Stratotanker — the U.S. Air Force's KC-135 aerial-refueling tanker aircraft
USAFE — U.S. Air Forces in Europe, the major Air Force command that governs all air operations in Europe
Warning order — a document notifying a combat unit to prepare for possible combat operations
Dale Brown is a former U.S. Air Force captain and the superstar author of eleven consecutive New York Times best-selling military-action-aviation adventure novels, including Flight of the Old Dog, Silver Tower, Day of the Cheetah, Hammerheads, Sky Masters, Night of the Hawk, Chains of Command, Storming Heaven, Shadows of Steel, Fatal Terrain, and The Tin Man. He graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Western European history and received his Air Force commission in 1978, serving as a navigator-bombardier on the B-52G Stratofortress heavy bomber and the FB-111A supersonic medium bomber. During his military career he received several awards, including the Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster and the Combat Crew Award. He is a member of the Writers' Guild and a Life Member of the Air Force Association and the U.S. Naval Institute. A multiengine and instrument-rated private pilot, he can be found in the skies all across the United States, piloting his own plane. He also enjoys tennis, skiing, scuba diving, and hockey. He lives with his wife, Diane, and son, Hunter, near the shores of Lake Tahoe, Nevada.
