VOL. 47 NO.25 JUNE 22, 2007 Academy salutes former commandant,ace By Butch Wehry Air Force Distinguished Service Order, Academy Spirit staff Vietnam Air Gallantry Medal with gold wings and Vietnam Air Service Medal. The funeral service for former “He will be buried here in a very Academy Commandant, Brig. Gen Robin large-scale event,” said Janet Edwards, Olds, is scheduled for 10 a.m., June 30, Academy Mortuary Officer. in the Cadet Protestant Chapel, followed If the winds that waft through the immediately by a graveside service at the Academy Cemetery could talk, they might Academy Cemetery. tell the story of the man who downed The legendary fighter pilot died of four MIGs during the Vietnam Conflict congestive heart failure, June 14, in and the 152 missions flown in the F-4 Steamboat Springs, Colo., one month shy Phantom out of Udorn Royal Thai Air of his 85th birthday. Force Base, Thailand. He was the creator Neither his burial nor his life will and mission commander of Operation soon be forgotten. Bolo, the most successful aerial battle of Born in Honolulu to Maj. Gen. Robert Vietnam. It was recently shown on the and Mrs. Eloise Olds, he spent his younger History Channel’s special series, Dogfights. years in Virginia and attended the United He was Academy commandant from States Military Academy, graduating as a 1967 to 1973 and retired as the Air Force’s second lieutenant in 1943. He flew 107 Director of Safety in 1973. combat missions and shot down 12 enemy The three-time ace traveled the world aircraft in Europe during the latter part of talking and lecturing, inspiring and moti- World War II. vating military and civilian groups. He was assigned to the first P-80 jet “Triple-ace Robin Olds’ legendary squadron in 1946; was a member of the leadership and heroic service to the cause first jet aerial acrobatic demonstration of freedom have been an inspiration to our team; won second place in the Thompson nation and our Air Force,” said Air Force Air Force Photo Trophy Race, jet division, in Cleveland, Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley. Col. Robin Olds preflights his F-4C Phantom before a mission in Southwest in 1946; and participated in the first dawn- “He is one of our ‘great captains’ and a Asia. He was the commander of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing at Ubon Air Base, to-dusk, transcontinental, round-trip flight. pioneer of air power.” He became an ace Thailand, and was credited with shooting down four enemy MiG aircraft in aer- He was a squadron commander of Royal with 12 aerial victories during World War ial combat over North Vietnam. Air Force No.1 Fighter Squadron, Sussex, II, flying P-38 Lightnings and P-51 in the war-winning, air-to-air tactics and his leadership and accomplishments, and England, during an exchange tour in 1948. Mustangs, and later shot down four MIGs doctrine of surgical precision bombing will remember him always.” General Olds’ military decorations in Vietnam to bring his total to 16. He also we use today. Brigadier General Olds’ He is survived by two daughters, a include the Air Force Cross, Distinguished led the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing — the courageous life stands as a timeless granddaughter and a half-brother. Service Medal, Silver Star with three oak famed “Wolfpack” — to a record 24 aerial example of the power of faith and the “In lieu of flowers, contributions can leaf clusters, Legion of Merit, victories, a total unsurpassed by any other strength of the human spirit,” General be made to the Red River Valley Fighter Distinguished Flying Cross with five oak wing during the war in Southeast Asia. Moseley said. “Our thoughts and prayers Pilots Association toward scholarships leaf clusters, Air Medal with 39 oak leaf “Throughout his career, he was a are with his devoted family as they mourn for the children or spouses of Armed clusters, British Distinguished Flying staunch advocate for better fighters, better his loss, a loss we feel as well. America Forces aircrew members killed or missing Cross, French Croix de Guerre, Vietnam pilot training and new tactics, culminating and our Air Force are eternally grateful for in action,” Ms. Edwards said. outstanding direction and support for our Retired grad killed in Iraq program under very difficult circumstances. We were fortunate to be able to rely on his skill Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs propelled grenade struck his vehicle. The Sumter, and judgment while he was in Iraq, and we will S.C., native was the logistics director for U.S. all miss him very much.” WASHINGTON (AFPN) — The Air Force Central Command when he retired. Colonel Butler, a 31-year Air Force veteran, lost one of its own when a retired colonel and While in Iraq, Colonel Butler was respon- had served as a squadron commander at 1976 Academy graduate, working as a civilian sible for logistics issues for DynCorp’s 700 Ramstein Air Base, Germany, and a group contractor and traveling with a convoy, was employees who help train the country’s police commander at Incirlik AB, Turkey. killed June 12 near Tikrit, Iraq, when the convoy force. He ensured they had housing, vehicles and He is the fifth Academy graduate to die in was attacked by small-arms fire. communications equipment. Iraq since 9/11, and the first in a non-active duty Retired Col. Michael W. Butler was working “I am deeply saddened by the loss of Mike role. for DynCorp International as the senior deputy Butler,” said DynCorp International CEO Herbert Colonel Butler is survived by his wife, program manager, working in logistics for the J. Lanese. “He was a fine man, a strong leader, Joanne, and two adult sons. A funeral is planned Butler company’s security program, when a rocket- and a courageous individual who had provided at Arlington National Cemetery. I N News Feature Sports S Top trainer Water, water Softball race I tabbed everywhere tightens D Page 3 Page 13 Page 16 E Academy Spirit 2 COMMENTARY June 22, 2007 Letter to Airmen I’m an Airman with a capital A updates force By Chief Master Sgt. Layton Clark engaged in a joint war around the globe against an 4th Fighter Wing elusive enemy. We assist our sister services with reduction their missions. The Air Force has more than 28,000 SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, deployed Airmen providing combat forces, running By Michael W. Wynne N.C. (AFPN) — What do we call a person who aerial ports, conducting aerial refueling, guiding Secretary of the Air Force drives trucks in the Marines, regardless of rank or satellites and conducting special-operations position? missions. Probably the most difficult part of my job as your You call them a Marine. We are patrolling, rebuilding, training police Secretary is releasing patriotic Americans from serving Every Marine is trained and ready to perform as and Soldiers, supporting trials and nation building in our Air Force, but it is a step we nevertheless must a member or leader of a rifle platoon. and eliminating improvised explosive devices. take. One of the duties we have as Airmen is assuring What do we call a food service specialist in the It points out that when you properly train, future Airmen that they will be as capable and confi- Army? equip, organize and lead our Airmen for a task, they dent to accomplish the mission as we are today. We are You call them a Soldier. will do it superbly. faced with the need to ensure ongoing GWOT opera- Each one, when paired with a rifle, can still I was often told by my counterparts, who had tions and personnel readiness across the spectrum of operate a checkpoint, initiate a challenge, pass a Airmen assigned to their tactical control, they were conflict around the world; versus the age, health, sign or countersign and perform either independ- the best service members they had. capacity and capability of our current air and space inventories as we move into an uncertain world future. ently or as part of a maneuver unit. My former commander was once told by a Faced with these competing demands, our options Now, what do you call someone in the Air Force transportation battalion commander that the Air are to either let our unmatched capabilities wither or who pumps fuel, loads an aircraft weapon stations, Force gun truckers were the best “Soldiers” he had cut our manning to invest in tomorrow’s warfighting secures a base, launches an aircraft or flies a plane? in the battalion. capabilities. We must accept the latter - as painful as By habit, we don’t call ourselves a collective My boss said, “That’s because they are it is - if we are to remain the world’s premier air, title like our sister services, but I say, when in the Airmen.” space and cyberspace force. framework of an Airman’s warrior ethos, we should. This was a point we made many times that year. I know this means more of our fine Airmen will The last year I spent in Southwest Asia was a Unfortunately, Airmen don’t assert often that be departing our service early, and I am not happy about highlight of my career. I saw how our Air Force and they are Airmen. it. But ultimately our duty is to answer our Nation’s our Airmen pulled their weight, some sacrificing I am an Airman with a capital A. call, and to fund our readiness requirements means their lives in the venture. I am prepared to defeat our enemies and I am we must also reduce personnel.