX’s Starlink service.

Courtesy photo

Photo by Senior Airman Jose Miguel T. Tamondong

FLYING TIGER

board began to realize reaching land safely was not going to happen.

Life jackets were passed out and put on. Instructions were given on what to do when the plane ditched into the water. According to manuals, the plane would skip along the water’s sur face and stop, and then the passengers would walk onto the wings and climb onto one of the five life rafts.

After this, a loud thump was heard by all; en gine No. 2 caught fire and then went silent.

The plane started to plunge. All the lights went out. The end was near.

Because of the 20-foot waves and 50-mileper-hour winds, the crash was violent. Instead of skipping on the water, the aircraft’s hull was torn open, and the right wing was shorn off. The winds were so powerful that four of the five life rafts blew away.

Yet, no one seemed to panic—those healthy enough to walk moved towards the emergency doors and jumped into the freezing waters

Fifty-one people crowded into the last 25-person raft; in the chaos and darkness, it had been mistakenly inflated upside down, so there was no access to potable water, flares, or medical supplies. Though no one remembers exactly how long it took for the plane to sink, after 15 minutes, it had disappeared entirely No other survivors could be seen other than those on the raft. For the next six hours, they were driven by fierce winds and continuously soaked by freez ing waves while huddled together. Finally, the raft of survivors would travel another 22 miles, lost at sea, and invisible to the dozens of air craft racing to the scene or orbiting above Sad ly, three of the 51 on the raft would not live to see rescue.

The rescue

Before going down, the captain of Flight 923 was able to send off an SOS call intercepted by a Swiss freighter ship, the MS Celerina. Assisted by flares dropped by two aircraft that also heard the SOS and diverted their course, the Celerina was able to bring all 48 survivors aboard. They were safe, warm and taken care of for the remaining journey to land. The storm that made their landing so deadly continued, which de layed their journey. However, after three days aboard the Celerina, the seas calmed, and the remaining crew and passengers finally made it to land in Belgium.

The heroes

Capt. John Murray was a World War II pi lot who never thought his most difficult flight would take place after the war.

The 44-year-old pilot could not brace: he needed to try and steer the shuddering, unbal anced 72-ton aircraft traveling at 120 mph. Despite being knocked unconscious when his head slammed into the control panel upon im pact with the ocean, bleeding to a point where he was unable to see, and with the water inside the plane up to his chest, Murray made sure all the 75 souls on board were off the plane alive. Then, out of instinct, he went back into the cockpit to grab a flashlight. During a brutal swim to the raft, he rescued a teen newlywed. Weak from the hours-long ordeal in the air and sea and losing a lot of blood, he had to be pulled into the raft by the other survivors. He was the last aboard the aircraft.

His last-minute thought before the plane sank ended up saving everyone After hours afloat, the captain of the Celerina saw the lone beam of light and knew there were survivors.

“If not for that flashlight, no one would have found us,” said Carol Ann Gould, Flight 923 flight attendant.

Gould was supposed to have the day off, but Flight 923 needed an additional flight atten dant to accompany the 68 servicemen and their family members. At 22 years old, she would be the only cabin crew member to survive As many of the survivors would later recall, Gould’s relaxed, calm demeanor helped them prepare for and survive the crash. Knowing that the inevitable would happen, she had a comforting smile and reassured the passengers their captain was the best pilot to handle this situation.

Gould did not secure herself for the crash until she confirmed that every passenger was buckled in and in the proper crash position. She was the very last one to prepare, just mere mo ments before the plane went down. Immediately after impact, she got up and started leading the passengers out of the plane. She went back and forth, getting everyone she could out Finally, she was pushed out of the aircraft by a Soldier who told her there were no more people she could help.

After she was pulled onto the raft, Gould started helping take care of the wounded and making sure she spoke to all of them on the raft.

Carol Ann Gould, Tiger Flight 923 flight at tendant, who volunteered to work aboard the flight, on what was her day off, assisted Air Force Capt. (Dr.) Juan Figueroa-Longo in rendering medical assistance in addition to keeping morale high on the raft until the ship, MS Celerina, rescued survivors.

To keep hopes high, she led them in song She never stopped until they were finally rescued. Even in her exhausted state, once on the Cel erina, she continued to talk with the passengers until they were all safely back on shore.

Capt. Juan Figueroa-Longo, a physician, was supposed to be on vacation with his wife, Carmen, but instead, the OB-GYN became the emergency doctor who made sure everyone who could survive, did. With the assistance of Gould, while on the raft, Figueroa dealt with hundreds of life-threatening injuries, including severe aviation fuel burns, deep cuts, broken bones, hy pothermia, and, most importantly, shock. He did

Photo courtesy Eric Lindner

FINAL FLIGHT

was so proud for the rest of his life that he had served. Even though he only did four years, he always held service members and veterans in the highest regard.”

The pride Bugsy felt in giving back to his country was shared by his father, who fought in the Pacific Theater during World War II as a U.S. Navy Sailor. Bugsy’s affection for America and its values carried on to his sons and grandson, who also joined the armed forces.

“It’s about civic duty, civic responsibility and serving a purpose higher than yourself,” said Jason Stewart. “It’s about voluntarily doing the things people won’t do, but more importantly, what other people can’t do. I came from a lineage of folks who weren’t in the business of burning their draft cards down on main street.”

Following his enlistment, Bugsy settled back home in Florida and started a career at the Publix grocery store chain.

Using the leadership skills he developed while serving in the military, he worked his way up the fleet service manager out of a Miami warehouse. He retired from Publix after 26 years

“I remember how he would run his shop and inspire those who worked around him,” said Jason Stewart. “He was a leader in his place of work. I admired those traits and thought it was awesome my dad was a leader of peo ple. I believe he picked up those traits in the Air Force.”

The proud Vietnam War veteran is remembered by his family, peers and coworkers as an honorable man who loved his country and gave back to the community he grew up in.

On Sept. 1, 2021, Bugsy passed away from complica tions from the COVID-19 coronavirus.

Jason Stewart held his father’s hand in the hospital as he took his last breaths.

“I made a promise to my dad,” said Jason Stewart. “I said, ‘Hey, dad, I know how proud you are of your service, and I promise to you, I’m going to fly your ashes on a C-130 one last time.”

Jason Stewart then assured his father, whose eyes were closed, that he was around his loved ones and it was okay for him to pass. Bugsy passed away five minutes later.

On Sept. 1, 2022, one year after Bugsy’s passing, Jason Stewart fulfilled his promise to his father.

Accompanied by his son, Senior Airman Cameron Stewart, Air Force Special Operations Command administrator, the grandson of Bugsy, Jason Stewart carried the ashes of his father on an HC-130J Combat King II aircraft assigned to the 920th Rescue Wing, Patrick Space Force Base, Flor ida. The Joint Communications Support Element and the 920th RW coordinated the flight that took off from MacDill AFB.

FLYING

so despite having lost his glasses in the crash. He also received assistance from Senior Master Sgt. Peter Foley, a reporter for Stars and Stripes.

“I guess it was a sense of duty that kept me going,” Figueroa said in an interview. “It was something that had to be done.”

The U.S. Air Force played a vital role in the rescue from start to finish. Lt. Joe Lewis found the raft while piloting his checkout flight out of Scotland; Figueroa tended to those on the raft; and Capt. John Riddle raced from Château roux Air Station, France, to meet the Swiss ship when it arrived in Antwerp. Riddle was put in charge of ensuring survivors were taken care of

After retiring from the Air Force in 1991, then-Maj. Gen. Riddle shared how meeting and helping the survivors altered his life.

“It forever changes your perspective on life,” Riddle said. “I had to be the first step in trying to help these people take the first step in get ting their lives back after such a devastating event. Some lost spouses and friends. For the rest of my career, and even today, I cannot imagine the pain they went through not only at that moment but for the rest of their lives.”

The lost ones

Though Flight 923 is a story of survival, there were 28 people who lost their lives that day. In cluded were 17 members of the military, five crew members, and six family members, including two children who died with their mother on their way to join their father and husband, who was stationed in Germany.

Lt. Col. George Dent sat crowded on the raft with the other survivors, all but six feet away

from his wife, Elizabeth. He panicked when on the raft and called her name but was relieved to hear her respond. However, when the survi vors were being pulled onto the rescue ship, he discovered she was one of three who had died of their wounds while on the raft.

Most of the military members lost that day were U.S. Army combat paratroopers Some as young as 18 were heading to their first duty assignment. Others were mid-level noncommissioned officers, as well as one officer.

Back in the cities and towns where each of the lost came from, the pain was hard on all. Like the survivors, their lives were changed for ever

The lessons learned

Flight 923 is not only a story of survival and loss; it also brought changes to the way water landings are governed today As evident with U.S. Airways Flight 1549, which landed on the Hudson River in 2009, ditching an airplane on smooth water and close to shore is one thing, but when it is not smooth and far from land, Flight 923 led to essential safety improvements.

The Coast Guard was key in using the ex ample of Flight 923 to push for changes in wa ter rescues of downed aircraft. They pushed for laws that mandated reversible rafts on aircraft. More importantly, all rafts and life jackets now have lights on them so they can be seen by ships and passing aircraft.

Other rules and regulations that can be traced to Flight 923 include improvements to the black box digital recorders and better deicing procedures.

The best lessons learned that day were ex

emplified through Murray, Gould, Figueroa, and the other survivors who helped each other out of the plane and onto the only raft. The lessons of heroism under pressure and saving others before caring for oneself still resonate today. The Air Force is founded on the virtues of integrity first, service before self and excellence in all we do these heroes, whether Army, former or current Air Force or civilian, exemplified what it means to be a wingman.

Flying Tiger Flight 923 may not be a wellknown story; however, it is a story military his tory should never let die. As the Air Force celebrates its 75th anniversary, now is the best time to look back and reflect on aviation moments like this.

Note: Information for this article was made possible by an interview with and from the book “Tiger in the Sea,” written by Eric Lindner, who is Capt. Murray’s son-in-law. To honor Murray, Lindner made it his personal goal to tell the sto ry of Flight 923. He also was able to interview some of the survivors and share their stories in the book.

Photo courtesy Eric Lindner

STRETCH

play a key role in production of many of the flight’s proj ects

Along with creating the STRETCH Pod, some of their projects include modifying an out-of-service pod to carry Luneburg Lenses, as well as engineering an electro-optical pod adapter for the F-35 program.

“With such an experienced and technically diversified staff, this flight is unmatched in its ability to rapidly de sign, engineer and fabricate test prototypes and transi tion them to the ‘Proof of Concept’ phase,” Captain Hope said. “Our team runs the gamut capability-wise from metal fabrication, to circuit card manufacturing and even software design, the guys here in Special D can do it all. I think our flight motto really sums it up best, ‘Any Tasking for the Asking.’”

The flight’s mission is to provide professional engi neering, design and manufacture capability in aircraft related system technologies, enabling rapid transition from concept to certified operational demonstration

“The Special Devices Flight is like MacGyver on ste roids,” said Colonel Scott. “They can build anything.”

Any organization here seeking Special Devices Flight assistance is encouraged to contact the flight at 2832135.

EVENTS

Teen night out Sept. 30

This free night out is open to teens ages 13 18 at the MacDill youth center from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Find more info at macdillfss.com/ youth/

Library events held daily

The MacDill Library hosts daily and monthly events such as Pre K story time, LEGO Club, escape room event and much more! Find the full calendar at macdillfss.com/ library/

Outdoor adventure tours

The Force Support Squadron of fers monthly tours to locations across Florida. Find the full list at macdillfss.com/outdoor-adventuretours/

Air Force Photo Contest extended until Sept. 30

This year’s theme is “Celebrating Traditions” in honor of celebrate the Air Force’s 75th Birthday. First place will win a $500 Amazon Gift Card. For complete contest rules and where to submit your photos, visit myairforcelife.com/2022-air force-photo-contest/

Looking for the perfect job?

The 6th Force Support Squadron is seeking qualified candidates 16 years and older for positions in hospitality, food and beverage, child & youth, and recreation. All positions start at $15 an hour or above Find our full list of jobs at macdillfss. com/open-jobs/

New to MacDill? Visit macdillfss .com/relocation

Honoring the missing

Airman assigned to the 6th Air Refueling Wing carry the prisoner-of-war/missing in action flag during the POW/MIA 24-hour run at MacDill Air Force Base Sept. 16. The POW/MIA flag was ad opted in 1972. It was then enshrined into law as mandatory to be flown on federal properties in 2019.

CHAPEL SCHEDULE

Normal Hours- Monday - Friday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. After hours chaplain, call the Command Post at 828-4362/4361.

Monday-Thursday Mass 12:10 p.m. www.macdill.af.mil/chapel

Catholic (in-person) - Saturday 5:30 p.m. (confession 4:30 p.m.) Sunday 9:30 a.m. (confessions by appointment)

Protestant services - Sunday 11 a.m.

Jewish - Monthly Lunch and Learn: For sched ule & to join distro, please contact elimelach.es trin@us.af.mil

Islamic Service - Friday 1 p.m. (space re served)

Other Faith Groups - Please contact the Chapel at (813) 828-3621 or via email at 6ARW. HCADMIN@us.af.mil

MacDill’s Chapel website is: https://www.macdill. af.mil/chapel

For more details and information, visit the Chapel Facebook page at http://www.facebook/6amwhc/

Photo by Airman 1st Class Michael Killian

FINAL FLIGHT

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Cameron Stewart, left, Air Force Special Operations Command administrator, sits on the loading ramp of an HC-130J Combat King II air craft assigned to the 920th Rescue Wing, Patrick Space Force Base, Florida, over Tampa, Florida, Sept. 1. Stewart flew with the ashes of his grandfather who was an Air Force C-130 crew chief during the Vietnam War era.

“Flying with my father on the aircraft my grandfather worked on during his tenure in the Air Force was a oncein-a-lifetime opportunity, and I’m thankful I got to be a part of it,” said Cameron Stewart. “As an administrator, most of what you see is on a computer screen. Knowing my grandfather got to experience all he did in the military inspires me to want to pursue more and to be more.”

After the flight, family and friends of Bugsy gathered outside of the MARCENT headquarters building for a memorial ceremony honoring the late C-130 crew chief Cameron Stewart and Stormy Stewart, Bugsy’s surviving grandchildren, were presented with a folded flag at the ceremony symbolizing their grandfather’s faithful service and the passing of the torch. The memorial concluded with words from Jason Stewart.

“My father’s story is a story about service and the in domitable spirit of the American people,” said Jason Stew art. “He wasn’t a general. He wasn’t a chief master sergeant. There was never going to be a Bugsy Air Force Base, but that’s not what matters. His story reflects generations of young Americans, who time and time again, raise their right hand and swear an oath to the Constitution of the United States when their nation calls and are all willing to give the last full measure of devotion to fulfilling that endeavor. The ones who come back are proud and humbled by their service, and they raise families, they become lead ers in their communities, they work hard and they go to their graves knowing they made a difference That’s what it’s really about.”

Photo by Airman 1st Class Joshua Hastings