Jeffrey Feinstein

Jeffrey S. Feinstein (born January 29, 1945) is a retired career officer of the United States Air Force (USAF). During the Vietnam War, Feinstein was a weapon systems officer, an integral part of two man aircrews with the emergence of air to air missiles as the primary weapons during aerial combat. Flying aboard F 4 Phantom IIs, Feinstein downed five enemy aircraft, thereby becoming a flying ace, the last of five U. S. aviators to become aces during that conflict and to date still the most recent aviator to achieve ace status in the U. S. military.

Born in Chicago, Illinois, on January 29, 1945, Feinstein enlisted in the USAF in 1963 to attend the United States Military Academy Preparatory School. He subsequently entered the United States Air Force Academy in 1964 and graduated in 1968.

Feinstein was rejected from pilot training due to excessive myopia. He then underwent Undergraduate Navigator Training and he graduated. While assigned to the 80th Tactical Fighter Squadron, he was detached to the 13th Tactical Fighter Squadron, part of the 432d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, based at Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand. His actions, for which he received multiple awards of the Distinguished Flying Cross and Silver Star for his first four kills and the Air Force Cross for his fifth kill, took place prior to and during Operation Linebacker in 1972, making him a flying ace. His nickname/tactical callsign was "Fang." Having originally been designated as an Air Force Navigator, he was given a vision waiver after Vietnam (Feinstein wore glasses to correct mild nearsightedness to 20/20). Reassigned to the 9th Air Force staff at Shaw AFB, South Carolina in the 1990s, Feinstein also flew as Airborne Command Element Director aboard E 3 Sentry AWACS aircraft during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm from August 1990 to February 1991. Lieutenant Colonel Feinstein retired from the U. S. Air Force on 1 July 1996.

Date (1972) TFS Pilot Weapon systems officer Acft Tail code Call sign Wpn Kill April 16 13 Major Edward D. Cherry Capt Jeffrey S. Feinstein F 4D 66 7550   PN Basco 3 AIM 7 MiG 21 May 31 13 Capt Bruce G. Leonard Jr. Capt J. S. Feinstein F 4E 68 0338   ED Gopher 03 AIM 9 MiG 21 July 18 13 Lt Col Carl G. Baily Capt J. S. Feinstein F 4D 66 0271   OY Snug 01 AIM 9 MiG 21 July 29 13 Lt Col Carl G. Baily Capt J. S. Feinstein F 4D 66 0271   OY Cadillac 01 AIM 7 MiG 21 October 13 13 Lt Col Curtis D. Westphal Capt J. S. Feinstein F 4D 66 7501   OC Olds 01 AIM 7 MiG 21