April issue of Airman available

  • Published
SAN ANTONIO (AFPN) --  Take a look at how the Air Force entered space, learn about the A-10 Thunderbolt II mission over Afghanistan, and read about the silent wings of history. These features and more highlight the April issue of Airman magazine, now available in print and online.

In the early 1950s, America slowly began embracing space technology, and today the United States continues to benefit from its rich treasures. The American public can thank space research for camcorders and global positioning system products, but the military also reaps important rewards from the reach to space, the Ultimate High Ground.

The A-10 Thunderbolt IIs flying out of Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, are proving their worth in the war on terrorism in Afghanistan. "Good guys" love to hear the high-pitched whine of A-10 engines overhead because it means firepower and protection. "Bad guys" flee in terror because the sound could mean a swift and certain death when the Thunderbolt IIs deliver Iron Rain.

When Capt. Leslie Picht discovered a lump during her first-ever breast self-exam, she had flashes of death. Preparing for battle, this KC-135 Stratotanker pilot armed herself with everything she could to fight and defeat the deadly invader by Flying in the Face of the Enemy.

Swooping over the crowd at 500 mph, Thunderbird pilots push their F-16 Fighting Falcons to the limit, thrilling millions of people around the world. Little does the audience know that even before the first show, pilots have flown the same maneuvers hundreds of times over the Nevada desert while Practicing for Perfection.

Grab the kids, lock the doors and bar the windows. The Cruizerz are on a roll, roaring on their monster American hogs past rice paddies and ancient towns until reaching their inevitable hang-out where they stroll menacingly to the counter and order ... ice cream? This group is Born to be Mild.

Although in today's force gliders are flown for sport, they quietly played an important role in World War II. Retired Maj. Dominic Devito watched the Silent Wings of History take off from Wright Field, Ohio, in the 1940s.