COLUMBUS AFB, Miss. - Thirty-two pilots graduated from Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training (SUPT) in two separate ceremonies at Columbus Air Force Base, Miss. on Dec. 11, in order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Lt. Col. (Ret. AF) Richard “Gene” Smith, a former Vietnam prisoner of war and former CAFB 50th Flying Training Squadron commander, was guest speaker for the first graduation. Smith flew 33 combat missions in the F-105 Thunderchief before being shot down and held captive. “The world that you guys are facing today is totally different” than decades ago. “We kind of knew who the enemy was … but we don’t know who the enemy is today,” Smith said. But your job as AF pilots is to be “so prepared that the enemy wakes up and says ‘not today’.” For the second ceremony, Col. Seth Graham, 14th Flying Training Wing commander, filled the bill. (Source: CAFB 12/15/20)
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