Editing Joseph Kittinger (section)

==Later USAF career==
In 1965, after returning to the operational Air Force, Kittinger was approached by civilian amateur parachutist [[Nick Piantanida]] for assistance on Piantanida's ''Strato Jump'' project, an effort to break the previous freefall records of both Kittinger and [[Soviet Air Force]] officer [[Yevgeni Nikolayevich Andreyev|Yevgeni Andreyev]]. Kittinger refused to participate in the effort, believing Piantanida's approach to the project was too reckless. Piantanida died in 1966 as the result of a mishap suffered during his ''Strato Jump III'' attempt.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1008811/men-who-fall-earth|title=The men who fall to Earth|date=August 12, 2012|access-date=March 9, 2016|archive-date=April 7, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160407033337/http://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1008811/men-who-fall-earth|url-status=live}}</ref>

Kittinger later served three combat tours of duty during the [[Vietnam War]], flying a total of 483 [[Aerial warfare|combat mission]]s. During his first two tours he flew as an aircraft commander in Douglas [[A-26 Invader]]s and modified [[On Mark Engineering]] [[A-26 Invader|B-26K Counter-Invader]]s as part of Operations [[Farm Gate (military operation)|Farm Gate]] and Big Eagle.

Following his first two Vietnam tours, he returned to the United States and soon transitioned to the [[McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II]]. During a voluntary third tour of duty to Vietnam in 1971–72, he commanded the [[555th Fighter Squadron|555th Tactical Fighter Squadron]] (555 TFS), the noted "Triple Nickel" squadron, flying the F-4D Phantom II. During this period he was credited with shooting down a North Vietnamese [[MiG-21]] while flying an F-4D, USAF Serial No. 66-7463, with his WSO, 1st Lieutenant Leigh Hodgdon.<ref name="USAFheritage">{{cite web|title=Col. Joe Kittinger Jr.|publisher=USAF Heritage|url=http://www.af.mil/information/heritage/person.asp?dec=&pid=123006518 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322014956/http://www.af.mil/information/heritage/person.asp?dec=&pid=123006518|archive-date=2012-03-22}}</ref>

Kittinger was shot down on May 11, 1972, just before the end of his third tour of duty. While flying an F-4D, USAF Serial No. 66-0230, with his weapons systems officer, 1st Lieutenant William J. Reich, Kittinger was leading a flight of Phantoms approximately {{convert|5|mi}} northwest of [[Thai Nguyen]], [[North Vietnam]], when they were engaged by a flight of MiG-21 fighters. Kittinger and his wingman were chasing a MiG-21 when Kittinger's F-4 was hit by an air-to-air missile from another MiG-21 that damaged the plane's starboard wing and set the aircraft on fire. Kittinger and Reich ejected a few miles from Thai Nguyen and were soon captured and taken to the city of [[Hanoi]]. During the same engagement, Kittinger's wingman, Captain S. E. Nichols, shot down the MiG-21 they had been chasing.<ref>{{cite book|title=Vietnam Air Losses|first= Chris |last=Hobson|publisher= Midland Publishing|location= Hinckley UK|year=2001 |page=226|isbn=1-85780-115-6}}</ref>

Kittinger and Reich spent 11 months as [[Prisoner of war|prisoners of war]] (POWs) in the [[Hỏa Lò Prison]], the so-called "[[Hanoi Hilton]]". Kittinger was put through [[strappado|rope torture]]<ref>Kittinger, Joseph (2010). Come Up and Get Me. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press. ISBN 978-0-8263-4803-6</ref> soon after his arrival at the POW compound and this made a lasting impression on him. Kittinger was the senior ranking officer (SRO) among the newer prisoners of war, ''i.e.'', those captured after 1969. In Kittinger's autobiography "''Come Up and Get Me''" (by Kittinger and Craig Ryan), Kittinger emphasized being very serious about maintaining the military structure he considered essential to survival. Kittinger and Reich were returned to American hands during [[Operation Homecoming]] on March 28, 1973, and they continued their Air Force careers, with Kittinger having been promoted to full colonel while in captivity. Following his return, Colonel Kittinger attended and graduated from the [[Air War College]] at [[Maxwell AFB]], Alabama and concurrently completed requirements for a bachelor's degree via an extension center of [[Tulane University]].<ref name="Grier, Peter 2014, p.66">"Kittinger"; Grier, Peter; Air Force Magazine, August 2014, p.66</ref>

Following completion of the Air War College, Kittinger became the vice commander of the [[48th Fighter Wing|48th Tactical Fighter Wing]] at [[RAF Lakenheath]], United Kingdom, where he again flew the F-4 Phantom II. In 1977, he transferred to Headquarters, [[12th Air Force]], at [[Bergstrom AFB]], Texas, retiring from the U.S. Air Force in 1978.<ref name="Grier, Peter 2014, p.66"/><ref name="USAFheritage"/>

Kittinger accumulated 7,679 flying hours in the U.S. Air Force, including 948 combat flying hours during three tours during the Vietnam War. In addition, he has flown over 9,100 hours in various civilian aircraft.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.veterantributes.org/TributeDetail.php?recordID=93 |title=Kittinger's flying hours |access-date=July 4, 2016 |archive-date=October 4, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141004164123/http://www.veterantributes.org/TributeDetail.php?recordID=93 |url-status=live }}</ref>