Air Force Now 217

Year Published: 1980

Creator: U.S. Air Force

Complete Record: Survivable Collective Protective Systems: Chemical warfare is a very real threat to Air Force members who work in Europe. Inside hardened shelters, maintenance specialists train to work in a chemical environment. But people also need to eat, rest and seek medical attention during a chemical attack. At Spandahlem Air Base in Germany, these needs are met by a new system known as SCPS. Portraits in Blue, Airman Levitow: It happened on February 29, 1969, on board an AC-47 “Gooney Bird” during Vietnam. Airman Levitow earned the Medal of Honor for his actions that helped save the AC-47 after it was hit by enemy fire. Numb from over 40 shrapnel wounds on his right side, Levitow struggled to save the lives of 3 crewmen and jettison a Mark 24 flare that would have destroyed the AC-47. A-10 Pilot Training: What does close air support mean to you? For pilots who fly the mission, it means flying low and slow in support of ground operations. And it isn’t a talent you’re born with. You have to learn how to fly close air support missions. For Air Force pilots, that talent is taught at Davis-Monthan AFB in Arizona. And this month, we fly with instructor and student pilots as they learn the ins and outs of the close air support.