Retired Lt. Gen. Raymond B. Furlong died Sept. 28 at his home. He was 83. Furlong started his Air Force career as an aviation cadet in 1948, receiving his wings and commission a year later. He served as a fighter pilot, flying 74 combat missions in the F-80C during the Korean War with the 8th Fighter Bomber Group. Among his assignments, he served as a personnel staff officer at various levels, an exchange officer with the Navy, a C-130 pilot, and an operations staff officer, including at the Air Staff. He commanded Sheppard Technical Training Center in Texas before becoming commander of Air University at Maxwell AFB, Ala. He retired from the Air Force in July 1979. (Also read this Montgomery Advertiser report and Maxwell Dispatch report)
With a repeat of a hypersonic missile test coming up in the summer and the potential to speed up production of the B-21 Raider, the Air Force is “committed” to putting hypersonic missiles on its long-range bombers, said Lt. Gen. Duke Z. Richardson, the top USAF acquisition official. Air Force…