Editing Richard Secord (section)

==Military and CIA Career==
Secord’s career blended Air Force service with CIA covert operations, particularly during the Vietnam War and post-Camp David arms shipments to Egypt.

	1	Early Air Force Career (1955–1966):
	◦	Commissioned as a second lieutenant, Secord flew combat missions and served in various Air Force roles, including as a fighter pilot and instructor. His assignments included bases in the U.S., Europe, and Asia, where he honed his skills in air operations and intelligence.
	◦	By the early 1960s, Secord’s expertise in special operations drew the attention of the CIA, leading to his involvement in covert missions.

	2	Vietnam War and Air America (1966–1975):
	◦	Secord served in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War, initially as an Air Force officer coordinating air support for CIA operations in Laos and Vietnam. He worked closely with Air America, the CIA’s covert airline, which airlifted supplies, troops, and operatives for the Hmong war effort and the Phoenix Program.
	▪	Connection to Air America: Secord’s role involved directing Air America flights for logistics and combat support under CIA station chiefs like Theodore Shackley and Thomas G. Clines. Allegations of drug trafficking, particularly opium transport, surfaced, with historians like Alfred W. McCoy suggesting CIA complicity, though Secord denied involvement.
	◦	As a lieutenant colonel, Secord flew over 285 combat missions in Laos and Vietnam, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross, Meritorious Service Medal, and other decorations. His work included directing air strikes and managing covert air operations.

	3	Post-Vietnam and CIA Assignments (1975–1978):
	◦	After Vietnam, Secord served as the Air Force’s chief of air operations in Iran, overseeing U.S. military assistance to the Shah’s regime. His role facilitated arms transfers and intelligence-sharing, aligning with CIA objectives.
	◦	He worked under Ted Shackley, then CIA station chief in Iran, strengthening their partnership. Secord’s experience in 
covert logistics positioned him for later private ventures.

	4	Egypt and EATSCO (1978–1983):
	◦	Promoted to Major General in 1978, Secord was assigned to the Pentagon’s Defense Security Assistance Agency, overseeing military aid to Egypt post-Camp David Accords. He facilitated the formation of EATSCO, co-founded by Thomas G. Clines and Hussein K. Salem in 1979, to ship $3 billion in U.S. military equipment to Egypt.
	▪	Connection to EATSCO: Secord was not an owner but played a key role in securing EATSCO’s contract, leveraging his Pentagon position and CIA contacts. The company overcharged the Pentagon by $8 million, leading to a 1983 guilty plea for false statements. Edwin P. Wilson funded EATSCO, and Shackley was linked through his network, though Secord faced no charges in this case.
	◦	Secord retired from the Air Force in 1983 amid scrutiny over EATSCO, transitioning to private arms dealing.