Outgoing Foundation Chair, MG John Barry, welcomed the crowd of 175 attendees to the AFHF Banquet; AFHF Board President, Mr. Robert B. Arnold, presided over the Foundation Change of Command. MG Barry transferred the Chairmanship to Gen James Slife, USAF (ret); AFHF recognized our AMAZING Office Manager, Mrs. Angela Bear. For 25 years of service to the Foundation. Jonna Doolittle Hoppes, former AFHF Board President, and Angela share a moment.

We hope you enjoyed the recap of the AFHF Awards this week. The crowd was terrific, the USAF String Quartet was magnificent, the USAF Honor Guard was perfect, and the surroundings at the Hazy Center could not have been more appropriate. Overall, an epic evening! Here are a few images all taken by our awesome event photographer, Jeremy Norwood. USAF Honor Guard; AFHF 2026 Challenge Coin “Always Looking Up”; AFHF Executive Director, Dik Daso, makes formal introductions in the shadow of the B-29 Enola Gay. Dik, back in his old “stompin’ grounds,” was the Modern Military curator at NASM when the Hazy Center opened in 2003; the USAF String Quartet provided the event music.

SPACE HISTORY BOOK PRIZE For editorial excellence David C. Arnold Space Force Pioneers: Trailblazers of the Sixth Branch (NIP 2025) David Christopher Arnold is a prominent figure in the field of space leadership and strategy. His book delves into the biographies of key space leaders who have made significant contributions to military space. Arnold's work is a valuable resource for understanding the evolution of the United States Space Force and the leadership styles of its pioneers. His expertise in space and missile strategy, along with his experience as a colonel in the U.S. Air Force, makes his contributions to the field of space leadership particularly noteworthy. (Photo Credit: Jeremy Norwood)

AIRPOWER HISTORY BOOK PRIZE For editorial excellence John Andreas Olsen Air Power Pioneers: From Billy Mitchell to Dave Deptula (NIP, 2023) John Andreas Olsen is a professor at the Swedish Defence University, where he serves as Head of the Department of War Studies. He retired from the Royal Norwegian Air Force in 2025 with the rank of colonel after thirty-eight years of service. His final assignment was at NATO HQ in Brussels, where he led and contributed to NATO’s Net Assessments and published Routledge Handbook of NATO for the Alliance’s seventy-fifth anniversary.

On 14 May, the Foundation held its annual awards ceremony and banquet in Washington DC at the Smithsonian Udvar-Hazy Center. This week, we celebrate the achievements and contributions of these awardees. Outstanding JAFHF Article Major Korey F. “Bounce” Lantes REFORPAC’s Pacific Playbook: Survive, Surge, Sustain and Synchronize to Win— JAFHF Fall 2025 Maj. Korey F. Lantes is an experienced Air Force officer with 12 years of service as an Air Battle Manager. He is a Master AETC instructor and has served as an Instructor and Evaluator ABM on the E–8C JSTARS and at the ABM Schoolhouse. Maj. Lantes has deployed to multiple theaters, including CENTCOM and PACOM, with over 750 combat hours supporting various operations. He is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Military History through the Air Force Advanced Academic Degree program at Kansas State University.

Earlier in the evening, Rick (right) unveiled his most recent painting, “Slamming the Door Shut”—Operation Midnight Hammer. Created with the help of Col Keith “Ghost” Butler (left), the painting depicts the final two B-2 Spirit bombers approximately five miles west of Fordow enrichment site while multiple GBU-57s illuminate the surrounding landscape. To become a member of the Air Force Historical Foundation, click the link below. Membership options start at $30 per year. afhistory.org/support/become…   (Photo Credit: Jeremy Norwood)

On 14 May, the Foundation held its annual awards ceremony and banquet in Washington DC at the Smithsonian Udvar-Hazy Center. This week, we celebrate the achievements and contributions of these awardees and thank them for their outstanding contributions to the United States Air Force, Space Force and the AFHF. The AFHF President’s Medal for Exceptionally Meritorious Service to the Foundation Aviation and Space Artist, Rick Herter for Exceptionally Meritorious Contributions to the Foundation and Excellence in Artistic Documentation of Aviation History “Artifex in Perpetuum” 2026 Rick is hereby declared the AFHF “Air and Space Artist for Life”

On 14 May, the Foundation held its annual awards ceremony and banquet in Washington DC at the Smithsonian Udvar-Hazy Center. This week, we celebrate the achievements and contributions of these awardees and thank them for their outstanding contributions to the United States Air Force, Space Force and the AFHF. General John W. "Jay" Raymond Award The Inaugural AFHF General John W. “Jay” Raymond Award recognizes an individual who has made significant contributions in their lifetime to the making of US Space Force history that continues to shape the future development of the service. Representative Rogers represents the third district of Alabama and has served as the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee since January 2023. Prior to that, he served as the Ranking Member of the Committee from 2021 to 2023. Nationally, Rep. Rogers has built a reputation as a recognized leader on national security and a strong advocate for national defense. As Chairman of the Armed Services Committee, he works to ensure that our military is properly funded, that our warfighters have the resources and weapons they need to succeed on current and future battlefields, and that the military is focused on deterring and combating threats coming from China and our other adversaries. During his tenure on the House Armed Services Committee, Mike saw a need to realign our resources and efforts toward countering our adversaries in space. With bipartisan support in Congress, Mike initiated and oversaw the creation of the U.S. Space Force. (Chairman Rogers accepts the newly named “AFHF Gen Jay Raymond Trophy” from trophy namesake, former Spaatz Trophy recipient, and the first Chief of Space Operations (CSO) in 2019. Photo Credit: Jeremy Norwood)

On 14 May, the Foundation held its annual awards ceremony and banquet in Washington DC at the Smithsonian Udvar-Hazy Center. This week, we celebrate the achievements and contributions of these awardees and thank them for their outstanding contributions to the United States Air Force, Space Force and the AFHF. The 2025 General Carl “Tooey” Spaatz Award recognizes an individual who has made significant contributions in their lifetime to the making of Air Force history that continues to shape the future development of the service. Colonel James G. "Snake" Clark, USAF (Ret) Snake was born in Carney, New Jersey, is a 1973 graduate of the Catholic University of America Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) and who served as a USAF officer and F-4 pilot, retiring at the rank of colonel in 2001. He has been described as one of the most colorful, innovative, and risk-taking U.S. Air Force (USAF) warfighters in the service’s 70-year history. It was General Mike Dugan, our 13th Chief of Staff, who famously claimed that “Snake Clark was the one officer who could qualify for both a Meritorious Service Award and an Article 15, on any given day.” This was Snake Clark, on the edge, always pushing boundaries, always questioning conventional Air Force wisdom. He served in the Senior Executive Service. In a career spanning five decades, he enabled numerous tactical and strategic capabilities which shaped our modern-day USAF. Snake forever changed airpower through his determined advocacy in the early stages of the Predator UAV/RPA platform. His efforts brought innovation that changed the calculus involved in combat operations for the USAF, sister services, allies, and perhaps our adversaries and competing powers. He is rightfully known as “The Godfather of the MQ-1 Predator.” Snake Clark accepts the Spaatz Trophy from Gen Ron Fogleman, 15th CSAF, Gen Speedy Martin, Lt Gen David Deptula, and Gen Jay Raymond—all four of them are previous Spaatz Trophy recipients. (Photo Credit: Jeremy Norwood)

On 14 May, the Foundation held its annual awards ceremony and banquet in Washington DC at the Smithsonian Udvar-Hazy Center. This week, we celebrate the achievements and contributions of these awardees and thank them for their outstanding contributions to the United States Air Force, Space Force and the AFHF. The 2025 General Carl “Tooey” Spaatz Award recognizes an individual who has made significant contributions in their lifetime to the making of Air Force history that continues to shape the future development of the service. Colonel James G. "Snake" Clark, USAF (Ret) Snake was born in Carney, New Jersey, is a 1973 graduate of the Catholic University of America Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) and who served as a USAF officer and F-4 pilot, retiring at the rank of colonel in 2001. He has been described as one of the most colorful, innovative, and risk-taking U.S. Air Force (USAF) warfighters in the service’s 70-year history. It was General Mike Dugan, our 13th Chief of Staff, who famously claimed that “Snake Clark was the one officer who could qualify for both a Meritorious Service Award and an Article 15, on any given day.” This was Snake Clark, on the edge, always pushing boundaries, always questioning conventional Air Force wisdom. He served in the Senior Executive Service. In a career spanning five decades, he enabled numerous tactical and strategic capabilities which shaped our modern-day USAF. Snake forever changed airpower through his determined advocacy in the early stages of the Predator UAV/RPA platform. His efforts brought innovation that changed the calculus involved in combat operations for the USAF, sister services, allies, and perhaps our adversaries and competing powers. He is rightfully known as “The Godfather of the MQ-1 Predator.” Snake Clark accepts the Spaatz Trophy from Gen Ron Fogleman, 15th CSAF, Gen Speedy Martin, Lt Gen David Deptula, and Gen Jay Raymond—all four of them are previous Spaatz Trophy recipients. (Photo Credit: Jeremy Norwood)

Colonel Matthew W. “Stang” Howard, 131ST Bomb Wing Commander (131st Deputy Commander during OMH) receives the inaugural AFHF Superior ANG Unit Trophy from Foundation Chairman, Gen. James Slife, USAF (ret). The ancient Greek statue, “Winged Victory” (Nike of Samothrace) rests on the pedestal. (Photo Credit: Jeremy Norwood) See previous AFHF Award recipients at this link: afhistory.org/awards/

Colonel Joshua D. “Half” Wiitala, 509th Bomb Wing Commander, accepts the Doolittle Trophy from Jonna Doolittle Hoppes (Granddaughter of Gen Jimmy Doolittle). This is the second time that the 509th has received the Doolittle Trophy. The first time was in 2015. (Photo Credit: Jeremy Norwood)

On 14 May, the Foundation held its annual awards ceremony and banquet in Washington DC at the Smithsonian Udvar-Hazy Center. This week, we celebrate the achievements and contributions of these awardees and thank them for their outstanding contributions to the United States Air Force, Space Force and the AFHF. The 2025 James H. “Jimmy” Doolittle Award recognizes an active Air Force or Space Force unit for gallantry, determination, esprit de corps, and superior management of joint operations in accomplishing its mission under difficult and hazardous conditions in multiple conflicts. The Inaugural AFHF Superior Air National Guard Unit Award (2025) recognizes an ANG unit for gallantry, determination, esprit de corps, and superior management of joint operations in accomplishing its mission under difficult and hazardous conditions in multiple conflicts. June 21, 2025, OPERATION MIDNIGHT HAMMER saw seven B-2 Spirit deliver an overnight strike on three Iranian nuclear facilities, the largest B-2 operational strike in U.S. history. In a timeline of just weeks, members of the 509th and 131st Bomb Wings turned strategic planning of an unprecedented operation into global execution. “The success of this mission demonstrates the precision and potency of a combat-ready Air Force and strategic innovation,” USAF Secretary Dr. Troy E. Meink said. “The warfighting capability of the Total Force Airmen and the B-2 Spirit was tested with the world watching, and Team Whiteman performed flawlessly.”

2002: A Predator UAV launched a mini-UAV while in flight over Edwards AFB. This was the first time that an operational UAV carried and launched another UAV. The Predator carried the mini-UAV, a 57-pound Navy Flight Inserted Detector Expendable for Reconnaissance (FINDER, seen here), on a wing pylon and released it at 10,000 feet. Following launch, the mini-UAV conducted a 25-minute preprogrammed mission before landing on the dry lakebed. (USAF Image, PD)

1944: Operation OVERLORD. American and Allied aircraft flew approximately 15,000 interdiction, close air support, and airlift sorties in support of the D-Day invasion. Today marks the 82nd anniversary of the D Day Invasion. (B-26 Marauders in D Day stripes interdict enemy positions, USAF Image)

1951: An armada of ships containing 12,000 workers and 300,000 tons of cargo departed Norfolk, Virginia enroute to Greenland to build Thule Air Base. Arriving in Greenland in July, they worked around the clock in the short Arctic summer to complete the base before Baffin Bay froze up for the winter. (USAF Image)

1998: Falcon Air Force Base was renamed Schriever Air Force Base in honor of General Bernard “Bennie” Schriever. The father of the United States’ missile and military space programs, General Schriever, as head of Air Force Systems Command, oversaw the development of the Atlas, Thor, Titan, and Minuteman missiles as well as multiple satellite and launch systems. (Left: A young Schriever earned his wings in 1933 and flew B-17s during WWII, USAF Images)

MEDAL OF HONOR Leon Robert Vance Jr | World War II | U.S. Army Air Corps | Medal of Honor Recipient cmohs.org/index.php/recipien… 1944: While leading a B-24 group against enemy coastal positions close to Wimereaux, France, Lt Col Leon R. Vance’s bomber sustained repeated hits from antiaircraft fire. These hits perilously crippled the bomber, killed the pilot, and wounded other crewmen, including Vance. Despite an injury and three lost engines, Vance still led the formation over the target and bombed it successfully. Returning to England, he gradually lost altitude. As Vance neared the English Coast, he ordered the crew to bail out. One man, however, was badly injured; so Vance ditched his B-24 in the channel. After landing on water, the plane started to sink with Vance pinned inside. An explosion occurred and threw Vance clear of the wreckage. After resting, he started to search for the other crewman. A search and rescue craft found Vance 50 minutes later. Sadly, while still recuperating from his wounds, Vance boarded a C-54 returning to the states. His aircraft went down somewhere in the North Atlantic with all souls on board lost. For his heroism in the B-24, Vance received the Medal of Honor. (Medal of Honor Website, PD)

1997: The Air Force reached a milestone in advanced missile propulsion with the successful ground testing of the Variable Flow Ducted Rocket at Atlantic Research Corp., Gainesville, Va. A solid-fuel, ducted rocket engine, the VFDR increased the capabilities of conventional rockets by burning fuel-rich rocket-exhaust gases with air, thereby doubling or tripling the total energy produced by the engine. (Artist’s Conception of a VFDR missile launch. USAF image)

GEMINI 4 1965: Through 7 June, Edward H. White II and James A. McDivitt (both USAF officers) completed a 97-hour, 58-minute space flight with two firsts: White made a 23-minute spacewalk (the first), and Houston's Manned Spaceflight Center controlled its first mission. This mission also sets a space endurance record of 62 orbits. (NASA Images)