Military Career
Before he was an astronaut, Casper was a United States Air Force fighter pilot, earning his pilot wings at Reese Air Force Base, Texas. After F-100 Super Sabre training at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, he flew 229 combat missions with the 35th Tactical Fighter Wing in the Vietnam War. Following his tour in Vietnam, Casper flew F-100 and F-4 aircraft while assigned to the 48th Tactical Fighter Wing, Royal Air Force Lakenheath, United Kingdom.
Casper was selected to attend the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, California, and graduated with class 74A. After graduating he became Chief of the F-4 Test Team; he flew initial performance and weapons separation tests for the F-4G Wild Weasel aircraft and avionics tests for F-4E and A-7 aircraft. Casper then became Operations Officer and later Commander of the 6513th Test Squadron, where he conducted flight test programs to evaluate and develop tactical aircraft weapons systems. He was then assigned to Headquarters, U.S. Air Force at the Pentagon and was Deputy Chief of the Special Projects Office, where he developed USAF positions on requirements, operational concepts, policy and force structure for tactical and strategic programs. Colonel Casper has logged over 10,000 flying hours in 52 different aircraft.
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