Editing Chuck Yeager (section)

==== Military command ====
[[File:Chuck Yeager 1950.jpg|thumb|Yeager was Commandant of the USAF Aerospace Research Pilot School, with a model of the [[North American X-15]], 1959.]]
Yeager was foremost a fighter pilot and held several squadron and wing commands. From 1954 to 1957, he commanded the [[North American F-86 Sabre|F-86H Sabre]]-equipped 417th Fighter-Bomber Squadron (50th Fighter-Bomber Wing) at [[Frankfurt-Hahn Airport|Hahn AB]], [[West Germany]], and Toul-Rosieres Air Base, [[France]]; and from 1957 to 1960 the [[North American F-100 Super Sabre|F-100D Super Sabre]]-equipped [[1st Fighter Squadron (United States)|1st Fighter Day Squadron]] <!-- (later, while still under Yeager's command, re-designated the 306th Tactical Fighter Squadron) -->at [[George Air Force Base]], California, and [[Morón Air Base]], [[Spain]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Young|first=James|title=Squadron Leader|url=https://www.chuckyeager.com/1954-1961-squadron-leader|access-date=December 8, 2020|website=ChuckYeager.com|archive-date=December 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201208060758/https://www.chuckyeager.com/1954-1961-squadron-leader|url-status=dead}}</ref>

He was a full colonel in 1962,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chuckyeager.com/1961-1975-to-new-heights|title=Yeager (n.d.). To New Heights: 1961–1975|access-date=September 5, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130926221739/http://www.chuckyeager.com/1961-1975-to-new-heights|archive-date=September 26, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> after completion of a year's studies and final thesis on [[STOL]] aircraft<ref>{{cite web|url=https://fairchild-mil.libguides.com/ld.php?content_id=42077711|title=The Ability of a STOL Fighter to Perform the Mission of Tactical Air Forces (1961)|access-date=December 8, 2020|page=3}}</ref> at the [[Air War College]]. He became the first commandant of the [[U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School|USAF Aerospace Research Pilot School]], which produced [[astronaut]]s for [[NASA]] and the [[United States Air Force|USAF]], after its redesignation from the USAF Flight Test Pilot School. He had only a high school education, so he was not eligible to become an astronaut like those he trained. In April 1962, Yeager made his only flight with [[Neil Armstrong]]. Their job, flying a [[T-33]], was to evaluate Smith Ranch Dry Lake in [[Nevada]] for use as an emergency landing site for the [[North American X-15]].<ref name="yeagerbio_6"/>

In his autobiography, he wrote that he knew the lake bed was unsuitable for landings after recent rains, but Armstrong insisted on flying out anyway. As Armstrong suggested that they do a [[Touch-and-go landing|touch-and-go]], Yeager advised against it, telling him "You may touch, but you ain't gonna go!"  When Armstrong did touch down, the wheels became stuck in the mud, bringing the plane to a sudden stop and provoking Yeager to fits of laughter. They had to wait for rescue.<ref name="yeagerbio_6"/>

Yeager's participation in the test pilot training program for [[NASA]] included controversial behavior. Yeager reportedly did not believe that [[Ed Dwight]], the first African American pilot admitted into the program, should be a part of it. In the 2019 documentary series ''[[Chasing the Moon (2019 film)|Chasing the Moon]]'', the filmmakers made the claim that Yeager instructed staff and participants at the school that "Washington is trying to cram the nigger down our throats. [President] [[John F. Kennedy|Kennedy]] is using this to make 'racial equality,' so do not speak to him, do not socialize with him, do not drink with him, do not invite him over to your house, and in six months he'll be gone."<ref>{{cite AV media |people=Stone, Robert (Writer, Director, Producer) |year=2019 |title=Chasing The Moon Episode 1|trans-title=It Took Millions of Steps to Make One Giant Leap |language=English |type=DVD |time=1:18:05 |publisher=WGBH Educational Foundation |id=AE61703 |isbn=9781531709419 |oclc=1531709419 }}</ref><ref name="The New York Times">{{cite news |last1=Brown |first1=Walter J. |title=Ed Dwight Was Set to Be the First Black Astronaut. Here's Why That Never Happened. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/16/us/ed-dwight-was-set-to-be-the-first-black-astronaut-heres-why-that-never-happened.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220101/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/16/us/ed-dwight-was-set-to-be-the-first-black-astronaut-heres-why-that-never-happened.html |archive-date=January 1, 2022 |url-access=limited |access-date=February 20, 2021 |work=[[The New York Times]] |agency=The New York Times Company |date=July 16, 2019 |url-status=live }}{{cbignore}}</ref>  In his autobiography, Dwight details how Yeager's leadership led to discriminatory treatment throughout his training at Edwards Air Force Base.<ref>{{cite book|publisher=Ed Dwight Studios, Inc.|title=Soaring on the Wings of a Dream: The Struggles & Adventures of the "First Black Astronaut" Candidate"|pages=213–219|author=Ed Dwight|year=2009 |isbn=9780984149506}}</ref>

Between December 1963 and January 1964, Yeager completed five flights in the [[NASA M2-F1]] [[lifting body]]. An accident during a [[Lockheed NF-104A#Third NF-104A|December 1963 test flight]] in one of the school's [[Lockheed NF-104A|NF-104s]] resulted in serious injuries. After climbing to a near-record altitude, the plane's controls became ineffective, and it entered a [[Flat spin (aviation)|flat spin]]. After several turns, and an altitude loss of approximately 95,000 feet, Yeager ejected from the plane. During the ejection, the seat straps released normally, but the seat base slammed into Yeager, with the still-hot rocket motor breaking his helmet's plastic faceplate and causing his emergency oxygen supply to catch fire. The resulting burns to his face required extensive and agonizing medical care.  This was Yeager's last attempt at setting test-flying records due to his apparent inability to fly the required flight profiles for optimum climb performance.<ref name=Crash>{{cite web|url=http://www.check-six.com/Crash_Sites/NF-104A_crash_site.htm|title=The Crash of Chuck Yeager's NF-104A|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041207150655/http://www.check-six.com/Crash_Sites/NF-104A_crash_site.htm|archive-date=December 7, 2004|via=Check-Six.com|date=December 10, 1963}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/10-december-1963/|title=This Day In Aviation, 10 December 1963|via=Thisdayinaviation.com|date=December 10, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kalimera.org/nf104/stories/stories_16.html|title=Yeager's View, In Review|via=Kalimera.org|date=}}</ref>{{efn|The movie ''The Right Stuff'' implies that Yeager took the NF-104 on a spur-of-the-moment, unauthorized flight. In reality, it was a part of a scheduled series of test flights.}}

In 1966, Yeager took command of the 405th Tactical Fighter Wing at [[Clark Air Base]], the [[Philippines]], whose squadrons were deployed on rotational temporary duty (TDY) in [[South Vietnam]] and elsewhere in Southeast Asia. There he flew 127 missions. In February 1968, Yeager was assigned command of the [[4th Fighter Wing|4th Tactical Fighter Wing]] at [[Seymour Johnson Air Force Base]], [[North Carolina]], and led the [[McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II]] wing in [[South Korea]] during the [[USS Pueblo (AGER-2)|''Pueblo'' crisis]].<ref name="af-retirement"/>

Yeager was promoted to [[Brigadier general (United States)|brigadier general]] and was assigned in July 1969 as the vice-commander of the [[Seventeenth Air Force]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Young|first=James|title=To New Heights|url=https://www.chuckyeager.com/1961-1975-to-new-heights|access-date=December 8, 2020|website=chuckyeager.com|archive-date=December 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201208040722/http://www.chuckyeager.com/1961-1975-to-new-heights|url-status=dead}}</ref>

From 1971 to 1973, at the behest of Ambassador [[Joseph Farland]], Yeager was assigned as the [[Air Attache]] in [[Pakistan]] to advise the [[Pakistan Air Force]] which was led by [[Abdur Rahim Khan]] (the first Pakistani to break the sound barrier).<ref name="hali">{{cite web|url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/758220-chuck-yeager-the-flying-legend-breaks-the-final-barrier|title=Chuck Yeager — the flying legend — breaks the final barrier|website=International, TheNews.com.pk|author=Group Captain (R) Sultan Mehmood Hali|date=December 14, 2020}}</ref><ref name="yeagerbio_391">{{harvp|Yeager|Janos|1985|p=391|ps=.}}</ref><ref name="dp">{{cite web|url=https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/29-Jun-2015/charles-yeager-and-pakistan-air-force |website=DailyPakistan.com.pk|title=Charles Yeager and Pakistan Air Force|author=Sarfaraz Ali|date=June 29, 2015}}</ref> He arrived in Pakistan at a time when tensions with India were at a high level. One of Yeager's jobs during this time was to assist Pakistani technicians in installing [[AIM-9 Sidewinder]]s on PAF's [[Shenyang F-6]] fighters. He also had a keen interest in interacting with PAF personnel from [[List of Pakistan Air Force squadrons|various Pakistani Squadrons]] and helping them develop [[Air combat manoeuvring|combat tactics]].<ref name="dp"/> 

In one instance in 1972, while visiting the [[No. 15 Squadron (Pakistan Air Force)|No. 15 Squadron "Cobras"]] at [[Peshawar Airbase]], the Squadron's [[Officer commanding|OC]] [[8-Pass Charlie|Wing Commander Najeeb Khan]] escorted him to [[K2]] in a pair of [[F-86F]]s after Yeager requested a visit to the second highest mountain on Earth.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://www.capitolhillbooks-dc.com/pages/books/13153/hussaini-tanvir-m-ahmed-jamal-a-khan-text-intro/paf-over-the-years |title=PAF over the Years|page=95|chapter=Trauma & Reconstruction (1971-1980)|author=Group Captain (R) Husseini & Pakistan Air Force|publisher= Directorate of Media Affairs, Pakistan Air Force|edition=Revised}}</ref><ref>{{cite tweet|url=https://twitter.com/GenChuckYeager/status/1049753383404371968|publisher=Chuck Yeager|title=Chuck's accounts on his visit to the K-2 in an F-86|number=1049753383404371968|user=GenChuckYeager}}</ref> After [[1971 War|hostilities broke out in 1971]], he decided to stay in [[West Pakistan]] and continued overseeing the PAF's operations.<ref name="hali"/><ref name="dp"/> Yeager recalled "the Pakistanis whipped the Indians' asses in the sky... the Pakistanis scored a three-to-one kill ratio, knocking out 102 Russian-made Indian jets and losing 34 airplanes of their own".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://casstt.com/post/pakistan-air-force-undoubtedly-second-to-none/492|website=[[Centre for Aerospace and Security Studies]]|title=Pakistan Air Force: Undoubtedly 'Second to None'!|author=Hassan Tahir |date=October 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220813213947/https://casstt.com/post/pakistan-air-force-undoubtedly-second-to-none/492|archive-date=August 13, 2022}}</ref> 

During the war, he flew around the western front in a [[helicopter]] documenting wreckages of [[Indian Air Force|Indian aircraft]] of Soviet origin, which included [[Sukhoi Su-7]]s and [[MiG-21]]s. These aircraft were transported to the [[United States]] after the war for analysis.<ref name="hali"/><ref name="dp"/><ref name="yeager">{{cite book|url=https://a.co/d/5orMgpD|via=Amazon.com|title=Yeager: An Autobiography|author=Chuck Yeager}}</ref> Yeager also flew around in his [[Beechcraft Queen Air]], a small passenger aircraft that was assigned to him by the [[The Pentagon|Pentagon]], picking up shot-down Indian fighter pilots.<ref name="dp"/><ref>{{cite tweet|url=https://twitter.com/GenChuckYeager/status/1103121403971321856|title=Chuck's Beechcraft Queen Air|user=GenChuckYeager|number=1103121403971321856}}</ref> The Beechcraft was later destroyed during an air raid by the IAF at a Pakistani airbase when Yeager was not present.<ref name=theweek.in2020>{{cite web|url=https://www.theweek.in/news/world/2020/12/08/americas-greatest-pilot-chuck-yeager-1st-man-to-fly-over-speed-of-sound-dies.html|title='America's greatest pilot': Chuck Yeager, 1st man to fly over speed of sound, dies|website=theweek.in|date=December 8, 2020}}</ref><ref name="yeagerbio_398">{{harvp|Yeager|Janos|1985|p=398|ps=.}}</ref> Edward C. Ingraham, a U.S. diplomat who had served as political counselor to Ambassador Farland in [[Islamabad]], recalled this incident in the ''[[Washington Monthly]]'' of October 1985: "After Yeager's [[Beechcraft]] was destroyed during an Indian air raid, he raged to his cowering colleagues that the Indian pilot had been specifically instructed by [[Indira Gandhi]] to blast his plane. 'It was', he later wrote, 'the Indian way of giving [[Uncle Sam]] the finger'".<ref>{{cite magazine|date=October 1985|title=The Right Stuff in the Wrong Place|magazine=Washington Monthly}}</ref> Yeager was incensed over the incident and demanded U.S. retaliation.<ref name="hali"/><ref>{{cite book|publisher=Oxford University|title=The Gold Bird: Pakistan and Its Air Force – observations of a Pilot|pages=230–250|author=Mansoor Shah|year=2002}}</ref>