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Memorial flyover dedicated to Constant Peg Commander
As first reported by Alert 5, the photos in this post show a memorial flyover dedicated to Retired US Air Force and Constant Peg Commander Col. Gail Peck who passed away a couple of weeks ago was held at Nellis Air Force Base (AFB) on Nov. 7, 2024.
According to the National Museum of the United States Air Force, Peck was born at Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, the first son of Air Corps Lt. Gaillard and Lois Peck. He was raised in the military, attending many different schools, two of which were in occupied Japan and the Territory of Alaska. Following graduation from high school in 1958, he entered the Air Force Academy graduating in 1962 as a member of the fourth graduating class, known as the original Red Tags.
Pilot training followed at Laughlin AFB, Texas. Graduating first in his class in September 1963, Peck was assigned duties as a T-33 instructor pilot (IP). Within a year he upgraded into the T-38 and then was assigned to Randolph AFB as a T-38 Pilot Instructor Training IP.
In December 1967 Peck was assigned to MacDill AFB, Fla., for F-4 gunnery school in the pipeline to Southeast Asia. In August 1968 he reported to the 433rd TFS “Satan’s Angels” at Ubon Royal Thai Air Base, Thailand. While at Ubon, Peck flew 163 combat missions in the F-4D in North Vietnam and Laos, including 100 night combat mission. In August 1969 at the completion of his combat tour he was sent back to MacDill AFB for duty as an operational fighter pilot in the 46th TFS. After completing Fighter Weapons School in 1970 Peck returned to MacDill AFB.
CP Commander
In July 1972 Peck was assigned to the 414th FWS at Nellis AFB, Nev., as an air-to-air instructor in the Fighter Weapons School. For a short time he served as the Terminally Guided Weapons flight commander and in 1974 he was selected to be the air-to-air flight commander in the F-4 Fighter Weapons School.
Peck attended Armed Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Va., in early 1975 and reported for duty in the Pentagon. He was soon moved into the position in the “fighter shop” known as the AF Tactics Officer. In the unclassified world he managed Red Flag and other overt programs. He also operated in the “black” world. It was in this capacity that he initiated a program he named Constant Peg (CP), a combination of words reflecting the AF/XOO’s “call sign” Constant and the name of his wife Peggy. CP resulted in the enhancement of an airfield at the Tonopah Test Range and the initiation of jet fighter operations from that airfield with the 4477th TEF flying both MiG-17s and MiG-21s. The purpose of CP was to train AF and Navy fighter pilots to a degree of proficiency never before achieved.
In 1977 he was promoted to lieutenant colonel and in 1978 was selected to return to Nellis as an AF Aggressor pilot and 4477th TEF (Constant Peg) Commander. He was the 2nd commander of the 4477th TEF at Nellis and the first commander at Tonopah.
Saudi F-5 instructor pilot
Next Peck was assigned to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as the US Military Training Mission tactics officer. During this period, the Iran-Iraq war started and Peck was a key planner and operations expert engaged in the movement of AWACS and KC-135 aircraft to the Kingdom and the establishment of a command and control system known as ELF 1. Peck flew the Saudi F-5 as an instructor pilot during this assignment.
Next was promotion to colonel and the National War College in Washington, D.C. In 1983 Peck completed F-15 requalification prior to assignment to Kadena AB, Japan, as the Deputy Commander for Operations of the 18th TFW. After nearly a year as DCO he was advanced to Vice Commander of the 18th. During this period he was combat ready in the F-15 and also flew as an RF-4C aircraft commander with the 15th TRS.
In June 1985 Peck was selected as the Wing Commander of the 26th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at Zweibruecken AB, Federal Republic of Germany.
In June 1987 Peck was assigned to the AF Inspection and Safety Center at Norton AFB, Calif., as the Deputy for AF Safety. On July 31, 1988, Peck retired from active duty with over 26 years of continuous commissioned service.
Peck has over 5,000 hrs flying time in the T-33, T-38, F-4, RF-4, F-5, F-15, MiG-17 and MiG-21 and a variety of general aviation aircraft.
Photo credit: William Lewis & Airman 1st Class Timothy Perish / U.S. Air Force
