United States Air Force Thunderbirds
Running flew 274 combat missions in the F-105 throughout his two tours of duty during the Vietnam War. He then became a member of the flight demonstration team United States Air Force Thunderbirds, flying the F-4E. Later, he commanded the Aggressor Squadron at Clark Air Base, which is in the Philippines. At the time of his retirement from the Air Force on August 1, 1997, Running had achieved over 3,800 hours in flight time.