Air Force·Weapon system retired·In Memoriam
SR-71 Reconnaissance Systems Officer
RSO
Served: 1966–1999
Ran the cameras, ELINT, ECM, and navigation from the back seat of the Blackbird at Mach 3+.
The Story
Only 86 RSOs in history flew the SR-71 operationally — the exact same number as pilots, because there was exactly one of each per airframe. To be one of them, you had to be selected from a force of 1.4 million USAF personnel into a pool of fewer than 100.
Epitaph
“86 men, 86 missions, 86 sets of pressure suits in a closet at Beale.”
Sources
- Wikipedia — SR-71 Blackbirden.wikipedia.org