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Part II of the update, and sorry for the delay: I've been getting over a nasty stomach bug.
335th TFS Operations, Sheppard AFB, TX, 1540 Hours Central War Time:
Major Wiser sat at his desk, going over some squadron paperwork. At least Mark Ellis had been here, and filtered out the chaff, leaving him only what was really important. And it was too bad that the elves never did the work like they were supposed to, for when he came back from a mission, or arrived first thing in the morning, the paperwork was still there. He was going over what AF Public Affairs had sent all combat units on how to deal with the media when there was a knock on the door. oeCome on in, it's open, he said.
A USMC Captain in BDUs, but with gold NFO wings came in. oeCaptain Keith Crandall, reporting, sir.
He snapped a perfect Quantico salute.
oeCaptain, Guru said, sketching a return salute. oeHave a seat, and we go by call signs or first names in this squadron. What's yours
oeKodak, sir, Got it at MCAS Yuma training on the F-4.And sir, it involved a trip to Vegas, a camera, and a member of the opposite sex, said Crandall as he sat down.
Guru nodded. oeSay no more. Kodak it is. Okay, I take it Sergeant Ross has shown you the PAO office, such as it is
oeYes, sir, Not much, and only two sergeants and your enlisted photographer, Crandall said.
oeWell, you won't be there much, Guru told him. oeYou'll be babysitting Ms. Wendt and he crew. And your first impressions
oeThe cameraman and soundman They've been in war zones before and know the drill. The producer Seems okay for someone who's a combat virgin. Ditto for the techs with the truck.
oeAnd Ms. Wendt Guru asked.
oeShe seemed a little spooked, seeing that damaged F-4. Though I wonder if anything we said went in one ear and out the other. Kodak said.
oeWe'll find out how good she is, won't we Guru replied. oeThere's been reporters who started out lousy, but turned out great. Jan Fields, for one.
oeYes, sir. Seen her on CNN a lot. She was a local reporter in someplace like Austin or Waco. Joined up with 2nd Armored as they fought their rearguard into Oklahoma and Kansas. CNN noticed her and that was that. She's always at the front, it seems like.
'You're not the only one seeing her on CNN. Okay, any requests right now from Ms. Wendt
oeThey'd like to do some filming as people go out to fly and come back, Kodak replied.
oeFair enough, Guru said. oeThough I'll tell her that there's no chance of her flying a combat mission. AF policy.
oeSame in the Marines or Navy, sir.
oeOkay.....wait. Tell her that if she wants to talk with us on camera when we get back from this mission I'm OK with that. Guru nodded.
oeYes, sir, Kodak said.
oeI've got a mission brief in a few, so that'll be all.
oeSir, Crandall said, saluting and then leaving the office.
Guru sighed, then got up and left the office. He went over to the Ops desk, where Don Van Loan was waiting. oeDon.
oeBoss, Van Loan replied. oeI see the guests from the Fourth Estate have arrived.
oeI'd be happy if the reporter had been in a war zone prior to coming here, but....oh, well. What have you got for me
Van Loan handed the CO a packet. oeGoing down to the East German Sector. Supply dump, about five miles south of Stephenville.
oeAirport still active You know we hit it a few days ago, the CO said.
oeF-111s hit it last night. So they should still be on the ground,' Van Loan replied. oeThose still in one piece, that is.
oeWeasel support We had two last time. Guru reminded his Ops Officer.
Van Loan nodded. oeYou're getting two. Coors Flight will meet you at the tankers.
oeFair enough. Guru nodded as he went over the target folder. oeAnything else
Van Loan shook his head. oeNuthin' Boss. You have a good one.
oeYou too. And watch for our guests; they'll be filming us going out and coming back. So we might be on AFN tomorrow night.
oeGuess we'll have to watch Walter Cronkite, then, Van Loan grinned.
oeYou could say that. Guru said. He then went to the briefing room and opened the door. His flight members were there, waiting. oeAll right, people. Here's our last one for today.
oeWhat've we got Sweaty asked.
oeBack to Stephenville, Guru told his flight.No, not the airport. F-111s hit it last night. About five miles south of Stephenville on U.S. 281, northeast of the junction with F.M. 233. There's a supply dump there. We need to make it blow up.
oeThis is the East German sector, right Kara asked. oeAnd last time, there was army-level air defense.
oeRight you are, and we'll be getting the same thing. Expect SA-4s, plus AAA and the Soviet-manned SA-2 site. Throw in MANPADS and small-arms fire, and it's going to be a wild one. And we are getting Weasels. They'll meet us at the tankers.
oeMiGs Goalie asked.
oeMiG threat is still the same as the last one. Su-27s as well, so remember your anti-Flanker tactics, Guru reminded everyone.
oeGet down low, holler for help from AWACS, do a Doppler Break, and pray a 'teenage' fighter's around, Preacher said. Just as he said that, there was a knock on the door.
oeYeah Guru asked.
Mark Ellis came in. 'Boss, this just came in. Su-27s have been active this afternoon. You guys are getting a pair of F/A-18s to ride shotgun. Call signs are Knight zero-seven and zero-eight.
oeOkay, where are they now the CO asked.
oeIn their cockpits. They did a hot turnaround.
oeLoadout'
Elis nodded. oeTwo AIM-7s and four AIM-9Ls, each airplane.
Guru looked at his flight, and nodded approval. oeHave 'em meet us at ten grand overhead.
oeGotcha, Ellis said. He then went off to notify the Marines.
oeThat takes care of that, Guru said. oeOkay, ordnance load. The Mark-82/M-117 mix. The 82s on the wing pylons, 117s on the centerline MER. Usual air-to-air: two AIM-7Es, four AIM-9Ps, full load of 20-mm, and the ECM pod in the right forward Sparrow well.
oeBailout, SAR still the same as the last one Kara asked.
oeThey are, so keep that in mind,' the CO reminded them. oeOne other thing: our guests may be filming us going out to the aircraft, and on return. So smile, be polite, and you might just be on the CBS Evening News tomorrow night.
oeGee, and I forgot my makeup, KT quipped.
oeWe don't need any stinking makeup, Sweaty joked. There was some laughter at that from everyone.
Guru smiled. oeOn that note...anything else' There wasn't any. He clapped his hand just once. oeOkay, gear up and meet at 512.
The crews went to the locker rooms and geared up. On the way out, Dave Golen, Sandi Jenkins, and their GIBs were coming in. oeGuru, Golen nodded.
oeDave, Sandi, Guru said. oeHow'd it go
oeNo air-to-air action, I regret to say, but fuel dumps do burn very well.
oeSandi How you doing
oeFine, Major, Sandi replied. She was getting better and better with each passing day.
oeOkay, we've got one more, but see you in the Club, Guru said.
oeGood luck, Golen said.
oeThanks, Dave, Guru replied as they headed to 512. Sure enough, Ms. Wendt and her crew were filming as they went to 512. When they got there, the CO gave his final instructions. oeOkay, call signs between us, as usual. Mission code to escorts, Weasels, AWACS, and other interested parties. Got it
oeGot it, Boss, Sweaty said, and the others nodded.
oeOne last thing: Complacency gets people killed. This may be the last one today, but treat it like it's the first. Got it
oeLoud and clear, Major, Kara said. When she called him by rank, Guru knew that she was taking it seriously. And everyone else nodded.
oeAnything else Guru asked. Heads shook no. oeThen let's hit it.
Guru and Goalie went to 512, and found Sergeant Crowley, the Crew Chief, waiting with the ground crew. oeMajor, she's ready to go.
oeThanks, Sergeant, Guru said. He and Goalie did the preflight walk-around, all the while noticing the camera crew filming them. After he signed for the aircraft, both pilot and GIB mounted the F-4 and got strapped in. Then they went through their preflight checks.
oeShe have it for us Goalie asked, seeing the reporter and crew.Ejection seats
oeArmed top and bottom, and check yours, Guru replied. oeHope not. They're probably concentrating on us because I'm the CO. All set
oeYou're probably right. All set back here. Preflight complete and ready for engine start.
Sergeant Crowley gave the signal, then one, and then two, J-79 engines were up and running. After the warm-up, Guru asked for permission to taxi, and after it was granted, taxied out of the revetment, snapping a salute to his crew chief on the way out, and hoping the camera crew caught that. He taxied 512 to the end of the taxiway, where the armorers removed the weapon safeties. Then he received permission to taxi for takeoff. After taxiing onto the runway, he saw Kara in 520 taxi into his Four O'clock for takeoff. Then Guru called the tower. oeTower, Rambler Flight requesting clearance for takeoff.
The tower flashed a green light. Guru and Goalie pulled down their canopies down, then Guru ran up the engines to full power, released the brakes, and 512 rolled down the runway and into the Texas sky, with 520 right beside them, and Sweaty's element right behind the lead.
Over Central Texas: 1635 Hours:
Rambler Flight, with the two Weasel F-4Gs and the two escorting Marine F/A-18s, was headed south, roughly parallel to the boundary between the Nicaraguans and the East Germans. So far, nothing had happened since the mission package had crossed into enemy territory, but that could easily change,
In 512's cockpit, Guru kept his head on a swivel, watching not only his instruments, but also keeping an eye out for threats. Something that his instructors in the RTU down at Homestead AFB had drilled into him each and every time. oeNav point He asked his backseater.
oeU.S. 377 in one minute, Goalie said. She was handling the navigation, the old-fashioned way: with a stopwatch, map, and plain old-dead reckoning to backup the INS.
oeOne minute, Guru said. He looked ahead, and saw the two Weasel F-4s just ahead of them, and right above the Weasels, were the two Marine F/A-18s.
oeAnd....377, Goalie said as the highway passed beneath them. oeOne minute fifteen to U.S. 67.
oeAnd then we turn, said Guru. He glanced at his EW repeater. oeEW still clear.
oeHope it stays that way.
oeYou're not the only one.
To the south, as Rambler Flight headed to their turn point, a Soviet A-50 Mainstay AEW aircraft was loitering between Temple and Austin. These aircraft were normally operated by the Voyska PVO for national air defense, but the depredations of American low-level attack aircraft had necessitated the deployment of several A-50s to Texas, while several others had been sent to Alaska and Canada to do the same. While Voyska PVO operated the V-75, S-125, and S-200 sites in the occupied territories, nearly all the fighters deployed were from the VVS, the Air Force, though some PVO regiments were in Alaska and parts of Canada.
In the mission compartment, a PVO Colonel was watching his screen. He knew that there were too many American strike aircraft coming in over the front for the fighters to handle, but they had to try.
oeComrade Colonel A controller called.
oeYes, Comrade the Colonel went over to his console.
oeComrade Colonel, I have several intermittent contacts at low-level Bearing three-four-zero relative, two hundred kilometers, the controller said.
Nodding, the PVO Colonel turned to his senior fighter controller. oeClosest interceptors
oeTwo Su-27s, Comrade Colonel.
oeVector them onto the contacts.
oeThirty seconds to turn, Goalie said.
Then Guru's EW repeater lit up. oeGot a radar here.
oeRambler Lead, Coors Lead. Picking up an air-search radar, and it's a Red AWACS.'
oeFlight, Lead. Music on, Guru said. That meant to turn on their ECM pods.
oeAnd...turn, Goalie said.
oeCopy that, Guru said as U.S. 67 passed beneath them. He put 512 into a turn to the west, and the others followed.
oeThirty Seconds to IP, Goalie said. That meant U.S. 281.
Then AWACS came on the line. oeRambler Lead, Crystal Palace. Threat bearing one-seven-zero for fifty-five, medium, closing.
oeSay bogey dope, Guru called. oeGoalie, switches set
oeAll set here, his GIB called.
oeRambler, Crystal Palace. Bandits are Flankers. Repeat: Bandits are Flankers. Threat now bearing one-seven-two for forty-five, closing.
oeKnights, Rambler, Guru called the Hornets. oeKeep those suckers off of us.
oeRoger that! Knight Zero-Seven called. The two Hornets broke and turned into the attacking Flankers, but still kept low.
oeFlight, Lead. Stand by to Pull. Switches on, and time to go to work, Guru called.
oeRoger that! Sweaty replied.
oePull in five, four, three, two, one, MARK! Goalie said.
Guru pulled 512 into a climb, and immediately, the SA-2, the East German SA-4s, and the AAA radars all came up. oeCoors, Rambler, make those guys go away, and Lead has the target, rolling in hot.
oeRoger that, Rambler, Coors Lead acknowledged. Then a pair of oeMagnum! calls came as HARM and Standard-ARM missiles left the rails on the F-4Gs. A Standard-ARM went for the SA-2, while a HARM went for the first SA-4 to come up and fire. Then another HARM went after a second SA-4, and all three SAM radars went off the air as the antiradar missiles found their mark. Then a Standard-ARM killed the Firecan radar guiding the AAA, and the rest of the radars went off the air and stayed off.
Guru had identified the target. Surrounded on three sides by trees that, from the air, looked like the outline of home plate on a baseball diamond, oeRolling in, he said. oeGot some light flak coming up. He spotted the 23-mm tracers coming up at them. He lined up the center of the dump in his pipper. oeHACK! he called as he hit the pickle button, and six Mark-82s and six M-117s came off the racks. He pulled out and headed north, his job done. Now, instead of flying for Uncle Sam, it was flying for himself and Goalie.
Down below, the East German supply troops had hardly heard the air-raid alarm when the SAMs started to fire, as did the flak guns. They saw the anti-radar missiles go in, and not only did a nearby 2K12 (SA-4) battery take a hit, but an AAA radar van took a missile as well and was blown apart. Then a sergeant pointed to the southwest. An F-4 Phantom was coming in. The American aircraft flew over and dropped its bombs as the supply troops took cover....
oeSHACK! Goalie yelled as 512 headed north. oeGot a few secondaries.
oeGood enough! Guru called as he headed north for I-20, and he ducked involuntarily as an SA-4, probably launched in optical mode, flew overhead about 200 feet above 512. oeLead's off target.
oeTwo's in hot! Kara called, rolling 520 in on its attack run. She, too, spotted the light flak coming up, Kara lined up the dump in her pipper, and saw the CO's bird pulling away, leaving several secondary explosions in its wake. To give is better to receive, she thought, lining up an undamaged portion of the dump....she then hit the pickle button. oeHACK! Another dozen 500-pound and 750-pound bombs came off the racks, as Kara then set course north. oeTwo's off safe.
In the supply dump, the East German CO, a major, watched from a trench as first Guru's, and then Kara's, bombs landed in his depot. He and the men in the trench with him huddled as they felt the shock waves, and as he glanced out of the trench, a fireball erupted after Kara's F-4 flew past. He stuck his head out, only to see the antiaircraft guns track back to the south. More Imperialist aircraft were coming in, and he ducked back into the trench.
oeGood hits! Brainiac shouted, even as a line of 23-mm tracers chased 520, but fell short.
oeSecondaries' Kara asked as she flew past the repeatedly-bombed Municipal Airport, and headed to catch up with her CO.
oeA few,
oeOkay, time to get the hell out of here, Kara said as she followed 512 north.
oeThree's in hot! Called Sweaty as she headed in. She saw where Kara had planted her bombs, and picked out what looked like the truck park for the dump. More tracers came up, and she put that aside. Not today, Karl, as she lined up the truck park. oeHACK! Sweaty yelled as she hit the pickle button, and twelve more bombs fell onto the dump. She pulled away, ignoring the tracers, and even a pair of SA-7s launched that flew past her plane. oeThree off target.
The East German Major ducked again as Sweaty's F-4 came in, and this time, the bombs landed just far enough away for him to take a look. He groaned as the vehicle park was torn apart, the bombs either blowing trucks and other vehicles apart, or tossing them around like toys. The Major looked around, seeing destruction all around, but then his sergeant pulled him back into the trench. Another Imperialist F-4 was coming in.
oeWe got secondaries! Preacher hollered, even as an SA-7 flew past the F-4's right wing.
oeGood enough, Sweaty replied as she headed north, ignoring the light flak that was still coming up.
Hoser was the last one on the target. oeFour's in hot! He called. As Hoser rolled in, he saw most of the dump had been trashed, but he and KT didn't get paid for bringing ordnance home. So Hoser picked out the entrance to the dump, where there had to be a HQ shack. As he lined up the target, sure enough, it was there. oeHACK! Hoser hit the pickle button, and twelve more bombs fell on the dump. He pulled out, ignoring the 23-mm tracer that followed him out. oeFour's off target.
In his trench, the East German Major heard Hoser's F-4 come in, and the sound of bombs get closer. Then a seven-hundred and fifty pound bomb landed next to his trench.....the occupants never had a chance to scream.
oeGood hits! KT called from the back seat.
oeSecondaries Hoser asked as he followed Sweaty north.
oeCan't tell, came the reply. oeMaybe one or two.
A few miles to the south, the two Marine Hornets had mixed it up with the Su-27s. Both had fired their radar-guided missiles, AIM-7Fs for the Marines, and AA-10 Alamo (R-27R) for the Russians. The Soviets had fired first, but the Hornets did a Doppler break, and after evading the Russian salvo, turned back into the Flankers, and each fired two AIM-7s. Knight 07's two Sparrows found their target, and the Soviet wingman lost a wing and tumbled out of the sky. Then it was a 2v1 engagement, with the Flanker lead putting an AA-8 (R-60) into Knight 08's tailfeathers, but the Marine had released flares, and at the last moment, the missile, instead of tracking the F/A-18, hit a flare. The Hornet took damage to the tailfeatherrs, but managed to stay airborne. Knight 05 managed to get off a Sidewinder shot that damaged the Su-27, then he closed in and sprayed the Flanker with 20-mm fire. The Russian ejected, and both Hornets headed back north.
When Guru heard Hoser call off target, and the Hornets call oeSplash Two, he called the Weasels. oeCoors, Rambler. We're all off target.
oeCopy that, Rambler,' the Weasel lead replied. oeComin' out.
Just then, Kara in 520 formed up on Guru's bird in the Four O'clock, with Sweaty and Hoser right behind them. Then the Weasels came in, and both Marine Hornets were coming out as well. Only when the twin ribbons of I-20 flew past beneath them did anyone breathe easy. oeRambler, Lead. Form on me and let's head for home.
oeTwo, on your right wing, Kara called.
'Three and four coming up, replied Sweaty.
oeKnights, where are you' Guru called the Marines.
oeBehind you, in trail, and got a damaged bird here. Knight 07 called. oeWe can make it to the tankers, then home. And splash two Flankers.
oeRoger that, Guru said as they headed for the tankers.
oeWell, guess the Marines are good for something. First flak suppressors, now killing Flankers Goalie asked.
'Careful, now, Guru said. oeStill need to be on good terms with those guys.
oeHey, you never heard me say that, his GIB shot back.
oeHeard what Guru quipped, and they both laughed.
The post-strike refueling went off without a hitch, and after they did so, the Weasels broke off and headed for Altus AFB in Oklahoma, their new base. Rambler Flight and the Marines headed for Sheppard, and off to the west, the Sun was getting low on the horizon. Though trained for night ops, they rarely did so, not having enough of the Pave Tack pods for night work. Besides, that was mainly an F-111 and A-6 show, and Guru preferred leaving night strikes to the guys and gals who specialized in it. When the flight got to Sheppard, they were the last ones in. Guru let the Marines go in ahead of Rambler Flight, since they had a damaged bird, then it was their turn.
Outside the 335th's Ops Building, crews and ground officers were watching as the last flights came in. Don Van Loan and the members of his flight, along with Dave Golen, Sandi Jenkins, and their GIBs all had their debriefs out on the lawn as they waited for the CO to come back. Mark Ellis was there as well, along with the camera crew and their PAO escort. They watched the Hornets land, then it was the turn of the F-4s. Ellis had a pair of binoculars, as did several others, and they, like the ground crews, watched as the four planes of the CO's flight came into the pattern, did a flyby of the field, then came in and landed. oeFour out, and four in. Everybody came back.
oeThat's always a good thing, isn't it Ms. Wendt asked.
oeMa'am, it always is, Ellis replied. oeEven if somebody comes back with a hole or two in the plane, And the Major's done that a couple of times.
oeYou always do this Count them out and then back
oeOur grandfathers did in England with the Eighth Air Force, Ellis said. oeThen our fathers did it in Southeast Asia. Now it's our turn.
Rambler Flight taxied in, and as they did so, the crews noticed the reception committee waiting. oeLast back, Guru said. oeAnd we face the Fourth Estate for real. He popped his canopy and raised it, as did Goalie.
oeNot in 'Welcome VIPs,' but 'Get that camera out of my way, scumbag,' mode, Goalie quipped.
Guru nodded in the front seat as he taxied 512 into its revetment, then he shut down. He and Goalie went through the post-flight checklist, then Sergeant Crowley and the ground crew came with the crew ladder and put the chocks around the tires. oeThat's done, Guru said as he took off his helmet.
oeFor today, Goalie said as she stood up in her cockpit.
oeThat it is, replied Guru. He stood up in the cockpit and got out of the plane, and then Goalie did. After a post-flight walk-around, he nodded to Sergeant Crowley. oeNo holes in 512, Sergeant.
oeGreat, sir! Crowley said as he handed his CO and GIB bottles of water. oeHow'd it go
oeMade some East Germans' day a bad one, Goalie said as she drank.
oeThat we did, Guru said. 'She's working like a champ, and let's keep it that way, Sergeant. Get her ready for the morning.
oeYes, sir! Crowley said.
The rest of the crews came over to the revetment, and all of them were talking about the mission when Kara noticed they had company coming. oeHere they come, Boss. Reporter with mike and camera crew at Twelve O'clock.
Okay, showtime, Guru thought. oeSmile and be polite, guys. Maybe we'll be on AFN tomorrow night.
Ms. Wendt came up, this time in reporter mode. oeMajor, how did it go today She had her mike in front of him.
oeWent okay. Brought everybody back, and made sure some East Germans had a bad afternoon. Guru said.
oeWhat was the resistance like
oeMissiles, not so much, Guru said calmly. oeWe've got some folks who specialize in making those go away, and they were with us this time. Flak, though Different story.
oeYou mean antiaircraft fire Ms. Wendt asked.
oeThat's right. And those East Germans down below did a lot of shooting, Guru said.
'Lieutenant, Wendt turned to Goalie. 'Now what
Goalie smiled. oeTalk things over, then we eat, blow off steam, then get some shut-eye. Before you know it, it'll be 0430. And we get ready to do it all over again.
oeThank you, Major, Lieutenant, Wendt said.
As the crews headed back to Ops, the camera crew filmed them the whole way. When they got there, the other crews who had come back before were waiting. oeDon, Guru said. oeHow'd it go
oeDid okay, and I got a Yak-28R recon bird. Van Loan replied.
Hearing that, Kara and Sweaty slapped him on the back. As did Dave Golen. oeThat's what, your sixth Kara asked.
oeYep, Van Loan said. oeGot him on our way back. He was on his way out, and I called it to the AWACS, then I rolled in behind him, gave him two Sidewinders, and that was that.
Guru shook his hand. oeGood kill, Don. Was there a chute
oeYeah, from the pilot. The nav, though....they eject downward, and they were too low.
oeOkay, I'll ask Colonel Brady, and see if the Army picked up the pilot. Maybe they can find out what he and his friends were up to. Where was this
Van Loan said, oeSouth of Sherman, Boss. Perrin AFB's not that far, and the Red River bridges on U.S. 75. He might have been looking at those.
oeOkay, talk to Licon, and get your debrief out of the way. You, too, Dave. the CO nodded to Dave Golen.
oeYou got it, Boss, Van Loan replied.
oeOf course, Guru, Golen nodded.
While the crews were milling around outside, the camera crew was filming them. oeSo what now Ms. Wendt asked Kodak Griffith.
oeThey all have to debrief their missions-and those are classified, by the way, check whatever paperwork they have, and then it's off to the Officer's Club to eat and unwind.
oeThat big tent
oeYes, Ma'am. The prewar Club didn't survive the Russians. Seems the Resistance managed to get a bomb inside the place in Fall '86. When the bomb blew, it killed forty to fifty Russians, Cubans, and whoever. The Russians took a thousand people-half inmates from a labor camp, half people picked off the street at random, took them somewhere northwest of here, made them dig a pit, then they were all shot. Kodak told the crew.
oeMy God.... Scott, the Cameraman, muttered, while Ms. Wendt's face was frozen in horror.
oeMs. Wendt Kodak asked. oeYou all right
oeWe've heard our share of atrocity stories, especially from the press up in Canada, and earlier on here, but so close Her voice was shaking.
oeMa'am, we've brought reporters to see what Ivan did, and you'd be no exception. A lot of Western European reporters came here, thinking the atrocity stories were overblown. Seeing a mass grave or a KGB interrogation center, maybe a liberated POW or labor camp sobers them up pretty quick.
oeIt would anybody, Scott said. oeLike the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia: a lot of ivory tower types thought those stories were exaggerated. When the NVA went in and found what had happened, those people shut up pretty fast.
Ms. Wendt nodded. It wasn't just this base that her network expected her to cover. Any story dealing with the war was fair game, her assignment editor had told her in Sydney. oeIn a few days, I'd like to see it. The grave, I mean.
oeI'll arrange it, Ma'am. Just let me know, Kodak said. oeCome on, I think you people need a stiff drink after what I just told you.
In their briefing room, Guru and his flight were talking about the mission, while waiting for the SIO to
come in. oeDon't want that again for a while. That SA-4 was close, he said.
oeToo close, Goalie nodded. oeDamned optical backups.
oeSA-7s for us, Sweaty added. oeBe glad those things are crap.
oeEven properly aimed crap can still kill you, Lieutenant, Capt. Darren Licon said as he came into the room. oeSorry I'm late, Boss. You guys got caught in the backlog.
oeHe's right, the CO said.
oeI know, Sweaty said. oeNo need to remind me. Day five on PRAIRE FIRE. SA-7 blew out my left engine.
And when that had happened, Guru remembered, the whole flight had escorted Sweaty back to Williams. Her bird had been out of action for two days while not just the engine had been changed, but some structural damage to the wing had been repaired. oeIt beats skydiving.
oeThat it does, Goalie said.
oeOkay, Darren, the CO said. oeBefore we debrief, did you confirm Van Loan's kill
The intel smiled. oeYes, sir, It's his sixth. And I have a query in to see if the Army's talked to him. They're supposed to turn all captured aircrew over to either Tenth Air Force or Ninth Air Force, and depends on who they sent him to. I'd like to know what that recon driver was doing up there.
oeTry and find out, and let's get this over with.
oeYes, sir, Licon said.
After the debriefing, the CO nodded. oeOkay, check your desks before heading to the Club. I'll see you over there. As the crews filed out, Guru nodded at Sweaty. oeSweaty A word, please.
Sweaty came over, and she knew what the CO was going to say. oeMajor
oeJust wanted to ask you one thing: Lesson learned
'Lesson learned, Major. I know what you're going to say. 'Don't get overconfident.'
'You got it. That's gotten more than a few people killed or captured. Don't fall into that trap. the CO reminded her.
oeNo sir, Sweaty replied. And her tone of voice indicated to the CO that she was serious. She also knew that if those SA-7s had been properly aimed, she and Preacher would either be dead, captured, or holed up somewhere, waiting on Jolly Green to come and get them. oeNo excuse, sir.
oeRemember, if a weapon can kill you, it's not obsolete. Always keep that in mind, Lieutenant. Major Wiser said. He rarely addressed his fellow aircrew by rank unless it was important. And this little talk was.
oeYes, sir, Sweaty replied with due seriousness.
oeOkay, I've fallen into that trap myself. I've had battle damage, and been shot down once. Don't have that happen to you or Preacher. Understood
She nodded. oeYes, sir.
oeGood. Remember, Colonel Rivers gave the both of us this same kind of talk on a couple of occasions, and we took his advice to heart, didn't we Guru said.
oeThat we did, Major, Sweaty smiled.
oeOkay, just keep that in mind. Got it
oeLoud and clear, Boss.
oeGood, now, go and check your desk, then I'll see you in the Club, the CO said.
Sweaty nodded. This was a very polite form of dismissal, and she understood. oeYes, sir.
oeOkay, and Sweaty
oeGood job today.
Sweaty grinned. oeThanks, Boss!
oeYou're welcome. See you in a bit.
After Sweaty left the office, Guru left, and found the rest of the flight waiting. oeWhat was that all about Kara asked.
oeSweaty's remark about SA-7s touched a nerve. Remember what I said about complacency And General Tanner a few days ago Guru said. He saw heads nod affirmatively. oeI know, we've all done a few sloppy things in the air and have been lucky, right
oeGuilty, Kara said, while Sweaty and Hoser nodded, along with the GIBs.
oeAnd remember this: if a weapon can still kill you, it's not obsolete. Always keep that in mind.
oeNever forget the Golden BB, Goalie said. That had been drummed into her head at Kingsley Field.
oeRight you are, Guru said. oeOkay, pass that on, and everybody Good job today.
oeThanks, Boss, Kara grinned.
oeOkay, see you in a few, the CO said as he headed to his own office, and Goalie followed him. When they got there, they found Mark Ellis waiting. oeMark,
oeBoss, Ellis said. oeGot a few things before we wrap up. He handed the CO a clipboard. oeAircraft status update for MAG-11. Sandi's bird should be ready by morning. It'll need a check flight before it's cleared.'
oeGood, and the bird needing radar parts
oeReady by morning, Kevin O'Donnell says. Capt. Kevin O'Donnell was the senior maintenance officer for the squadron.
oeAfter tomorrow, we'll have twenty birds, assuming no losses or downs due to maintenance, Ellis said.
oeOkay, the CO nodded. He signed the sheet. oeWhat else
The Exec nodded back. oeRoss has made a few phone calls. We may have a new PAO soon, but no guarantees.
oeAt least he's trying, the CO said. oeWhat about those two new birds from Japan They're due here in two days.
oeThere's a backlog at McClellan, Ellis said. oeIt might take a week to clear it up.
oeWhy can't they do all that at Kadena Goalie wondered. It's our base,
oeYeah, but the depot there is run by Mitsubishi under contract. It's still Japanese soil and has been since we gave Okinawa back in '72, Guru pointed out. oeI know, it'd be easier with them installing the air-to-ground stuff there instead of McClellan or the Weasel stuff at Hill, but that's the way it is.
oeThat it is, Ellis said. oeWe'll still get two new crews with the new birds.
oeAnything else The CO asked. It had been a busy day, and he wanted to get something to eat and unwind.
oeJust this, the Exec said. He handed Guru a paper.
oeWhat's this
oeA complaint against five female officers, signed by one Major Frank Carson, Ellis said.
oeWhat's Frank pissed off about now Guru wondered aloud. Major Frank Carson was the most despised officer in the squadron. His Academy oeknow-it-all arrogance and contempt for any officer not wearing an Academy class ring-even fellow Academy grads like Goalie or the late Colonel Rivers, along with his Boston Blue Blood arrogance, not listening to the NCOs and treating enlisted airmen like pieces of equipment, along with a few other things, had made him the most loathed officer on the base. Guru was hoping to transfer the man, or that he'd come to him, asking for a transfer, before he used a number of reasons in Carson's file to kick him out after New Year's.
oeRead it. the Exec said.
The CO nodded, then scanned the paper. oeWhat He turned to his GIB. oeYou, Kara, Sweaty, KT, and
Ryan Blanchard Flashing him when you came out of the shower, then mooning him
oeWell, we were coming out and he said something about 'trailer trash' or something like that, and nobody liked that. We can't slug him, even though he deserves it, so we did the next best thing, Goalie said. And the CO could tell that she was not apologetic in the slightest.
Major Wiser sighed and put his right palm to his face. Then he started to laugh.
oeWhat's so funny, Major Mark asked.
oeI know I probably shouldn't say this, but I would've loved to see that. The look on Frank's face... said the CO.
oeAnd the other...scenery Ellis asked, matter of factly.
oeNo comment, Guru replied.
Hearing that, the Exec and Goalie broke out laughing. oeHe turned red, whether out of embarrassment or anger, then he stomped off, Goalie said.
The CO sighed. oeOkay, Mark. Anything else
oeWhat about his complaint The Exec asked.
oeWhat about it Guru said. He took the paper, and fed it into the office shredder. oeAnything he sends me, except for a transfer request, gets sent there. Comprende
oeGot it, Boss.
oeOkay, see you in a few, Guru said.
Ellis nodded. oeWill do, and he headed out of the office.
Guru then turned to his GIB-and girlfriend. oeDid you guys have to flash and moon him
oeCan't slug him, so we did the next best thing, Goalie said.
oeOkay, but if he does it again Just moon him. Don't show him any more of you than you have to. And tell the others that.
Goalie laughed. oeWill do.
oeOne other thing, Guru said with due seriousness. oeSweaty. Her remark about SA-7s touched a nerve. Remember, back in March We both came back from a mission with unexploded SA-7s in our tailfeathers.
oeYeah, Goalie said. She well remembered that mission. oeAnd the dressing-down Colonel Rivers gave all of us was richly deserved.
oeThat it was, the CO agreed. oeWe got lower than we should've, and both you and Preacher weren't checking six on egress. Lesson learned.
oeSo you had to give Sweaty a reminder
'A polite but firm one, Guru said. oeAnd she's enough of a professional to know what I mean. Colonel Rivers didn't want to write any letters because people got sloppy or overconfident, and I don't either. It's different now that I'm the CO and the one doing the lecturing.
oePart of the job, Goalie nodded understanding.
oePart of the job,' the CO agreed. oeAnd Sweaty knows it. Come on, let's go eat. And see how our guests are handling their first night in a war zone.
oeWe'll find out. Goalie said as they left the office. oeAnd we might see how good they are at poker or pool.
oeThat we will,' Guru nodded. oeLet's go. And both of them left the Ops building and headed for the Officer's Club tent.
Again, questions and comments, please!
335th TFS Operations, Sheppard AFB, TX, 1540 Hours Central War Time:
Major Wiser sat at his desk, going over some squadron paperwork. At least Mark Ellis had been here, and filtered out the chaff, leaving him only what was really important. And it was too bad that the elves never did the work like they were supposed to, for when he came back from a mission, or arrived first thing in the morning, the paperwork was still there. He was going over what AF Public Affairs had sent all combat units on how to deal with the media when there was a knock on the door. oeCome on in, it's open, he said.
A USMC Captain in BDUs, but with gold NFO wings came in. oeCaptain Keith Crandall, reporting, sir.
He snapped a perfect Quantico salute.
oeCaptain, Guru said, sketching a return salute. oeHave a seat, and we go by call signs or first names in this squadron. What's yours
oeKodak, sir, Got it at MCAS Yuma training on the F-4.And sir, it involved a trip to Vegas, a camera, and a member of the opposite sex, said Crandall as he sat down.
Guru nodded. oeSay no more. Kodak it is. Okay, I take it Sergeant Ross has shown you the PAO office, such as it is
oeYes, sir, Not much, and only two sergeants and your enlisted photographer, Crandall said.
oeWell, you won't be there much, Guru told him. oeYou'll be babysitting Ms. Wendt and he crew. And your first impressions
oeThe cameraman and soundman They've been in war zones before and know the drill. The producer Seems okay for someone who's a combat virgin. Ditto for the techs with the truck.
oeAnd Ms. Wendt Guru asked.
oeShe seemed a little spooked, seeing that damaged F-4. Though I wonder if anything we said went in one ear and out the other. Kodak said.
oeWe'll find out how good she is, won't we Guru replied. oeThere's been reporters who started out lousy, but turned out great. Jan Fields, for one.
oeYes, sir. Seen her on CNN a lot. She was a local reporter in someplace like Austin or Waco. Joined up with 2nd Armored as they fought their rearguard into Oklahoma and Kansas. CNN noticed her and that was that. She's always at the front, it seems like.
'You're not the only one seeing her on CNN. Okay, any requests right now from Ms. Wendt
oeThey'd like to do some filming as people go out to fly and come back, Kodak replied.
oeFair enough, Guru said. oeThough I'll tell her that there's no chance of her flying a combat mission. AF policy.
oeSame in the Marines or Navy, sir.
oeOkay.....wait. Tell her that if she wants to talk with us on camera when we get back from this mission I'm OK with that. Guru nodded.
oeYes, sir, Kodak said.
oeI've got a mission brief in a few, so that'll be all.
oeSir, Crandall said, saluting and then leaving the office.
Guru sighed, then got up and left the office. He went over to the Ops desk, where Don Van Loan was waiting. oeDon.
oeBoss, Van Loan replied. oeI see the guests from the Fourth Estate have arrived.
oeI'd be happy if the reporter had been in a war zone prior to coming here, but....oh, well. What have you got for me
Van Loan handed the CO a packet. oeGoing down to the East German Sector. Supply dump, about five miles south of Stephenville.
oeAirport still active You know we hit it a few days ago, the CO said.
oeF-111s hit it last night. So they should still be on the ground,' Van Loan replied. oeThose still in one piece, that is.
oeWeasel support We had two last time. Guru reminded his Ops Officer.
Van Loan nodded. oeYou're getting two. Coors Flight will meet you at the tankers.
oeFair enough. Guru nodded as he went over the target folder. oeAnything else
Van Loan shook his head. oeNuthin' Boss. You have a good one.
oeYou too. And watch for our guests; they'll be filming us going out and coming back. So we might be on AFN tomorrow night.
oeGuess we'll have to watch Walter Cronkite, then, Van Loan grinned.
oeYou could say that. Guru said. He then went to the briefing room and opened the door. His flight members were there, waiting. oeAll right, people. Here's our last one for today.
oeWhat've we got Sweaty asked.
oeBack to Stephenville, Guru told his flight.No, not the airport. F-111s hit it last night. About five miles south of Stephenville on U.S. 281, northeast of the junction with F.M. 233. There's a supply dump there. We need to make it blow up.
oeThis is the East German sector, right Kara asked. oeAnd last time, there was army-level air defense.
oeRight you are, and we'll be getting the same thing. Expect SA-4s, plus AAA and the Soviet-manned SA-2 site. Throw in MANPADS and small-arms fire, and it's going to be a wild one. And we are getting Weasels. They'll meet us at the tankers.
oeMiGs Goalie asked.
oeMiG threat is still the same as the last one. Su-27s as well, so remember your anti-Flanker tactics, Guru reminded everyone.
oeGet down low, holler for help from AWACS, do a Doppler Break, and pray a 'teenage' fighter's around, Preacher said. Just as he said that, there was a knock on the door.
oeYeah Guru asked.
Mark Ellis came in. 'Boss, this just came in. Su-27s have been active this afternoon. You guys are getting a pair of F/A-18s to ride shotgun. Call signs are Knight zero-seven and zero-eight.
oeOkay, where are they now the CO asked.
oeIn their cockpits. They did a hot turnaround.
oeLoadout'
Elis nodded. oeTwo AIM-7s and four AIM-9Ls, each airplane.
Guru looked at his flight, and nodded approval. oeHave 'em meet us at ten grand overhead.
oeGotcha, Ellis said. He then went off to notify the Marines.
oeThat takes care of that, Guru said. oeOkay, ordnance load. The Mark-82/M-117 mix. The 82s on the wing pylons, 117s on the centerline MER. Usual air-to-air: two AIM-7Es, four AIM-9Ps, full load of 20-mm, and the ECM pod in the right forward Sparrow well.
oeBailout, SAR still the same as the last one Kara asked.
oeThey are, so keep that in mind,' the CO reminded them. oeOne other thing: our guests may be filming us going out to the aircraft, and on return. So smile, be polite, and you might just be on the CBS Evening News tomorrow night.
oeGee, and I forgot my makeup, KT quipped.
oeWe don't need any stinking makeup, Sweaty joked. There was some laughter at that from everyone.
Guru smiled. oeOn that note...anything else' There wasn't any. He clapped his hand just once. oeOkay, gear up and meet at 512.
The crews went to the locker rooms and geared up. On the way out, Dave Golen, Sandi Jenkins, and their GIBs were coming in. oeGuru, Golen nodded.
oeDave, Sandi, Guru said. oeHow'd it go
oeNo air-to-air action, I regret to say, but fuel dumps do burn very well.
oeSandi How you doing
oeFine, Major, Sandi replied. She was getting better and better with each passing day.
oeOkay, we've got one more, but see you in the Club, Guru said.
oeGood luck, Golen said.
oeThanks, Dave, Guru replied as they headed to 512. Sure enough, Ms. Wendt and her crew were filming as they went to 512. When they got there, the CO gave his final instructions. oeOkay, call signs between us, as usual. Mission code to escorts, Weasels, AWACS, and other interested parties. Got it
oeGot it, Boss, Sweaty said, and the others nodded.
oeOne last thing: Complacency gets people killed. This may be the last one today, but treat it like it's the first. Got it
oeLoud and clear, Major, Kara said. When she called him by rank, Guru knew that she was taking it seriously. And everyone else nodded.
oeAnything else Guru asked. Heads shook no. oeThen let's hit it.
Guru and Goalie went to 512, and found Sergeant Crowley, the Crew Chief, waiting with the ground crew. oeMajor, she's ready to go.
oeThanks, Sergeant, Guru said. He and Goalie did the preflight walk-around, all the while noticing the camera crew filming them. After he signed for the aircraft, both pilot and GIB mounted the F-4 and got strapped in. Then they went through their preflight checks.
oeShe have it for us Goalie asked, seeing the reporter and crew.Ejection seats
oeArmed top and bottom, and check yours, Guru replied. oeHope not. They're probably concentrating on us because I'm the CO. All set
oeYou're probably right. All set back here. Preflight complete and ready for engine start.
Sergeant Crowley gave the signal, then one, and then two, J-79 engines were up and running. After the warm-up, Guru asked for permission to taxi, and after it was granted, taxied out of the revetment, snapping a salute to his crew chief on the way out, and hoping the camera crew caught that. He taxied 512 to the end of the taxiway, where the armorers removed the weapon safeties. Then he received permission to taxi for takeoff. After taxiing onto the runway, he saw Kara in 520 taxi into his Four O'clock for takeoff. Then Guru called the tower. oeTower, Rambler Flight requesting clearance for takeoff.
The tower flashed a green light. Guru and Goalie pulled down their canopies down, then Guru ran up the engines to full power, released the brakes, and 512 rolled down the runway and into the Texas sky, with 520 right beside them, and Sweaty's element right behind the lead.
Over Central Texas: 1635 Hours:
Rambler Flight, with the two Weasel F-4Gs and the two escorting Marine F/A-18s, was headed south, roughly parallel to the boundary between the Nicaraguans and the East Germans. So far, nothing had happened since the mission package had crossed into enemy territory, but that could easily change,
In 512's cockpit, Guru kept his head on a swivel, watching not only his instruments, but also keeping an eye out for threats. Something that his instructors in the RTU down at Homestead AFB had drilled into him each and every time. oeNav point He asked his backseater.
oeU.S. 377 in one minute, Goalie said. She was handling the navigation, the old-fashioned way: with a stopwatch, map, and plain old-dead reckoning to backup the INS.
oeOne minute, Guru said. He looked ahead, and saw the two Weasel F-4s just ahead of them, and right above the Weasels, were the two Marine F/A-18s.
oeAnd....377, Goalie said as the highway passed beneath them. oeOne minute fifteen to U.S. 67.
oeAnd then we turn, said Guru. He glanced at his EW repeater. oeEW still clear.
oeHope it stays that way.
oeYou're not the only one.
To the south, as Rambler Flight headed to their turn point, a Soviet A-50 Mainstay AEW aircraft was loitering between Temple and Austin. These aircraft were normally operated by the Voyska PVO for national air defense, but the depredations of American low-level attack aircraft had necessitated the deployment of several A-50s to Texas, while several others had been sent to Alaska and Canada to do the same. While Voyska PVO operated the V-75, S-125, and S-200 sites in the occupied territories, nearly all the fighters deployed were from the VVS, the Air Force, though some PVO regiments were in Alaska and parts of Canada.
In the mission compartment, a PVO Colonel was watching his screen. He knew that there were too many American strike aircraft coming in over the front for the fighters to handle, but they had to try.
oeComrade Colonel A controller called.
oeYes, Comrade the Colonel went over to his console.
oeComrade Colonel, I have several intermittent contacts at low-level Bearing three-four-zero relative, two hundred kilometers, the controller said.
Nodding, the PVO Colonel turned to his senior fighter controller. oeClosest interceptors
oeTwo Su-27s, Comrade Colonel.
oeVector them onto the contacts.
oeThirty seconds to turn, Goalie said.
Then Guru's EW repeater lit up. oeGot a radar here.
oeRambler Lead, Coors Lead. Picking up an air-search radar, and it's a Red AWACS.'
oeFlight, Lead. Music on, Guru said. That meant to turn on their ECM pods.
oeAnd...turn, Goalie said.
oeCopy that, Guru said as U.S. 67 passed beneath them. He put 512 into a turn to the west, and the others followed.
oeThirty Seconds to IP, Goalie said. That meant U.S. 281.
Then AWACS came on the line. oeRambler Lead, Crystal Palace. Threat bearing one-seven-zero for fifty-five, medium, closing.
oeSay bogey dope, Guru called. oeGoalie, switches set
oeAll set here, his GIB called.
oeRambler, Crystal Palace. Bandits are Flankers. Repeat: Bandits are Flankers. Threat now bearing one-seven-two for forty-five, closing.
oeKnights, Rambler, Guru called the Hornets. oeKeep those suckers off of us.
oeRoger that! Knight Zero-Seven called. The two Hornets broke and turned into the attacking Flankers, but still kept low.
oeFlight, Lead. Stand by to Pull. Switches on, and time to go to work, Guru called.
oeRoger that! Sweaty replied.
oePull in five, four, three, two, one, MARK! Goalie said.
Guru pulled 512 into a climb, and immediately, the SA-2, the East German SA-4s, and the AAA radars all came up. oeCoors, Rambler, make those guys go away, and Lead has the target, rolling in hot.
oeRoger that, Rambler, Coors Lead acknowledged. Then a pair of oeMagnum! calls came as HARM and Standard-ARM missiles left the rails on the F-4Gs. A Standard-ARM went for the SA-2, while a HARM went for the first SA-4 to come up and fire. Then another HARM went after a second SA-4, and all three SAM radars went off the air as the antiradar missiles found their mark. Then a Standard-ARM killed the Firecan radar guiding the AAA, and the rest of the radars went off the air and stayed off.
Guru had identified the target. Surrounded on three sides by trees that, from the air, looked like the outline of home plate on a baseball diamond, oeRolling in, he said. oeGot some light flak coming up. He spotted the 23-mm tracers coming up at them. He lined up the center of the dump in his pipper. oeHACK! he called as he hit the pickle button, and six Mark-82s and six M-117s came off the racks. He pulled out and headed north, his job done. Now, instead of flying for Uncle Sam, it was flying for himself and Goalie.
Down below, the East German supply troops had hardly heard the air-raid alarm when the SAMs started to fire, as did the flak guns. They saw the anti-radar missiles go in, and not only did a nearby 2K12 (SA-4) battery take a hit, but an AAA radar van took a missile as well and was blown apart. Then a sergeant pointed to the southwest. An F-4 Phantom was coming in. The American aircraft flew over and dropped its bombs as the supply troops took cover....
oeSHACK! Goalie yelled as 512 headed north. oeGot a few secondaries.
oeGood enough! Guru called as he headed north for I-20, and he ducked involuntarily as an SA-4, probably launched in optical mode, flew overhead about 200 feet above 512. oeLead's off target.
oeTwo's in hot! Kara called, rolling 520 in on its attack run. She, too, spotted the light flak coming up, Kara lined up the dump in her pipper, and saw the CO's bird pulling away, leaving several secondary explosions in its wake. To give is better to receive, she thought, lining up an undamaged portion of the dump....she then hit the pickle button. oeHACK! Another dozen 500-pound and 750-pound bombs came off the racks, as Kara then set course north. oeTwo's off safe.
In the supply dump, the East German CO, a major, watched from a trench as first Guru's, and then Kara's, bombs landed in his depot. He and the men in the trench with him huddled as they felt the shock waves, and as he glanced out of the trench, a fireball erupted after Kara's F-4 flew past. He stuck his head out, only to see the antiaircraft guns track back to the south. More Imperialist aircraft were coming in, and he ducked back into the trench.
oeGood hits! Brainiac shouted, even as a line of 23-mm tracers chased 520, but fell short.
oeSecondaries' Kara asked as she flew past the repeatedly-bombed Municipal Airport, and headed to catch up with her CO.
oeA few,
oeOkay, time to get the hell out of here, Kara said as she followed 512 north.
oeThree's in hot! Called Sweaty as she headed in. She saw where Kara had planted her bombs, and picked out what looked like the truck park for the dump. More tracers came up, and she put that aside. Not today, Karl, as she lined up the truck park. oeHACK! Sweaty yelled as she hit the pickle button, and twelve more bombs fell onto the dump. She pulled away, ignoring the tracers, and even a pair of SA-7s launched that flew past her plane. oeThree off target.
The East German Major ducked again as Sweaty's F-4 came in, and this time, the bombs landed just far enough away for him to take a look. He groaned as the vehicle park was torn apart, the bombs either blowing trucks and other vehicles apart, or tossing them around like toys. The Major looked around, seeing destruction all around, but then his sergeant pulled him back into the trench. Another Imperialist F-4 was coming in.
oeWe got secondaries! Preacher hollered, even as an SA-7 flew past the F-4's right wing.
oeGood enough, Sweaty replied as she headed north, ignoring the light flak that was still coming up.
Hoser was the last one on the target. oeFour's in hot! He called. As Hoser rolled in, he saw most of the dump had been trashed, but he and KT didn't get paid for bringing ordnance home. So Hoser picked out the entrance to the dump, where there had to be a HQ shack. As he lined up the target, sure enough, it was there. oeHACK! Hoser hit the pickle button, and twelve more bombs fell on the dump. He pulled out, ignoring the 23-mm tracer that followed him out. oeFour's off target.
In his trench, the East German Major heard Hoser's F-4 come in, and the sound of bombs get closer. Then a seven-hundred and fifty pound bomb landed next to his trench.....the occupants never had a chance to scream.
oeGood hits! KT called from the back seat.
oeSecondaries Hoser asked as he followed Sweaty north.
oeCan't tell, came the reply. oeMaybe one or two.
A few miles to the south, the two Marine Hornets had mixed it up with the Su-27s. Both had fired their radar-guided missiles, AIM-7Fs for the Marines, and AA-10 Alamo (R-27R) for the Russians. The Soviets had fired first, but the Hornets did a Doppler break, and after evading the Russian salvo, turned back into the Flankers, and each fired two AIM-7s. Knight 07's two Sparrows found their target, and the Soviet wingman lost a wing and tumbled out of the sky. Then it was a 2v1 engagement, with the Flanker lead putting an AA-8 (R-60) into Knight 08's tailfeathers, but the Marine had released flares, and at the last moment, the missile, instead of tracking the F/A-18, hit a flare. The Hornet took damage to the tailfeatherrs, but managed to stay airborne. Knight 05 managed to get off a Sidewinder shot that damaged the Su-27, then he closed in and sprayed the Flanker with 20-mm fire. The Russian ejected, and both Hornets headed back north.
When Guru heard Hoser call off target, and the Hornets call oeSplash Two, he called the Weasels. oeCoors, Rambler. We're all off target.
oeCopy that, Rambler,' the Weasel lead replied. oeComin' out.
Just then, Kara in 520 formed up on Guru's bird in the Four O'clock, with Sweaty and Hoser right behind them. Then the Weasels came in, and both Marine Hornets were coming out as well. Only when the twin ribbons of I-20 flew past beneath them did anyone breathe easy. oeRambler, Lead. Form on me and let's head for home.
oeTwo, on your right wing, Kara called.
'Three and four coming up, replied Sweaty.
oeKnights, where are you' Guru called the Marines.
oeBehind you, in trail, and got a damaged bird here. Knight 07 called. oeWe can make it to the tankers, then home. And splash two Flankers.
oeRoger that, Guru said as they headed for the tankers.
oeWell, guess the Marines are good for something. First flak suppressors, now killing Flankers Goalie asked.
'Careful, now, Guru said. oeStill need to be on good terms with those guys.
oeHey, you never heard me say that, his GIB shot back.
oeHeard what Guru quipped, and they both laughed.
The post-strike refueling went off without a hitch, and after they did so, the Weasels broke off and headed for Altus AFB in Oklahoma, their new base. Rambler Flight and the Marines headed for Sheppard, and off to the west, the Sun was getting low on the horizon. Though trained for night ops, they rarely did so, not having enough of the Pave Tack pods for night work. Besides, that was mainly an F-111 and A-6 show, and Guru preferred leaving night strikes to the guys and gals who specialized in it. When the flight got to Sheppard, they were the last ones in. Guru let the Marines go in ahead of Rambler Flight, since they had a damaged bird, then it was their turn.
Outside the 335th's Ops Building, crews and ground officers were watching as the last flights came in. Don Van Loan and the members of his flight, along with Dave Golen, Sandi Jenkins, and their GIBs all had their debriefs out on the lawn as they waited for the CO to come back. Mark Ellis was there as well, along with the camera crew and their PAO escort. They watched the Hornets land, then it was the turn of the F-4s. Ellis had a pair of binoculars, as did several others, and they, like the ground crews, watched as the four planes of the CO's flight came into the pattern, did a flyby of the field, then came in and landed. oeFour out, and four in. Everybody came back.
oeThat's always a good thing, isn't it Ms. Wendt asked.
oeMa'am, it always is, Ellis replied. oeEven if somebody comes back with a hole or two in the plane, And the Major's done that a couple of times.
oeYou always do this Count them out and then back
oeOur grandfathers did in England with the Eighth Air Force, Ellis said. oeThen our fathers did it in Southeast Asia. Now it's our turn.
Rambler Flight taxied in, and as they did so, the crews noticed the reception committee waiting. oeLast back, Guru said. oeAnd we face the Fourth Estate for real. He popped his canopy and raised it, as did Goalie.
oeNot in 'Welcome VIPs,' but 'Get that camera out of my way, scumbag,' mode, Goalie quipped.
Guru nodded in the front seat as he taxied 512 into its revetment, then he shut down. He and Goalie went through the post-flight checklist, then Sergeant Crowley and the ground crew came with the crew ladder and put the chocks around the tires. oeThat's done, Guru said as he took off his helmet.
oeFor today, Goalie said as she stood up in her cockpit.
oeThat it is, replied Guru. He stood up in the cockpit and got out of the plane, and then Goalie did. After a post-flight walk-around, he nodded to Sergeant Crowley. oeNo holes in 512, Sergeant.
oeGreat, sir! Crowley said as he handed his CO and GIB bottles of water. oeHow'd it go
oeMade some East Germans' day a bad one, Goalie said as she drank.
oeThat we did, Guru said. 'She's working like a champ, and let's keep it that way, Sergeant. Get her ready for the morning.
oeYes, sir! Crowley said.
The rest of the crews came over to the revetment, and all of them were talking about the mission when Kara noticed they had company coming. oeHere they come, Boss. Reporter with mike and camera crew at Twelve O'clock.
Okay, showtime, Guru thought. oeSmile and be polite, guys. Maybe we'll be on AFN tomorrow night.
Ms. Wendt came up, this time in reporter mode. oeMajor, how did it go today She had her mike in front of him.
oeWent okay. Brought everybody back, and made sure some East Germans had a bad afternoon. Guru said.
oeWhat was the resistance like
oeMissiles, not so much, Guru said calmly. oeWe've got some folks who specialize in making those go away, and they were with us this time. Flak, though Different story.
oeYou mean antiaircraft fire Ms. Wendt asked.
oeThat's right. And those East Germans down below did a lot of shooting, Guru said.
'Lieutenant, Wendt turned to Goalie. 'Now what
Goalie smiled. oeTalk things over, then we eat, blow off steam, then get some shut-eye. Before you know it, it'll be 0430. And we get ready to do it all over again.
oeThank you, Major, Lieutenant, Wendt said.
As the crews headed back to Ops, the camera crew filmed them the whole way. When they got there, the other crews who had come back before were waiting. oeDon, Guru said. oeHow'd it go
oeDid okay, and I got a Yak-28R recon bird. Van Loan replied.
Hearing that, Kara and Sweaty slapped him on the back. As did Dave Golen. oeThat's what, your sixth Kara asked.
oeYep, Van Loan said. oeGot him on our way back. He was on his way out, and I called it to the AWACS, then I rolled in behind him, gave him two Sidewinders, and that was that.
Guru shook his hand. oeGood kill, Don. Was there a chute
oeYeah, from the pilot. The nav, though....they eject downward, and they were too low.
oeOkay, I'll ask Colonel Brady, and see if the Army picked up the pilot. Maybe they can find out what he and his friends were up to. Where was this
Van Loan said, oeSouth of Sherman, Boss. Perrin AFB's not that far, and the Red River bridges on U.S. 75. He might have been looking at those.
oeOkay, talk to Licon, and get your debrief out of the way. You, too, Dave. the CO nodded to Dave Golen.
oeYou got it, Boss, Van Loan replied.
oeOf course, Guru, Golen nodded.
While the crews were milling around outside, the camera crew was filming them. oeSo what now Ms. Wendt asked Kodak Griffith.
oeThey all have to debrief their missions-and those are classified, by the way, check whatever paperwork they have, and then it's off to the Officer's Club to eat and unwind.
oeThat big tent
oeYes, Ma'am. The prewar Club didn't survive the Russians. Seems the Resistance managed to get a bomb inside the place in Fall '86. When the bomb blew, it killed forty to fifty Russians, Cubans, and whoever. The Russians took a thousand people-half inmates from a labor camp, half people picked off the street at random, took them somewhere northwest of here, made them dig a pit, then they were all shot. Kodak told the crew.
oeMy God.... Scott, the Cameraman, muttered, while Ms. Wendt's face was frozen in horror.
oeMs. Wendt Kodak asked. oeYou all right
oeWe've heard our share of atrocity stories, especially from the press up in Canada, and earlier on here, but so close Her voice was shaking.
oeMa'am, we've brought reporters to see what Ivan did, and you'd be no exception. A lot of Western European reporters came here, thinking the atrocity stories were overblown. Seeing a mass grave or a KGB interrogation center, maybe a liberated POW or labor camp sobers them up pretty quick.
oeIt would anybody, Scott said. oeLike the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia: a lot of ivory tower types thought those stories were exaggerated. When the NVA went in and found what had happened, those people shut up pretty fast.
Ms. Wendt nodded. It wasn't just this base that her network expected her to cover. Any story dealing with the war was fair game, her assignment editor had told her in Sydney. oeIn a few days, I'd like to see it. The grave, I mean.
oeI'll arrange it, Ma'am. Just let me know, Kodak said. oeCome on, I think you people need a stiff drink after what I just told you.
In their briefing room, Guru and his flight were talking about the mission, while waiting for the SIO to
come in. oeDon't want that again for a while. That SA-4 was close, he said.
oeToo close, Goalie nodded. oeDamned optical backups.
oeSA-7s for us, Sweaty added. oeBe glad those things are crap.
oeEven properly aimed crap can still kill you, Lieutenant, Capt. Darren Licon said as he came into the room. oeSorry I'm late, Boss. You guys got caught in the backlog.
oeHe's right, the CO said.
oeI know, Sweaty said. oeNo need to remind me. Day five on PRAIRE FIRE. SA-7 blew out my left engine.
And when that had happened, Guru remembered, the whole flight had escorted Sweaty back to Williams. Her bird had been out of action for two days while not just the engine had been changed, but some structural damage to the wing had been repaired. oeIt beats skydiving.
oeThat it does, Goalie said.
oeOkay, Darren, the CO said. oeBefore we debrief, did you confirm Van Loan's kill
The intel smiled. oeYes, sir, It's his sixth. And I have a query in to see if the Army's talked to him. They're supposed to turn all captured aircrew over to either Tenth Air Force or Ninth Air Force, and depends on who they sent him to. I'd like to know what that recon driver was doing up there.
oeTry and find out, and let's get this over with.
oeYes, sir, Licon said.
After the debriefing, the CO nodded. oeOkay, check your desks before heading to the Club. I'll see you over there. As the crews filed out, Guru nodded at Sweaty. oeSweaty A word, please.
Sweaty came over, and she knew what the CO was going to say. oeMajor
oeJust wanted to ask you one thing: Lesson learned
'Lesson learned, Major. I know what you're going to say. 'Don't get overconfident.'
'You got it. That's gotten more than a few people killed or captured. Don't fall into that trap. the CO reminded her.
oeNo sir, Sweaty replied. And her tone of voice indicated to the CO that she was serious. She also knew that if those SA-7s had been properly aimed, she and Preacher would either be dead, captured, or holed up somewhere, waiting on Jolly Green to come and get them. oeNo excuse, sir.
oeRemember, if a weapon can kill you, it's not obsolete. Always keep that in mind, Lieutenant. Major Wiser said. He rarely addressed his fellow aircrew by rank unless it was important. And this little talk was.
oeYes, sir, Sweaty replied with due seriousness.
oeOkay, I've fallen into that trap myself. I've had battle damage, and been shot down once. Don't have that happen to you or Preacher. Understood
She nodded. oeYes, sir.
oeGood. Remember, Colonel Rivers gave the both of us this same kind of talk on a couple of occasions, and we took his advice to heart, didn't we Guru said.
oeThat we did, Major, Sweaty smiled.
oeOkay, just keep that in mind. Got it
oeLoud and clear, Boss.
oeGood, now, go and check your desk, then I'll see you in the Club, the CO said.
Sweaty nodded. This was a very polite form of dismissal, and she understood. oeYes, sir.
oeOkay, and Sweaty
oeGood job today.
Sweaty grinned. oeThanks, Boss!
oeYou're welcome. See you in a bit.
After Sweaty left the office, Guru left, and found the rest of the flight waiting. oeWhat was that all about Kara asked.
oeSweaty's remark about SA-7s touched a nerve. Remember what I said about complacency And General Tanner a few days ago Guru said. He saw heads nod affirmatively. oeI know, we've all done a few sloppy things in the air and have been lucky, right
oeGuilty, Kara said, while Sweaty and Hoser nodded, along with the GIBs.
oeAnd remember this: if a weapon can still kill you, it's not obsolete. Always keep that in mind.
oeNever forget the Golden BB, Goalie said. That had been drummed into her head at Kingsley Field.
oeRight you are, Guru said. oeOkay, pass that on, and everybody Good job today.
oeThanks, Boss, Kara grinned.
oeOkay, see you in a few, the CO said as he headed to his own office, and Goalie followed him. When they got there, they found Mark Ellis waiting. oeMark,
oeBoss, Ellis said. oeGot a few things before we wrap up. He handed the CO a clipboard. oeAircraft status update for MAG-11. Sandi's bird should be ready by morning. It'll need a check flight before it's cleared.'
oeGood, and the bird needing radar parts
oeReady by morning, Kevin O'Donnell says. Capt. Kevin O'Donnell was the senior maintenance officer for the squadron.
oeAfter tomorrow, we'll have twenty birds, assuming no losses or downs due to maintenance, Ellis said.
oeOkay, the CO nodded. He signed the sheet. oeWhat else
The Exec nodded back. oeRoss has made a few phone calls. We may have a new PAO soon, but no guarantees.
oeAt least he's trying, the CO said. oeWhat about those two new birds from Japan They're due here in two days.
oeThere's a backlog at McClellan, Ellis said. oeIt might take a week to clear it up.
oeWhy can't they do all that at Kadena Goalie wondered. It's our base,
oeYeah, but the depot there is run by Mitsubishi under contract. It's still Japanese soil and has been since we gave Okinawa back in '72, Guru pointed out. oeI know, it'd be easier with them installing the air-to-ground stuff there instead of McClellan or the Weasel stuff at Hill, but that's the way it is.
oeThat it is, Ellis said. oeWe'll still get two new crews with the new birds.
oeAnything else The CO asked. It had been a busy day, and he wanted to get something to eat and unwind.
oeJust this, the Exec said. He handed Guru a paper.
oeWhat's this
oeA complaint against five female officers, signed by one Major Frank Carson, Ellis said.
oeWhat's Frank pissed off about now Guru wondered aloud. Major Frank Carson was the most despised officer in the squadron. His Academy oeknow-it-all arrogance and contempt for any officer not wearing an Academy class ring-even fellow Academy grads like Goalie or the late Colonel Rivers, along with his Boston Blue Blood arrogance, not listening to the NCOs and treating enlisted airmen like pieces of equipment, along with a few other things, had made him the most loathed officer on the base. Guru was hoping to transfer the man, or that he'd come to him, asking for a transfer, before he used a number of reasons in Carson's file to kick him out after New Year's.
oeRead it. the Exec said.
The CO nodded, then scanned the paper. oeWhat He turned to his GIB. oeYou, Kara, Sweaty, KT, and
Ryan Blanchard Flashing him when you came out of the shower, then mooning him
oeWell, we were coming out and he said something about 'trailer trash' or something like that, and nobody liked that. We can't slug him, even though he deserves it, so we did the next best thing, Goalie said. And the CO could tell that she was not apologetic in the slightest.
Major Wiser sighed and put his right palm to his face. Then he started to laugh.
oeWhat's so funny, Major Mark asked.
oeI know I probably shouldn't say this, but I would've loved to see that. The look on Frank's face... said the CO.
oeAnd the other...scenery Ellis asked, matter of factly.
oeNo comment, Guru replied.
Hearing that, the Exec and Goalie broke out laughing. oeHe turned red, whether out of embarrassment or anger, then he stomped off, Goalie said.
The CO sighed. oeOkay, Mark. Anything else
oeWhat about his complaint The Exec asked.
oeWhat about it Guru said. He took the paper, and fed it into the office shredder. oeAnything he sends me, except for a transfer request, gets sent there. Comprende
oeGot it, Boss.
oeOkay, see you in a few, Guru said.
Ellis nodded. oeWill do, and he headed out of the office.
Guru then turned to his GIB-and girlfriend. oeDid you guys have to flash and moon him
oeCan't slug him, so we did the next best thing, Goalie said.
oeOkay, but if he does it again Just moon him. Don't show him any more of you than you have to. And tell the others that.
Goalie laughed. oeWill do.
oeOne other thing, Guru said with due seriousness. oeSweaty. Her remark about SA-7s touched a nerve. Remember, back in March We both came back from a mission with unexploded SA-7s in our tailfeathers.
oeYeah, Goalie said. She well remembered that mission. oeAnd the dressing-down Colonel Rivers gave all of us was richly deserved.
oeThat it was, the CO agreed. oeWe got lower than we should've, and both you and Preacher weren't checking six on egress. Lesson learned.
oeSo you had to give Sweaty a reminder
'A polite but firm one, Guru said. oeAnd she's enough of a professional to know what I mean. Colonel Rivers didn't want to write any letters because people got sloppy or overconfident, and I don't either. It's different now that I'm the CO and the one doing the lecturing.
oePart of the job, Goalie nodded understanding.
oePart of the job,' the CO agreed. oeAnd Sweaty knows it. Come on, let's go eat. And see how our guests are handling their first night in a war zone.
oeWe'll find out. Goalie said as they left the office. oeAnd we might see how good they are at poker or pool.
oeThat we will,' Guru nodded. oeLet's go. And both of them left the Ops building and headed for the Officer's Club tent.
Again, questions and comments, please!
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