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Khobar Towers Bombing
This year marks the 14th anniversary of the fall of Khobar Towers. On June 25, 1996, terrorists bombed the housing unit near Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, shortly before 10 p.m. local time, killing 19 Air Force personnel and injuring some 400 other Americans. Air Force guards posted on top of a nearby building suspected terrorist activity as the driver of a fuel truck parked next to the northern perimeter fence fled in a nearby car. An evacuation immediately began, but before all were safe, there was a tremendous explosion.
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July 4, 1952
The first mass flight of jet fighters to be supported by aerial refueling, as well as the first flight by large members of jet fighters from the United States to Japan, flew westward through July 17. In the operations, KB-29Ps provide 118 air refuelings to the 59 F-84G Thunderjets from the 31st Fighter Expeditionary Wing at Turner AFB, Ga. Col. David C. Schilling led the flight from Turner on July 4 and landed at Yokota AB, Japan, on July 16 and 17. They flew the 10,895 miles with only seven stops. The KB-29 refuelings occurred over the U.S. and before Hawaii. Military Air Transportation Service aircraft also carried wing support members to Japan.
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July 4, 1973
An Air Force Reserve HU-16, assigned to the 301st Aerospace Recovery Squadron at Homestead AFB, Fla., set a world's altitude record for twin-engine amphibious aircraft. The plane flew to 32,833 feet and exceeded the old record by 4,000 feet.
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July 4, 1974
The 555th or "Triple Nickel" Tactical Fighter Training Squadron was reassigned to Luke AFB, Ariz., and named as the Air Force's first F-15A squadron.
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July 4, 1982
The Space Shuttle Challenger flown on a modified Boeing 747 to Kennedy Space Center. Meanwhile, the Columbia made its first landing on a concrete runway on its last test flight with nearly 500,000 spectators, including President and Mrs. Ronald Reagan.
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 More Milestones
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This section is dedicated to the men and women who made the U.S.Air Force what it is today. The people, events and equipment of the past are integral to understanding the future. The various subsections provide an overview of the Air Force's heritage, important people, airpower, images, milestones and art. For more in depth coverage of Air Force history go to our links page and visit some of these specialized sites.
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