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131-576: Joseph William Kittinger II (July 27, 1928 – December 9, 2022) was an officer in the United States Air Force (USAF) who served from 1950 to 1978, and earned Command Pilot status before retiring with the rank of colonel . He held the world record for the highest skydive—102,800 feet (31.3 km)—from 1960 until 2012. He participated in the Project Manhigh and Project Excelsior high-altitude balloon flight projects from 1956 to 1960 and

262-737: A second lieutenant . He was subsequently assigned to the 86th Fighter-Bomber Wing based at Ramstein Air Base in West Germany , flying the F-84 Thunderjet and F-86 Sabre . In 1954, Kittinger was transferred to the Air Force Missile Development Center (AFMDC) at Holloman AFB , New Mexico. It was during this assignment that he flew the observation/chase plane that monitored flight surgeon Colonel John Stapp 's rocket sled run of 632 mph (1,017 km/h) in 1955. Kittinger

393-448: A "rocking-chair" position, descending on his back, rather than in the usual face-down position familiar to skydivers. This was because he was wearing a 60 lb (27 kg) "kit" on his behind, and his pressure suit naturally formed a sitting shape when it was inflated, a shape appropriate for sitting in an airplane cockpit. Excelsior I : Kittinger's first high-altitude jump, from about 76,400 feet (23,300 m) on November 16, 1959,

524-557: A 30-week Initial Navy Training (Officer) (INT(O))course at Britannia Royal Naval College . This comprises 15 weeks militarisation training, followed by 15 weeks professional training, before the candidate commences marinisation. Royal Air Force (RAF) DE officer candidates must complete a 24-week Modular Initial Officer Training Course (MIOTC) at RAF College Cranwell . This course is split into four 6-week modules covering: militarisation, leadership, management and assessment respectively. Royal Marines officers receive their training in

655-640: A 44-week course at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst . The course comprises three 14 weeks terms, focussing on militarisation, leadership and exercises respectively. Army Reserve officers will attend the Army Reserve Commissioning Course, which consists of four two-week modules (A-D). The first two modules may be undertaken over a year for each module at an Officers' Training Corps ; the last two must be undertaken at Sandhurst. Royal Navy officer candidates must complete

786-501: A MiG-21 when Kittinger's F-4 was hit by an air-to-air missile from another MiG-21 that damaged the plane's starboard wing and set the aircraft on fire. Kittinger and Reich ejected a few miles from Thai Nguyen and were soon captured and taken to the city of Hanoi . During the same engagement, Kittinger's wingman, Captain S. E. Nichols, shot down the MiG-21 they had been chasing. Kittinger and Reich spent 11 months as prisoners of war (POWs) in

917-525: A Prisoner of War while engaged in operations against an opposing armed force in North Vietnam during the period 31 May 1972 to 28 March 1973. In an atmosphere of enemy harassment and brutal treatment, he continued to establish and maintain communications through unusual and ingenious methods, which resulted in American and Allied prisoners presenting a posture of increased resistance to the enemy’s wishes, and, at

1048-485: A Second Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Third Award of the Distinguished Flying Cross to Major Joseph William Kittinger, Jr. (AFSN: AO-190919/FR-52808/AD-14329714), United States Air Force, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as an Aircraft Commander over North Vietnam on 4 July 1966. On that date, while engaged in a night armed reconnaissance mission, Major Kittinger accepted

1179-518: A Third Award of the Bronze Star Medal with Combat "V" to Colonel Joseph William Kittinger, Jr. (AFSN: AO-190919/FR-52808/AD-14329714), United States Air Force, for heroic achievement while a Prisoner of War in North Vietnam from May 1972 to March 1973. His ceaseless efforts to conduct himself strictly in accord with the Code of Conduct and policies of the prisoner organization in the difficult conditions of

1310-445: A Third Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Fourth Award of the Distinguished Flying Cross to Lieutenant Colonel Joseph William Kittinger, Jr. (AFSN: AO-190919/FR-52808/AD-14329714), United States Air Force, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as an Aircraft Commander over Southeast Asia on 16 November 1966. On that date, Colonel Kittinger willingly risked his life as he aggressively attacked hostile forces in

1441-510: A bachelor's degree and are exclusively selected from experienced mid- to senior-level enlisted ranks (e.g., E-5 with eight years' time in service for the Marine Corps, E-7 and above for Navy and Coast Guard). The rank of warrant officer (WO1, also known as W-1) is an appointed rank by warrant from the respective branch secretary until promotion to chief warrant officer (CWO2, also known as W-2) by presidential commission, and holders are entitled to

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1572-451: A bachelor's degree prior to commissioning. The U.S Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and NOAA Corps have no warrant officers or enlisted personnel, and all personnel must enter those services via commissioning. Direct commission is another route to becoming a commissioned officer. Credentialed civilian professionals such as scientists, pharmacists, physicians, nurses, clergy, and attorneys are directly commissioned upon entry into

1703-552: A bachelor's degree via an extension center of Tulane University . Following completion of the Air War College, Kittinger became the vice commander of the 48th Tactical Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath , United Kingdom, where he again flew the F-4 Phantom II. In 1977, he transferred to Headquarters, 12th Air Force , at Bergstrom AFB , Texas, retiring from the U.S. Air Force in 1978. Kittinger accumulated 7,679 flying hours in

1834-475: A car driving down the road and you close your eyes, you have no idea what your speed is. It's the same thing if you're free falling from space. There are no signposts. You know you are going very fast, but you don't feel it. You don't have a 614-mph wind blowing on you. I could only hear myself breathing in the helmet. Kittinger set historical numbers for highest balloon ascent, highest parachute jump, longest-duration drogue-fall (four minutes), and fastest speed by

1965-577: A commission; but these are only taken from the highest ranks of SNCOs ( warrant officers and equivalents). This route typically involves reduced training requirements in recognition of existing experience. Some examples of this scheme are the RAF's Commissioned Warrant Officer (CWO) course or the Royal Navy's Warrant Officers Commissioning Programme. In the British Army , commissioning for DE officers occurs after

2096-500: A communist prison clearly demonstrated his loyalty, love of country, and professionalism. By his unselfish dedication to duty, he reflected great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force. Colonel Joseph William Kittinger, Jr. (AFSN: AO-190919/FR-52808/AD-14329714), United States Air Force, was held as a Prisoner of War in North Vietnam from May 11, 1972 until his release on March 28, 1973. Kittinger retired from

2227-554: A diversionary flak suppression mission against a highly defended target. Disregarding his own personal safety, Major Kittinger made repeated flak suppression attacks and flare passes over heavily armed targets. The professional competence, aerial skill, and devotion to duty displayed by Major Kittinger reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force. The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 2, 1926, takes pleasure in presenting

2358-440: A flight of two F-4D Tactical Fighters that provided cover from hostile aircraft for bombing operations in support of friendly forces. With complete disregard for his own personal safety, Colonel Kittinger aggressively engaged a superior number of hostile aircraft in aerial combat and successfully destroyed one enemy aircraft. By his gallantry and devotion to duty, Lieutenant Colonel Kittinger has reflected great credit upon himself and

2489-442: A flight of two F-4D Tactical Fighters that struck a heavily defended truck park and storage area. Despite marginal weather conditions and heavy ground fire directed at his aircraft, Colonel Kittinger's outstanding airmanship and leadership were directly responsible for the destruction of the target complex. The professional competence, aerial skill, and devotion to duty displayed by Colonel Kittinger reflect great credit upon himself and

2620-525: A four-year bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year institution within a defined time. College-graduate candidates (initial or prior-service) may also be commissioned in the U.S. uniformed services via an officer candidate school, officer training school, or other programs: A smaller number of Marine Corps officers may be commissioned via the Marine Corps Platoon Leaders Class (PLC) program during summers while attending college. PLC

2751-567: A gas balloon. In 2012, Kittinger participated in the Red Bull Stratos project as capsule communicator at age 84, directing Felix Baumgartner on his 24-mile (39 km) freefall from Earth's stratosphere , which broke Kittinger's own 53-year-old record. Felix Baumgartner's record would be broken two years later by Alan Eustace . Born in Tampa, Florida , and raised in Orlando, Florida , Kittinger

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2882-524: A higher active duty or reserve enlisted grade in any of the U.S. armed forces) for the duration of their 14-week program. Upon graduation, they were commissioned as ensigns in the then- U.S. Naval Reserve on active duty, with the option to augment their commissions to the Regular Navy after four to six years of commissioned service. The AOCS also included the embedded Aviation Reserve Officer Candidate (AVROC) and Naval Aviation Cadet (NAVCAD) programs. AVROC

3013-577: A human being through the atmosphere. These were the USAF records, but were not submitted for aerospace world records to the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI). Kittinger's record for the highest ascent was broken in 1961 by Malcolm Ross and Victor Prather . His records for highest parachute jump and fastest velocity stood for 52 years, until they were broken in 2012 by Felix Baumgartner . For this series of jumps, Kittinger

3144-442: A joint is flexed, the folds on one side of the joint will compress and shrink in volume, while the folds on the opposite side will relax and expand in volume. The ribbed structures are usually braced with wire cables or cloth straps to limit their motion and prevent unusual flexing modes that may chafe against the user's body. The wire hinge cables also restrain the complex folds, which if released could unfurl and extend to be more than

3275-690: A keen appreciation of the overall military and political objectives of the United States in Europe and in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, contributed to decisions and programs of broad significance to the United States, the Department of Defense, and the United States European Command. Colonel Kittinger's professional competence, dedication, tenacity, and distinguished performance of duty reflect great credit upon himself and

3406-674: A lower proportion of officers, but a higher total number of officers, while navies and air forces have higher proportions of officers, especially since military aircraft are flown by officers and naval ships and submarines are commanded by officers. For example, 13.9% of British Army personnel and 22.2% of the RAF personnel were officers in 2013, but the British Army had a larger total number of officers. Commissioned officers generally receive training as generalists in leadership and in management , in addition to training relating to their specific military occupational specialty or function in

3537-424: A meter longer than the wearer's body. These constant-volume joint structures greatly reduce fatigue of the wearer so that they do not have to constantly struggle against the suit pressure. Direct compression involves applying pressure directly to the human body using the suit material, usually without any additional gas envelope around the wearer, which is instead provided by an outer rigid cabin structure enclosing

3668-588: A minor oxygen failure during the flight, Captain Kittinger remained emotionally stable and outstandingly effective in collecting and transmitting data, manipulating scientific instruments, taking pictures under extremely difficult conditions and relaying as much information as possible by Morse code to ground recorders. In preparation for this, he underwent many months of preparatory training during which he participated in parachute jumps, altitude chamber tests and free balloon flights. The contributions of Captain Kittinger to

3799-495: A part of their training programmes. In the United Kingdom, there are three routes of entry for British Armed Forces officers. The first, and primary route are those who receive their commission directly into the officer grades following completion at their relevant military academy. This is known as a Direct Entry (DE) officer scheme. In the second method, individuals may gain a commission after first enlisting and serving in

3930-481: A post- Vietnam reduction in force (RIF) that reduced the number of flight training slots for AFROTC graduates by approximately 75% in order to retain flight-training slots for USAFA cadets and graduates during the same time period. Many of these individuals, at the time all male, declined or resigned their inactive USAF commissions and also attended AOCS for follow-on naval flight-training. AOCs were active-duty personnel in pay grade E-5 (unless having previously held

4061-620: A prerequisite for such. In the past (and in some countries today but to a lesser extent), non-commissioned members were almost exclusively conscripts , whereas officers were volunteers. In certain Commonwealth nations, commissioned officers are made commissioners of oaths by virtue of their office and can thus administer oaths or take affidavits or declarations , limited in certain cases by rank or by appointment, and generally limited to activities or personnel related to their employment. In some branches of many armed forces, there exists

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4192-503: A replacement air group (RAG)/fleet replacement squadron (FRS) and then to operational Fleet Marine Force (FMF) squadrons. Like their NAVCAD graduate counterparts, officers commissioned via MarCad had the option to augment to the Regular Marine Corps following four to six years of commissioned service. The MarCad program closed to new applicants in 1967 and the last trainee graduated in 1968. Another discontinued commissioning program

4323-544: A third grade of officer known as a warrant officer. In the armed forces of the United States, warrant officers are initially appointed by the Secretary of the service and then commissioned by the President of the United States upon promotion to chief warrant officer. In many other countries (as in the armed forces of the Commonwealth nations), warrant officers often fill the role of very senior non-commissioned officers. Their position

4454-489: A tight-fitting elastic body suit and a helmet for containing breathing gases, known as a space activity suit . In USSR, the first full pressure suit was designed by engineer Ciann Downes in Leningrad in 1931. The CH-1 was a simple pressure-tight suit with a helmet which did not have joints, thus requiring substantial force to move the arms and legs when pressurised. This was remedied in later suits. Work on full pressure suits

4585-616: A world distance record for the AA-06 size class of gas balloons of 3,221.23 kilometers (2,001.58 mi) in 1983. The record has since been broken. In 1984, he completed the first solo balloon crossing of the Atlantic in the 106,000-cubic-foot (3,000 m) Balloon of Peace , launched from Caribou, Maine , on September 14 and landing on September 18. The flight was organized by the Canadian promoter Gaetan Croteau. An official FAI world aerospace record,

4716-408: Is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service . Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer (NCO), or a warrant officer . However, absent contextual qualification, the term typically refers only to a force's commissioned officers , the more senior members who derive their authority from a commission from

4847-617: Is a sub-element of Marine Corps OCS and college and university students enrolled in PLC undergo military training at Marine Corps Officer Candidate School in two segments: the first of six weeks between their sophomore and junior year and the second of seven weeks between their junior and senior year. There is no routine military training during the academic year for PLC students as is the case for ROTC cadets and midshipmen, but PLC students are routinely visited and their physical fitness periodically tested by Marine Corps officer-selection officers (OSOs) from

4978-471: Is affirmed by warrant from the bureaucracy directing the force—for example, the position of regimental sergeant major in regiments of the British Army is held by a warrant officer appointed by the British government . In the U.S. military, a warrant officer is a technically-focused subject matter expert, such as helicopter pilot or information technology specialist. Until 2024, there were no warrant officers in

5109-550: Is an officer with a higher rank than another officer, who is a subordinate officer relative to the superior. NCOs, including U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard petty officers and chief petty officers, in positions of authority can be said to have control or charge rather than command per se (although the word "command" is often used unofficially to describe any use of authority). These enlisted naval personnel with authority are officially referred to as 'officers-in-charge" rather than as "commanding officers". Commissioned officers in

5240-457: Is rare. The physiological-deficient zone extends from 3,600 m (12,000 ft) to about 15,000 m (50,000 ft). There is an increased risk of problems such as hypoxia , trapped-gas dysbarism (where gas trapped in the body expands), and evolved-gas dysbarism (where dissolved gases such as nitrogen may form in the tissues, i.e. decompression sickness ). Above approximately 4,267 m (14,000 ft) oxygen-rich breathing mixture

5371-477: Is required to approximate the oxygen available in the lower atmosphere, while above 12,000 m (40,000 ft) oxygen must be under positive pressure. Above 15,000 m (49,000 ft), respiration is not possible because the pressure at which the lungs excrete carbon dioxide (approximately 87 mmHg) exceeds outside air pressure. Above 19,000 m (62,000 ft), also known as the Armstrong limit , fluids in

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5502-412: Is to serve as supervisors within their area of trade specialty. Senior NCOs serve as advisers and leaders from the duty section level to the highest levels of the armed forces establishment, while lower NCO grades are not yet considered management specialists. The duties of an NCO can vary greatly in scope, so that an NCO in one country may hold almost no authority, while others such as the United States and

5633-537: The Hỏa Lò Prison , the so-called " Hanoi Hilton ". Kittinger was put through rope torture soon after his arrival at the POW compound and this made a lasting impression on him. Kittinger was the senior ranking officer (SRO) among the newer prisoners of war, i.e. , those captured after 1969. In Kittinger's autobiography " Come Up and Get Me " (by Kittinger and Craig Ryan), Kittinger emphasized being very serious about maintaining

5764-592: The New Zealand Defence Force , are different in not requiring a university degree for commissioning, although a significant number of officers in these countries are graduates. In the Israel Defense Forces, a university degree is a requirement for an officer to advance to the rank of lieutenant colonel and beyond. The IDF often sponsors the studies for its officers in the rank major , while aircrew and naval officers obtain academic degrees as

5895-467: The Royal Air Force set the official world altitude record at 49,967 feet in a Bristol Type 138 wearing a similar suit. In 1934, aviator Wiley Post , working with Russell S. Colley of the B.F. Goodrich Company , produced the world's first practical pressure suit. The suit's body had three layers: long underwear, a rubber air pressure bladder, and an outer suit of rubberized parachute fabric which

6026-550: The U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Space Force continues to have no warrant officers; the last of the previous cohort of USAF warrant officers retired in the 1980s and the ranks became dormant until the program was resurrected in 2024. The USSF has not established any warrant officer ranks. All other U.S. Armed Forces have warrant officers, with warrant accession programs unique to each individual service's needs. Although Warrant Officers normally have more years in service than commissioned officers, they are below commissioned officers in

6157-680: The United States Armed Forces , enlisted military personnel without a four-year university degree at the bachelor's level can, under certain circumstances, also be commissioned in the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard limited duty officer (LDO) program. Officers in this category constitute less than 2% of all officers in those services. Another category in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard are warrant officers / chief warrant officers (WO/CWO). These are specialist officers who do not require

6288-493: The Virginia Military Institute . The Coast Guard has no ROTC program, but does have a Direct Commission Selected School Program for military colleges such as The Citadel and VMI . Army ROTC graduates of the United States' four junior military colleges can also be commissioned in the U.S. Army with only a two-year associate degree through its Early Commissioning Program , conditioned on subsequently completing

6419-456: The astronomer William C. White took a balloon packed with scientific equipment to an altitude of about 82,200 feet (25,100 m), where they spent over 18 hours and performed a number astronomical observations. After the first flight, however, the project was canceled due to the NASA's recent ability to send astronauts into space, and launch satellites into Earth orbit. In 1965, after returning to

6550-642: The head of state . The proportion of officers varies greatly. Commissioned officers typically make up between an eighth and a fifth of modern armed forces personnel. In 2013, officers were the senior 17% of the British armed forces, and the senior 13.7% of the French armed forces. In 2012, officers made up about 18% of the German armed forces, and about 17.2% of the United States armed forces. Historically armed forces have generally had much lower proportions of officers. During

6681-584: The sovereign or the governor general acting on the monarch's behalf. Upon receipt, this is an official legal document that binds the mentioned officer to the commitment stated on the scroll. Non-commissioned members rise from the lowest ranks in most nations. Education standards for non-commissioned members are typically lower than for officers (with the exception of specialized military and highly-technical trades; such as aircraft, weapons or electronics engineers). Enlisted members only receive leadership training after promotion to positions of responsibility, or as

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6812-429: The "Big Eagle" project, and supervision of all details concerned with maintenance and armament, scheduling, and development of combat tactics and mission profiles to accomplish the mission. These responsibilities were completed in a clearly superior manner. The exemplary leadership, personal endeavor, and devotion to duty displayed by Colonel Kittinger in this responsible position reflect great credit upon himself and upheld

6943-491: The 1920s. The two sought the assistance of Robert Henry Davis of Siebe Gorman , the inventor of the Davis Escape Set , and with Haldane's and Davis' resources a prototype suit was constructed. Ridge tested it in a low-pressure chamber to a simulated altitude of 50,000 feet. However, he received no support for further work and never made his attempt on the world record. On 28 September 1936 Squadron Leader F.R.D. Swain of

7074-648: The 5,703.03-kilometer (3,543.70 mi) flight is the longest gas balloon flight in the AA-10 size category. For the second time in his life, he was the subject of a story in National Geographic Magazine . Kittinger participated in the Gordon Bennett Cup in ballooning in 1989 (ranked third) and 1994 (ranked 12th). In the early 1990s, Kittinger helped NASA plan Charles "Nish" Bruce 's project to break Kittinger's highest parachute jump record. The project

7205-528: The AOCS program were primarily non-prior military service college graduates, augmented by a smaller cohort of college-educated active duty, reserve or former enlisted personnel. In the late 1970s, a number of Air Force ROTC cadets and graduates originally slated for undergraduate pilot training (UPT) or undergraduate navigator training (UNT) lost their flight training slots either immediately prior to or subsequent to graduation, but prior to going on active duty, due to

7336-608: The Air Force as a colonel in 1978 and initially went to work for Martin Marietta (now Lockheed Martin ) Corporation in Orlando, Florida . He later became vice president of flight operations for Rosie O'Grady's Flying Circus, part of the Rosie O'Grady's/Church Street Station entertainment complex in Orlando, prior to the parent company's dissolution. Still interested in ballooning, Kittinger set

7467-693: The Command Wing of the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines during a 15-month course. The courses consist not only of tactical and combat training, but also of leadership, management, etiquette, and international-affairs training. Until the Cardwell Reforms of 1871, commissions in the British Army were purchased by officers. The Royal Navy, however, operated on a more meritocratic, or at least socially mobile, basis. Commissioned officers exist in all eight uniformed services of

7598-590: The Distinguished Flying Cross to Captain Joseph William Kittinger, Jr. (AFSN: AO-190919/FR-52808/AD-14329714), United States Air Force, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight on 2 June 1957 in performing a solo flight to an altitude of 97,000 feet in a gondola suspended from a plastic balloon. Scientific measurements made by Captain Kittinger constitute a valuable pioneering contribution to our knowledge of extreme altitude flight. Despite difficulties due to communications malfunction and

7729-540: The First World War, fewer than 5% of British soldiers were officers (partly because World War One junior officers suffered high casualty rates). In the early 20th century, the Spanish army had the highest proportion of officers of any European army, at 12.5%, which was at that time considered unreasonably high by many Spanish and foreign observers. Within a nation's armed forces, armies (which are usually larger) tend to have

7860-618: The Government of the United States as the Chief, Ready Team Program Management, Headquarters, TWELFTH Air Force, Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas, from 11 April 1977 to 31 July 1978. Under Colonel Kittinger's superior leadership, depth of knowledge and aggressive management ability, the transition of the 49th Tactical Fighter Wing from F-4 aircraft to the F-15 was accomplished without loss of combat effectiveness. Colonel Kittinger's direct personal contributions to

7991-626: The Mk IV was later used by NASA with modifications for Project Mercury as the Navy Mark V . At the same time, David Clark won the contract to produce suits for the X-15 project; its XMC-2 suits qualified as the first US spacesuits. The RAF Institute of Aviation Medicine and the Royal Aircraft Establishment developed a partial-pressure helmet which was used with a capstan type suit purchased from

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8122-515: The School of Infantry, before entering naval flight-training. MarCads would then complete their entire flight-training syllabus as cadets. Graduates were designated Naval Aviators and commissioned as 2nd Lieutenants on active duty in the Marine Corps Reserve. They would then report to The Basic School (TBS) for newly commissioned USMC officers at Marine Corps Base Quantico prior to reporting to

8253-561: The Silver Star to Lieutenant Colonel Joseph William Kittinger, Jr. (AFSN: AO-190919/FR-52808/AD-14329714), United States Air Force, for gallantry in connection with military operations against an opposing armed force as an F-4D Aircraft Commander of the 432d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, Udorn Royal Thai Air Base, Thailand, PACIFIC Air Force, in action over hostile territory in Southeast Asia, on 1 March 1972. On that date, Colonel Kittinger led

8384-658: The Skyrocket. US requirements for high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft such as the U-2 , and fighters to intercept high-altitude Soviet aircraft caused the US Navy to be tasked with the development of a full pressure suit in the 1950s. Working with B.F. Goodrich and Arrowhead Rubber, the USN produced a series of designs which culminated in the Goodrich Mk III and IV. While intended for aircraft use,

8515-509: The U.S. Air Force Reserve on the same day. Aviation cadets were later offered the opportunity to apply for a commission in the regular Air Force and to attend a college or university to complete a four-year degree. As the Air Force's AFROTC and OTS programs began to grow, and with the Air Force's desire for a 100% college-graduate officer corps, the aviation cadet program was slowly phased out. The last aviation cadet pilot graduated in October 1961 and

8646-462: The U.S. Air Force, including 948 combat flying hours during three tours during the Vietnam War. In addition, he has flown over 9,100 hours in various civilian aircraft. Kittinger received the following awards and decorations during his USAF career: The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 8, 1918 (amended by act of July 25, 1963), takes pleasure in presenting

8777-556: The U.S. Armed Forces may also be commissioned through the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC). The ROTC is composed of small training programs at several hundred American colleges and universities. There is no Marine Corps ROTC program per se , but there exists a Marine Corps option for selected midshipmen in the Naval ROTC programs at civilian colleges and universities or at non-Federal military colleges such as The Citadel and

8908-689: The U.S. Marine Corps. In addition to the ROTC, Army National Guard (ARNG) officers may also be commissioned through state-based officer-candidate schools. These schools train and commission college graduates, prior-servicemembers, and enlisted guard soldiers specifically for the National Guard. Air National Guard officers without prior active duty commissioned service attend the same active-duty OTS at Maxwell AFB , Alabama, as do prospective active duty USAF officers and prospective direct entry Air Force Reserve officers not commissioned via USAFA or AFROTC . In

9039-513: The U.S. Navy, primarily Naval Aviators, via interservice transfer. During the U.S. participation in World War II (1941–1945), civilians with expertise in industrial management also received direct commissions to stand up materiel production for the U.S. armed forces. Although significantly represented in the retired senior commissioned officer ranks of the U.S. Navy, a much smaller cohort of current active-duty and active-reserve officers (all of

9170-678: The US, a large amount of effort was put into the development of pressure suits during World War II. While B.F. Goodrich led the field, other companies involved in such research included the Arrowhead Rubber Co., Goodyear , and US Rubber . The University of Minnesota worked with Bell Aircraft and the US National Bureau of Standards . The Bureau of Standards and the University of California acted as clearing houses to distribute information to all

9301-530: The US. It was worn by Walter Gibb and his navigator to set a world altitude record on 29 August 1955 in an English Electric Canberra . However, evaluation of the suit showed that it encumbered the wearer and did not integrate well with RAF escape systems. Instead, the RAF IAM proposed a minimal-coverage suit which would provide "get-me-down" protection. The RAF never issued a partial-pressure suit, preferring instead to use anti-g trousers in conjunction with pressure jerkins (which applied mechanical counter-pressure to

9432-404: The United Kingdom consider their NCOs to be "the backbone of the military" due to carrying out the orders of those officers appointed over them. Pressure suit The region from sea level to around 3,000 m (10,000 ft) is known as the physiological-efficient zone . Oxygen levels are usually high enough for humans to function without supplemental oxygen and decompression sickness

9563-804: The United States . All six armed forces of the United States have both commissioned officer and non-commissioned officer (NCO) ranks, and all of them (except the United States Air Force and United States Space Force ) have warrant-officer ranks. The two noncombatant uniformed services, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps (NOAA Corps), have only commissioned officers, with no warrant-officer or enlisted personnel. Commissioned officers are considered commanding officers under presidential authority. A superior officer

9694-538: The United States Air Force. The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 2, 1926, takes pleasure in presenting a Fourth Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Fifth Award of the Distinguished Flying Cross to Lieutenant Colonel Joseph William Kittinger, Jr. (AFSN: AO-190919/FR-52808/AD-14329714), United States Air Force, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as an F-4D Aircraft Commander over hostile territory on 18 April 1972. On that date, Colonel Kittinger led

9825-464: The United States Air Force. The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, 20 July 1942, takes pleasure in presenting a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award of the Legion of Merit to Colonel Joseph William Kittinger, Jr. (AFSN: AO-190919/FR-52808/AD-14329714), United States Air Force, for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to

9956-722: The United States Air Force. The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, 20 July 1942, takes pleasure in presenting the Legion of Merit to Lieutenant Colonel Joseph William Kittinger, Jr. (AFSN: AO-190919/FR-52808/AD-14329714), United States Air Force, for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the Government of the United States as Air Operations Officer, Special Operations Center, Europe, J-3 Directorate, United States European Command, from July 1968 to July 1970. In this extremely sensitive position, Colonel Kittinger's personal initiative, exceptional knowledge of unconventional warfare and counter insurgency operations, coupled with

10087-521: The United States Air Force. The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 2, 1926, takes pleasure in presenting a Silver Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Sixth Award of the Distinguished Flying Cross to Lieutenant Colonel Joseph William Kittinger, Jr. (AFSN: AO-190919/FR-52808/AD-14329714), United States Air Force, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as an Aircraft Commander near Hanoi, North Vietnam, on 16 April 1972. On that date, Colonel Kittinger

10218-479: The United States Air Force. The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 8, 1918 (amended by act of July 25, 1963), takes pleasure in presenting a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award of the Silver Star to Colonel Joseph William Kittinger, Jr. (AFSN: AO-190919/FR-52808/AD-14329714), United States Air Force, for gallantry and intrepidity in action in connection with military operations against an opposing armed force during

10349-586: The United States and soon transitioned to the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II . During a voluntary third tour of duty to Vietnam in 1971–72, he commanded the 555th Tactical Fighter Squadron (555 TFS), the noted "Triple Nickel" squadron, flying the F-4D Phantom II. During this period he was credited with shooting down a North Vietnamese MiG-21 while flying an F-4D, USAF Serial No. 66-7463, with his WSO, 1st Lieutenant Leigh Hodgdon. Kittinger

10480-504: The armed forces of the United States come from a variety of accessions sources: Graduates of the United States service academies attend their institutions for no less than four years and, with the exception of the USMMA, are granted active-duty regular commissions immediately upon completion of their training. They make up approximately 20% of the U.S. armed forces officer corps. Officers in

10611-528: The body as the wearer moves, and not having the gas pressure or the enclosing suit envelope restricting body movement of the wearer. Maintaining constant gas pressure as the wearer moves is difficult, because the internal volume of a simple construction inflatable suit will change when body joints are flexed. The gas pressure constantly tries to push the wearer's body into a position where the suit has been inflated to its maximum volume. Moving against this gas pressure can be very difficult, and be very exhausting for

10742-451: The body. They can only provide protection up to a certain altitude. They do not provide protection for extended periods of time at low ambient pressure. Full pressure suits pressurize the entire body. These suits have no altitude limit. The human body can briefly survive the hard vacuum of space unprotected, despite contrary depictions in much popular science fiction . Human flesh expands to about twice its size in such conditions, giving

10873-638: The companies involved. No effective fully mobile pressure suits were produced in World War II but the effort provided a valuable basis for later development. Following the war, the Cold War caused continued funding of aviation development, which included high altitude, high speed research such as NACA 's X-1 . James Henry of the University of Southern California devised a partial pressure suit using an oxygen mask to provide pressurised oxygen, with gas pressure also inflating rubber tubes called capstans to tighten

11004-804: The entire AOCS program but would not be commissioned until completion of flight training and receiving their wings. After their initial operational tour, they could be assigned to a college or university full-time for no more than two years in order to complete their bachelor's degree. AVROC and NAVCAD were discontinued when AOCS was merged into OCS in the mid-1990s. Similar to NAVCAD was the Marine Aviation Cadet (MarCad) program, created in July 1959 to access enlisted Marines and civilians with at least two years of college. Many, but not all, MarCads attended enlisted "boot camp" at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island or Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego , as well as

11135-642: The establishment of the U.S. Air Force as an independent service in September 1947, it then became a source for USAF pilots and navigators. Cadets had to be between the ages of 19 and 25 and to possess either at least two years of college/university-level education or three years of a scientific or technical education. In its final iteration, cadets received the pay of enlisted pay grade E-5 and were required to complete all pre-commissioning training and flight training before receiving their wings as pilots or navigators and their commissions as 2nd lieutenants on active duty in

11266-498: The face of intense anti-aircraft fire. With full realization of the extreme hazards involved, Colonel Kittinger attacked the target repeatedly until he had expended all of his ordnance. This singular act of heroism resulted in the destruction of three active anti-aircraft positions, several fully loaded fuel trucks and was credited with causing several hostile casualties. The outstanding heroism and selfless devotion to duty displayed by Colonel Kittinger reflect great credit upon himself and

11397-974: The first experimental flight of a human in the MAN-HIGH project reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force. The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 2, 1926, takes pleasure in presenting a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award of the Distinguished Flying Cross to Captain Joseph William Kittinger, Jr. (AFSN: AO-190919/FR-52808/AD-14329714), United States Air Force, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight on 16 August 1960 near Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. On that date, Captain Kittinger made an open gondola balloon ascent to an altitude of 102,800 feet, surpassing all previous records. From this record altitude, Captain Kittinger successfully tested an experimental stabilization parachute system, free-falling for four minutes and thirty-eight seconds to an altitude of 17,500 feet where deployment of

11528-414: The highest traditions of the United States Air Force. The President of the United States of America, authorized by Executive Order 11046, 24 August 1962, takes pleasure in presenting a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award of the Bronze Star Medal with Combat "V" to Colonel Joseph William Kittinger, Jr. (AFSN: AO-190919/FR-52808/AD-14329714), United States Air Force, for heroic achievement as

11659-451: The junior ranks, and typically reaching one of the senior non-commissioned officer ranks (which start at sergeant (Sgt), and above), as what are known as Service Entry (SE) officers (and are typically and informally known as "ex-rankers"). Service personnel who complete this process at or above the age of 30 are known as Late Entry (LE) officers. The third route is similar to the second, in that candidates convert from an enlisted rank to

11790-583: The last aviation cadet navigators in 1965. By the 1990s, the last of these officers had retired from the active duty Regular Air Force, the Air Force Reserve and the Air National Guard . In countries whose ranking systems are based upon the models of the British Armed Forces (BAF), officers from the rank of second lieutenant (army), sub-lieutenant (navy) or pilot officer (air force) to

11921-529: The latter being captains or flag officers as of 2017) were commissioned via the Navy's since discontinued Aviation Officer Candidate School (AOCS) program for college graduates. The AOCS focused on producing line officers for naval aviation who would become Naval Aviators and Naval Flight Officers upon completion of flight training, followed by a smaller cohort who would become Naval Air Intelligence officers and Aviation Maintenance Duty Officers. Designated as "aviation officer candidates" (AOCs), individuals in

12052-427: The length of a limb to allow for room to get into the suit. To apply pressure, the capstan tube is pressurized which expands in diameter and applies pressure to the fabric strips. The strips then pull the suit material laterally tighter around the wearer's body. A problem with this design is that the suit fabric is unable to directly provide pressure to the human body in areas with a surface that curves inward, away from

12183-548: The management of the planning and execution of major aircraft unit conversions have contributed greatly to the overall combat readiness of the Tactical Air Command. The singularly distinctive accomplishments of Colonel Kittinger culminate a distinguished career in the service of his country and reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force. The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 2, 1926, takes pleasure in presenting

12314-592: The military or another federal uniformed service . However, these officers generally do not exercise command authority outside of their job-specific support corps (e.g., U.S. Army Medical Corps ; U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps , etc.). The United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps almost exclusively use direct commission to commission their officers, although NOAA will occasionally accept commissioned officers from

12445-493: The military structure he considered essential to survival. Kittinger and Reich were returned to American hands during Operation Homecoming on March 28, 1973, and they continued their Air Force careers, with Kittinger having been promoted to full colonel while in captivity. Following his return, Colonel Kittinger attended and graduated from the Air War College at Maxwell AFB , Alabama and concurrently completed requirements for

12576-851: The military. Many militaries typically require university degrees as a prerequisite for commissioning, even when accessing candidates from the enlisted ranks. Others, including the Australian Defence Force , the British Armed Forces , the Nepali Army , the Pakistan Armed Forces (PAF), the Swiss Armed Forces , the Singapore Armed Forces , the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the Swedish Armed Forces , and

12707-452: The nearest Marine Corps officer-recruiting activity. PLC students are placed in one of three general tracks: PLC-Air for prospective marine naval aviators and marine naval flight officers ; PLC-Ground for prospective marine infantry, armor, artillery and combat-support officers; and PLC-Law, for prospective Marine Corps judge advocate general officers. Upon graduation from college, PLC students are commissioned as active-duty 2nd lieutenants in

12838-413: The operational Air Force, Kittinger was approached by civilian amateur parachutist Nick Piantanida for assistance on Piantanida's Strato Jump project, an effort to break the previous freefall records of both Kittinger and Soviet Air Force officer Yevgeni Andreyev . Kittinger refused to participate in the effort, believing Piantanida's approach to the project was too reckless. Piantanida died in 1966 as

12969-431: The period 11 May 1972 to 13 June 1972, while a Prisoner of War in North Vietnam. Ignoring international agreements on treatment of prisoners of war, the enemy resorted to mental and physical cruelties to obtain information, confessions, and propaganda materials. Colonel Kittinger resisted their demands by calling upon his deepest inner strengths in a manner which reflected his devotion to duty and great credit upon himself and

13100-425: The person. One method used for this is known as a capstan suit, which uses a compressible inflatable tube known as the capstan, enclosed by alternating fabric strips that wrap around the air tube and are attached to an inelastic fabric that closely fits the shape of the wearer's body. To provide a custom tight form-fit to the wearer's body, there are groups of laces along the length of each limb. Zippers may also run

13231-413: The pressurization for his right glove malfunctioned during the ascent and his right hand swelled to twice its normal size, but he rode the balloon up to 102,800 feet before stepping off. Lord, take care of me now. Of the jumps from Excelsior , Kittinger said: There's no way you can visualize the speed. There's nothing you can see to see how fast you're going. You have no depth perception. If you're in

13362-414: The rank hierarchy. In certain instances, commissioned chief warrant officers can command units. A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is an enlisted member of the armed forces holding a position of some degree of authority who has (usually) obtained it by advancement from within the non-commissioned ranks. Officers who are non-commissioned usually receive management and leadership training, but their function

13493-557: The rank of general , admiral or air chief marshal respectively, are holders of a commission granted to them by the appropriate awarding authority. In United Kingdom (UK) and other Commonwealth realms , the awarding authority is the monarch (or a governor general representing the monarch) as head of state . The head of state often has the power to award commissions, or has commissions awarded in his or her name. In Commonwealth nations, commissioned officers are given commissioning scrolls (also known as commissioning scripts) signed by

13624-482: The recovery parachute occurred. By this historic achievement of national and international significance, Captain Kittinger has made a vital contribution to the advancement of aeronautical science. The personal courage, outstanding airmanship and selfless devotion to duty of Captain Kittinger reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force. The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 2, 1926, takes pleasure in presenting

13755-557: The result of a mishap suffered during his Strato Jump III attempt. Kittinger later served three combat tours of duty during the Vietnam War , flying a total of 483 combat missions . During his first two tours he flew as an aircraft commander in Douglas A-26 Invaders and modified On Mark Engineering B-26K Counter-Invaders as part of Operations Farm Gate and Big Eagle. Following his first two Vietnam tours, he returned to

13886-542: The same customs and courtesies as commissioned officers. Their difference from line and staff corps officers is their focus as single specialty/military occupational field subject-matter experts, though under certain circumstances they can fill command positions. The Air Force has discontinued its warrant-officer program and has no LDO program. Similarly, the Space Force was created with no warrant-officer or LDO programs; both services require all commissioned officers to possess

14017-410: The same time, improving prisoner morale. By his heroic endeavors and devotion to duty under adverse conditions of his environment, he reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Air Force. The President of the United States of America, authorized by Executive Order 11046, 24 August 1962, takes pleasure in presenting a Second Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of

14148-406: The subsequent explosive decompression can damage the lungs. These effects have been confirmed through various accidents (including in very high altitude conditions, outer space and training vacuum chambers). Human skin does not need to be protected from vacuum and is gas-tight by itself. Instead it only needs to be mechanically compressed to retain its normal shape. This can be accomplished with

14279-734: The successful completion of a very difficult mission. The professional competence, aerial skill, and devotion to duty displayed by Colonel Kittinger reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force. The President of the United States of America, authorized by Executive Order 11046, 24 August 1962, takes pleasure in presenting the Bronze Star Medal to Lieutenant Colonel Joseph William Kittinger, Jr. (AFSN: AO-190919/FR-52808/AD-14329714), United States Air Force, for meritorious service while engaged in ground operations against an opposing armed force in Southeast Asia as Operations Officer, Detachment 1, 603d Air Commando Squadron, from 14 July 1966 to 2 January 1967. During this period, Colonel Kittinger

14410-544: The suit and provide sufficient mechanical counterpressure to just balance the breathing pressure necessary to prevent hypoxia at a particular altitude. The David Clark Company supplied technical support and resources, and a prototype suit was tested to a simulated 90,000 feet at Wright Field in 1946. Henry's design was subsequently developed by the David Clark Company into the S-1 and T-1 flight suit used by X-1 pilots. The X-1

14541-424: The suit fabric. Locations with concave skin surfaces are in the armpit, behind the knees, the front and back of the crotch region, and along the spine. Inflatable air bladder structures or molded rigid expanded foam may be used, which fit into these cavity spaces to provide direct skin pressure where the suit material is unable to provide that contact directly. Partial pressure suits only pressurize certain parts of

14672-442: The suit wearer, limiting the amount of work that can be performed using the suit. Indirect compression suits generally require complex ribbed mechanical structures at the joints, which create flexible but inelastic folds or pockets in the skin of the suit that act to maintain a constant volume in the suit as the wearer moves. These pockets exist on both sides of a flexible joint and are designed to work together in tandem, so that when

14803-471: The term used by Russians to refer to standard diving dresses or space suits . In 1931, American Mark Ridge became obsessed with breaking the world altitude record in an open gondola balloon. Recognizing that the flight would require specialised protective clothing, he visited the UK in 1933 where he met with Scottish physiologist John Scott Haldane , who had published a concept for a fabric full pressure suit in

14934-432: The throat and lungs will boil away. Generally, 100% oxygen is used to maintain an equivalent altitude of 3,000 m (10,000 ft). Generally, pressure suits work by either indirectly compressing the human body, or directly compressing it. Indirect compression is typically done by enclosing the body in a gas envelope. For this type, design effort focuses on compressing and containing the gas, at an equal pressure around

15065-438: The visual effect of a body builder rather than an overfilled balloon. Consciousness is retained for up to 15 seconds as the effects of oxygen starvation set in. No snap freeze effect occurs because all heat must be lost through thermal radiation or the evaporation of liquids, and the blood does not boil because it remains pressurized within the body. The greatest danger is in attempting to hold one's breath before exposure, as

15196-463: Was a near-disaster when an equipment malfunction caused him to lose consciousness. The automatic parachute opener in his equipment saved his life. He went into a flat spin at a rotational velocity of about 120 rpm , the g-forces at his extremities having been calculated to be over 22 times the force of gravity, setting another record. Excelsior II : On December 11, 1959, Kittinger jumped again from about 74,700 feet (22,800 m). For this leap, he

15327-470: Was attached to a frame with arm and leg joints that allowed Post to operate aircraft controls and to walk to and from the aircraft. Attached to the frame were pigskin gloves, rubber boots, and an aluminum and plastic helmet with a removable faceplate that could accommodate earphones and a throat microphone. In the first flight using the suit on September 5, 1934, Post reached an altitude of 40,000 feet above Chicago , and in later flights reached 50,000 feet. In

15458-604: Was awarded his first Distinguished Flying Cross . Captain Kittinger was next assigned to the Aerospace Medical Research Laboratories at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio . For Project Excelsior (meaning "ever upward"), a name given to the project by Colonel Stapp as part of research into high-altitude bailouts, he made a series of three extreme altitude parachute jumps from an open gondola carried aloft by large helium balloons. These jumps were made in

15589-432: Was awarded the A. Leo Stevens Parachute Medal . Excelsior III : On August 16, 1960, Kittinger made the final high-altitude jump at 102,800 feet (31,300 m). Towing a small drogue parachute for initial stabilization, he fell for 4 minutes and 36 seconds, reaching a maximum speed of 614 miles per hour (988 km/h) before opening his parachute at 18,000 feet (5,500 m). Incurring yet another equipment malfunction,

15720-610: Was carried out during 1936-41 by the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI), with similar work being carried out by the Gromov Flight Research Institute (LII) after World War II . The LII produced four experimental full pressure suits for aircrews, and in 1959 began work on full pressure suits for spaceflight. Chertovskiy used the name skafander for full pressure suits, from the French scaphandre ("diving suit"); skafander has since become

15851-500: Was composed of college students who would attend AOCS training in two segments similar to Marine Corps PLC but would do so between their junior and senior years of college and again following college graduation, receiving their commission upon completion of the second segment. The NAVCAD program operated from 1935 through 1968 and again from 1986 through 1993. NAVCADs were enlisted or civilian personnel who had completed two years of college but lacked bachelor's degrees. NAVCADs would complete

15982-514: Was educated at The Bolles School in Jacksonville, Florida , and the University of Florida . He became fascinated with planes at a young age and soloed in a Piper Cub by the time he was 17. After racing speedboats as a teenager, he entered the U.S. Air Force as an aviation cadet in March 1949. On completion of aviation cadet training in March 1950, he received his pilot wings and a commission as

16113-490: Was flying an F-4D fighter aircraft on a mission to provide protection from hostile interceptors for sixteen strike aircraft hitting targets in the Hanoi area. While flying in extremely hazardous weather conditions and taking ground fire from heavy anti-aircraft guns and surface-to-air missiles, Colonel Kittinger successfully chased off two flights of hostile aircraft. The protection given the strike force by Colonel Kittinger resulted in

16244-571: Was impressed by Stapp's dedication and leadership as a pioneer in aerospace medicine. Stapp, in turn, was impressed with Kittinger's skillful jet piloting, later recommending him for space-related aviation research work. Stapp was to foster the high-altitude balloon tests that would later lead to Kittinger's record-setting leap from over 102,800 feet (31,300 m). In 1957, as part of Project Manhigh , Kittinger set an interim balloon altitude record of 96,760 feet (29,490 m) in Manhigh I , for which he

16375-762: Was profiled in Life magazine and the National Geographic Magazine , decorated with a second Distinguished Flying Cross , and awarded the Harmon Trophy by President Dwight D. Eisenhower . Kittinger appeared as himself on the January 7, 1963 episode of the game show To Tell the Truth . He received two votes. Back at Holloman Air Force Base , Kittinger took part in Project Stargazer on December 13–14, 1962. He and

16506-443: Was responsible for effectively implementing all mission requirements of project "Big Eagle," an extremely important test and evaluation of A-26 aircraft in the night combat environment of Southeast Asia. These responsibilities included operational details involved in deploying the detachment from the United States to Southeast Asia, establishing operational needs and procedures for initiating the test and evaluation criteria necessary for

16637-409: Was shot down on May 11, 1972, just before the end of his third tour of duty. While flying an F-4D, USAF Serial No. 66-0230, with his weapons systems officer, 1st Lieutenant William J. Reich, Kittinger was leading a flight of Phantoms approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) northwest of Thai Nguyen , North Vietnam , when they were engaged by a flight of MiG-21 fighters. Kittinger and his wingman were chasing

16768-534: Was succeeded by the Douglas Skyrocket , whose objective was to exceed Mach 2, and an improved pressure suit was required. David Clark won the contract in 1951 with their first full pressure suit, the Model 4 Full Pressure Suit; it was first flown in 1953 by USMC aviator Marion E. Carl who became the first US military aviator to wear a full pressure suit, at the same time setting an unofficial worlds altitude record in

16899-492: Was suspended in 1994. Joining the Red Bull Stratos project, Kittinger advised Felix Baumgartner on Baumgartner's October 14, 2012, free-fall from 128,100 feet (39,000 m). The project collected leading experts in the fields of aeronautics, medicine, and engineering to ensure its success. Kittinger served as CAPCOM (capsule communicator) for Baumgartner's jump, which broke Kittinger's altitude record set during Project Excelsior. Officer (armed forces) An officer

17030-462: Was the Air Force's aviation cadet program. Originally created by the U.S. Army Signal Corps in 1907 to train pilots for its then-fledgling aviation program, it was later used by the subsequent U.S. Army Air Service , U.S. Army Air Corps and U.S. Army Air Forces to train pilots, navigators, bombardiers and observers through World War I, the interwar period, World War II, and the immediate postwar period between September 1945 and September 1947. With

17161-511: Was the first man to fully witness the curvature of the Earth. A fighter pilot during the Vietnam War , Kittinger shot down a North Vietnamese MiG-21 jet fighter. He was later shot down as well, subsequently spending 11 months as a prisoner of war in a North Vietnamese prison before he was repatriated in 1973. In 1984, he became the first person to make a solo crossing of the Atlantic Ocean in

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