U-2 Pilot Suits Up for Mission in Southwest Asia

Staff Sgt. Lynnette Keeton, aerospace physiologist with the 99th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron, helps gear up Capt. Tony Aponte, U-2 Dragon Lady pilot, before Captain Aponte was to go on a mission, Jan. 23, at a non-disclosed location in Southwest Asia. Because the U-2 flies as high an altitude as 70,000 feet, pilots are required to wear a special suit to complete their mission. The 99th ERS, part of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, supports Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom and the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa.