QUOTE: A few years ago some retired CIA pilots gave a presentation at Air Venture about Cold War reconnaissance. I asked about this, and was told that none of those early CIA U-2 pilots returned to the USAF. Most of them stayed with the CIA until retirement, many going on to fly the A-12 and WB-57. UNQUOTE
Actually, many of the early CIA U-2 pilots did return to the USAF. I know of at least seven of those "sheep-dipped" into the CIA program who went back to Air Force flying. One, Hervey Stockman, spent 5 years in the Hanoi Hilton after being shot down in an RF-4C. Hervey flew the first U-2 mission over the USSR on 4 July 1956.
I am also pretty confident that none of the CIA U-2 drivers went on to fly the A-12.