Announcement

**cawest** · 10-04-2019, 11:01 AM

found this today and thought it might be useful or just as an FYI.

MiG-25 Foxbat is a misunderstood interceptor. A lot of the critics aimed at the Foxbat come from misunderstanding what it was originaly designed to do

**Panther Al** · 02-26-2020, 11:52 PM

Any news on this picking back up by chance

**Matt Wiser** · 02-27-2020, 08:27 PM

I will be picking it up over the weekend.

**cawest** · 02-28-2020, 09:35 PM

that is some good news

**Matt Wiser** · 02-29-2020, 10:32 PM

And the story picks back up after a hiatus:

335th TFS, Sheppard AFB, TX: 0530 Hours Central War Time, 21 November, 1987:

Major Matt Wiser left his tent and headed to the squadron office. He shot a glance to the east, where the first hint of dawn was starting to break, and the clear skies promised good flying weather. With a storm coming, today and tomorrow would be both maximum effort days, he knew, and that meant the usual of four strikes a day, with more if people started to holler for more CAS than the A-4s, A-7s, or A-10s could handle. Though the squadron had done its share of CAS runs, especially during PRAIRIE FIRE and after, to a man and woman, the aircrews in the 335th preferred to let the folks who lived and breathed CAS handle that, and let them concentrate on their BAI, Counter-air, and when the occasion called for it, hassling with MiGs.

The CO came up to the squadron office and went in. There, Digger, the night-shift SDO was behind the Duty Officer's desk. oeDigger, Guru nodded.

oeBoss, Digger replied. oeSaw Doc yesterday.

oeAnd

oeHe won't clear me until after the stand-down. Swelling's almost gone, but it still hurts when I put some pressure on that ankle, Digger said.

Guru nodded. Digger had sprained his ankle-good-somehow getting out of the back seat he had in Flossy's bird, and had been grounded since. oeRemember that Doc outranks us in everything medical, and he's also just being cautious, the CO reminded him.

oeI know, Boss, the SDO said. oeStill, it's a bit frustrating.

oeBeen there, done that, Guru told him. Then a familiar song came over Digger's radio. oeWell, now....I do love this song.

oeBoss

oeKatrina and the Waves do a pretty good version of We Gotta Get Out of This Place, Guru grinned. He stayed until the song was done, and Wolfman Jack's voice came over the radio. oeXO in

Digger looked towards the CO's office. The XO was waiting outside. oeLooks like he's waiting for you.

oeAll right. When your shift's done, get something to eat, then find your rack. You'll be back flying before you know it.

oeI know, Boss, Digger said, taking things in stride.

The CO went to his office, and found the Exec waiting. oeMark, Guru said as he opened the door.

oeBoss, Capt. Mark Ellis replied. oeGot a few things for you, he said as he handed Guru a cup of cocoa.

The CO went to his desk first, checking the IN box. Empty, for once. That won't last long, he knew. oeOkay, Mark, lay it on me, he said as he began to drain the cup.

oeMorning reports for both Tenth Air Force and MAG-11, the XO said, handing the CO a clipboard.

Guru nodded, scanned the papers, then signed them. oeThat's done. What's next

oeOur two new guys should be here today, Ellis reported. oeNo idea when, though.

oeOne of'em isn't a real FNG, Guru reminded the Exec. oeStill, good to have an experienced hand coming, even if he's been at Clark since Day One.

oeIt is that, the XO agreed. oeNext up: weather. No change, and the storm's due in day after tomorrow.

oeToday

oeTemps in the low 60s, VFR all around, winds light and variable.

oeGood, Guru said as he finished the cup. There was a knock on the door. oeYeah Come in and show yourself!

The door opened, and a blonde female in a flight suit with captain's bars on the shoulders and a cup in each hand came in. oeMorning, Goalie said. She was Guru's GIB-and girlfriend. oeReady to earn our flight pay today Goalie handed the CO a cup of cocoa.

oeAlways, Guru said. oeWhat's next, Mark

oeChief Ross is running down a couple of spare ejection seats, and Maintenance has a shopping list of other parts, the XO replied. oeHe's also looking hard for a K-9 MOPP suit for Buddy.

oeTell him to keep at it, replied the CO.

Goalie looked at the Exec with a surprised look on her face. oeThey make MOPP suits for dogs

oeThey do, for working dogs, Ellis said.

oeAnd Buddy needs one, Guru reminded both of them. oeAnything else, Mark

oeOur two new birds are still due in tomorrow, Ellis said. oeNothing from Frank, and that's it.

oeNo complaints Guru asked. oeThat's three days in a row.

Goalie shook her head. oeThat won't last, she said. oeHe'll find something and the shredder gets a workout again.

oeRight on both, Guru said. Major Frank Carson's complaints about anything and anyone he viewed as unmilitary were well known to all in the squadron, and to many in MAG-11 as well as at HQ Tenth Air Force. oeNow, it might not be too long until I get a message from Tenth AF calling me to Nellis to brief Tenth AF on our little plan for the Su-24s. General Olds told me to bring myself, my GIB- he nodded at Goalie, then continued, oeall our planning material, and proceed by 'fastest available transportation.

oeWhich means 512, Goalie said. It wasn't a question.

oeRight on that, and that last phrase is open to the commander's interepetation.

oeFrank will complain, no doubt about it, Ellis reminded them.

oeScrew him, Guru said.

oeHe's not my type, Goalie laughed.

oeDon't blame you, Guru said. oeWhen we do go, Mark, you'll be running the squadron for a couple days. I'll touch base with Dave Gledhill and make sure things run smooth.

oeThanks, Boss, the XO said.

oeAnytime, Guru nodded. He looked at the clock on the office wall. oe0550. Let's go eat.

Guru, Goalie, and Ellis went to the Officer's Mess Tent, and they found almost every officer on base-along with the news people, waiting for the Chow Tent to open. A few, like the Ops, Weapons, and Maintenance Officers for the various squadrons rose early, ate at the Early-Bird Breakfast, then got things ready for the flying day, but everyone else was here. Guru found Colonel Brady talking with Ms. Wendt, and she had just found out that, for the month she had been on base, the Marines didn't have any B model Hornets-the combat-capable two seaters, in the two Hornet squadrons. If she wanted a backseat ride with the Marines, she would have another trip in an F-4. oeColonel, Guru nodded. oeAnd Ms. Wendt.

oeMorning, Major, Brady said. oeI was just telling our guest here that she can't get a two-seat Hornet ride. Nearest place she can do that, I think, is NAS Lemoore.

oeAnd I was wondering where that was, and when he told me California, Wendt added, oeI was surprised. But a second trip in an F-4 won't be too bad.

oeLemoore's practically in my stomping grounds, Guru said. oeMy hometown's only about an hour and a half's drive from there. As for your trip in Kara's F-4 If we get some clearing on the stand-down day You get your ride.

The reporter grinned . oeLooking forward to it.

oeJust remember to fill your flight suit pockets with airsickness bags, Guru laughed. oeTook an airman up on an incentive ride a month before the war started, and he didn't follow that advice. He puked all over the rear cockpit-and himself.

oeJust don't make that mistake, Ms. Wendt, Brady said. The MAG-11 CO looked around, and saw the loathed Major Frank Carson talking with two officers from the air base group. oeI see your Major Carson's up with his friends.

oeDon't be fooled by that facade of normality, Mark Ellis said, jumping in. oeUnderneath that is a ton of pressure, and sooner or later, he'll pop.

Wendt nodded. oeHe as bad as I've heard

oeHe is, Goalie said.

oeI can't show you his file or flight record, Guru said. oeBut I can tell you that most of what you've heard is true. And the biggest thing I'm worried about is that if he does get a case of the stupids Either he gets himself killed or gets other friendlies killed.

Brady nodded sympathetically. oeMajor, I don't blame you one bit for that, he said.

Just then, the Marine Mess Officer came out and flipped the sign from CLOSED to OPEN. oeBreakfast is ready, people!

After breakfast, crews went to their briefing rooms, while the flight leads went to the Ops Office to pick up their mission folders. The CO, naturally, was the first there, and found the Ops Officer waiting. oeDon, Guru nodded. oeWhat's on tap for my bunch this morning

Capt. Don Van Loan handed the CO a packet. oeHere you go, Boss, the Ops Officer said cheerfully. oeYou've got a town down on U.S. 281: Hico. Somebody dropped the bridge over the Bosque River on 281 and there's a good chance there's traffic backed up north and south of the town. They want you to smash up some of that.

oeOr the traffic on the north side's in the town, using our civilians as human shields, and we won't bomb our own people, Guru pointed out. oeAny secondary targets, or do we go after anything that's a target of opportunity

Van Loan nodded. oeEither one, Boss, he said. oeThere's a list of possible secondaries, or you can go for opportunity targets. Armed recon is also authorized. And you do have the RAF for TARCAP.

Guru opened the packet and found the list. There were several targets that were familiar, and some that weren't. All were either in the East German rear, or that of the Soviet 32nd Army. oeWell, if the convoys aren't there, we'll find something, the CO said. oeThanks, Don. You have a good one, and good luck breaking in Doucette.

oeThanks, Boss, Van Loan said, dreading the thought of breaking in Rabbit's replacement.

oeNot the only one, Mark Ellis said as he came in. oeAt least Cassidy's experienced, even if there's no combat in her log book.

oeDay one excepted, Guru reminded them both. oeOkay, you both have a good one, and I know, Mark doesn't want to be CO, Don doesn't want to be Exec, and we all don't want Kara as Ops.

The XO laughed. oeFour-oh on that, Boss.

oeThanks, Guru said. oeOkay, a reminder: watch for those basketball-sized tracers. ZSU-30-2 is probably what got the one RAF shoot-down, and if you guys see those tracers, abort! Go for a secondary or opportunity target.

oeGotcha, Boss, Ellis said, and Van Loan nodded.

oeGood. You all have a good one, and good luck with the newbies, Guru said. He headed on out, and ran into Major Frank Carson on the way. oeFrank, he nodded politely, even though he loathed the man.

oeMajor, Carson nodded in reply.

oeRemember everything I told you, Guru reminded him. oeOr do I have to remind you

oeNo reminder is necessary.

oeGood. Keep that in mind, Guru said, then he headed to his flight's briefing room. When he got there, he found his flight, plus Dave Gledhill's element from the RAF, and the squadron's mascot, who had found himself a comfortable place to lie down and take a nap. oeAll right, people! We've got our mission.

oeWhere to Kara asked.

oeHico, and we've been there before. Someone-who they were isn't in the briefing material, Guru said as he took the maps and photos out of the folder, oehit the U.S. 281 bridge over the Bosque River last night. There's likely traffic backed up in both directions, and it's our job to hit that.

oeAssuming that said traffic isn't in the town, using our own people for shields, Goalie said.

oeThat is a logical assumption, and there's a list of possible secondary targets, said the CO. oeAll in the East German rear, or the neighboring Soviet 32nd Army to the west.

oeAnd since we'll be in an Army-level formation's rear, that means SA-4, Sweaty chimed in. oeNice.

oeThe defenses haven't been beefed up, Guru said, checking the intel sheet. oeTwo 37-mm batteries, two of ZU-23s, and whatever the convoy has. If we do go for secondaries All bets are off, though. And if we do run into those damned basketball-sized tracers We abort, no matter what the target is and go for something else.

oeWhat's our ordnance load, Boss Hoser asked.

oeNo CBUs this close to a town, Guru replied. oeTwelve Mark-82 Snakeyes, each airplane. Plus the usual air-to-air of four AIM-9Ps, two AIM-7Fs, full gun, wing tanks, and usual ECM pod for leaders and wingmates.

oeAnd for us Dave Gledhill added, oeFour AIM-9Ls, four Sky Flash, two wing tanks, and a SUU-23 gun pod.

oeWhich you used yesterday, said Kara. oeTwenty mike-mike is a good way to shred a helo.

oeIt is, Guru said. oeNice work once again, he added. oeNow, ingress. He had a TPC chart and a JOG map, along with a road map of Texas that showed the highway numbers. oeWe hit the tankers northwest of Mineral Wells, as usual. Then we go in low, just east of the Brazos in the Nicaraguan sector.

oeClose enough to the river to use it as a nav aid Sweaty asked.

oeRight you are. Once we clear Glen Rose, then we go down the river proper, all the way to Lake Whitney. Short of the dam, we turn right to two-three-five and head to the town of Fairy. It's ten miles from the target, and that's not just a turn point, it's also our pop-up point.

oeThirty-five seconds from the target, KT said. She did the calculations in her head.

oeRight on that, Guru agreed. We go in just high enough to verify that the convoys are there, and if they are, we make our runs and get our asses north. If not, reform and I'll take you to a secondary target.

oeMiGs Kara asked. She was looking for a chance at her tenth kill and making double ace.

Guru checked the intel sheet. oeUnchanged since yesterday, he said. oeFlankers were active last night, though. They're still at Bergstrom. He meant Bergstrom AFB near Austin. oeMiG-29s are still at Gray AAF at Fort Hood, in case you're wondering.

oeAnd the Floggers and Fishbeds at Waco, Hoser nodded.

oeThey are, Guru replied. oeBailout areas still unchanged, and so is the weather for the next two days. Then we get a storm coming in, and a stand-down for the better part of the day.

oeTo be thankful for, Preacher said.

oeAgreed, the CO nodded. He noticed an Ops NCO waiting by the door to collect the briefing material. oeAnything else Heads shook no at that. oeAll right, let's gear up, because the sky awaits. I'll see you at 512.

The crews went to their locker rooms to gear up, and when Guru came out of the Men's, Goalie was waiting outside, as usual. oeYou ready to start the morning She asked.

oeBy killing Russians or East Germans Guru replied. oeA good way to start off the day.

oeBetter yet would be kicking Frank out of the squadron.

oeIt would. He's laying low, I think, then he's going to go off on his case of the stupids.

Goalie nodded. oeHe's going to, and sooner or later, we'll be in a shit storm.

oeYeah.

Guru and Goalie left the building, and found Dave Golen and Flossy with their GIBs, and a bonus: the news crew was filming them. oeDave, Guru said. oeLooks like the Fourth Estate's interested in you guys today.

oeThey are, the IDF oeObserver nodded. oeFlossy and Jang just happened to be available. Golen gestured to Ms. Wendt, who was talking with the all-female crew. oeAnd so...

oeAnd so, we'll be seeing them on the news in a day or two, Guru finished.

oeThat's a given, Boss, 1st Lt. Terry McAuliffe, who was Golen's GIB, said. oeSaid that just a minute ago.

oeWell...Okay, Dave, where you guys headed

oeChalk Mountain. There's a tank-repair facility there, Golen replied.

oeAll right, we'll be about a minute's flight time south of there, said Guru. oeYou hit MiG trouble, give a holler. We'll be there, and be bringing the Brits.

oeSounds good to me. If you need help, we're Camaro Flight, and we'll come to the party.

Guru nodded. oeMustang for us. I'll be listening.

oeSo will I, Golen said. They shook hands on that. oeGood luck.

oeYou too, Guru said.

Guru and Goalie then walked to their squadron's dispersal, and found the crews gathered around at the entrance to 512's revetment. oeAll right, gather around. It was time for his final instructions.

oeUsual on the radio Kara asked. That meant call signs between them, while mission code went to AWACS and other interested parties.

oeYou got it, Guru said. oeNow, we're Mustang Flight, and Dave Golen and Flossy are Camaro. They're going in about a minute's flight time north of us, and if we hit MiG trouble, they'll come to the show. IF they do We crash Ivan's party.

The RAF crews had evil-looking grins on their faces. oeSounds good, Flight Lt. Susan Napier said. She was wingmate to Gledhill and Flight Lt. Paul Jackson.

oeIt is, Susan, unless it's those Flankers, Gledhill reminded her.

oeJust remember the anti-Flanker drill, Guru said. That meant getting down low, doing a Doppler Break, and hollering for help from the AWACS, hoping that a oeTeenaged fighter was in the area.

Heads nodded at that. oeAlways, Sweaty said.

oeGood. Let's get Round One out of the way, Guru said. oeAny other questions Heads shook no. oeMeet up at ten grand overhead, and it's time to fly. Let's hit it. He clapped his hands for emphasis.

The crews headed to their aircraft, and Guru and Goalie went into the revetment, where their bird, 512, sat, armed, fueled, and waiting. They found the Crew Chief waiting, and Staff Sergeant Mike Crowley snapped a perfect salute. oeMajor, Lieutenant Five-twelve is ready to go out and kick some more Commie ass.

Guru and Goalie returned the salute. oeThanks, Sarge, Guru said. He and Goalie did their usual pre-flight walk-around, then the CO signed for the aircraft. Both mounted the crew ladder and got strapped into their seats, then they went through the prestart checklist.

oeEjection seats Goalie asked.

oeArmed top and bottom, and check yours, Guru said. oeOnce more into the breach, dear friends.

oeHenry V, Goalie said. oeJust as long as we leave out that 'close up the walls with our dead,' crap.

oeConcur, Guru said. oeArnie

oeArnie's up,and so is the INS, She said, referring to the ARN-101 DMAS and the INS. oePreflight checklist complete and ready for engine start.

oeWe are, Guru said. He gave his Crew Chief a thumbs-up, and Sergeant Crowley gave the oeStart Engines signal. First one, then both, J-79 engines were soon up and running, and as they warmed up, both pilot and GIB noticed Marine F-4s already taxiing to the runway. The jarheads were first out of the gate this morning. Then he called the Tower. oeTower, Mustang Lead with six, requesting taxi and takeoff instructions.

oeMustang Lead, Tower, a controller came back. oeClear to taxi to Runway Three-Five-Lima. Hold prior to the active, and you are number four in line.

oeRoger, Tower. Mustang Lead is rolling. Guru gave another thumbs-up to Crowley, who waved to the ground crew. The wheel chocks were pulled away, and Crowley gave the oeTaxi signal.

Guru released the brakes, and taxied out of the revetment. After clearing the revetment, Crowley gave another perfect salute, and Guru and Goalie returned it. Guru then taxied out of the dispersal, as the rest of the flight fell in line behind him. He led the flight to Runway 35L, and found three Marine flights-two of F-4s and one of F/A-18s, ahead of his own.

The Marines took their turn, and when the Hornet taxied onto the runway, Guru taxied into the holding area. There, the armorers removed the weapon safeties, making the ordnance oelive. When the Hornets took off, he called the tower. oeTower, Mustang Lead requesting taxi for takeoff.

The controller came back right away. oeMustang Lead, Tower. Clear to taxi for takeoff. Winds are two-eight-zero for five.

oeRoger, Tower, and thank you, Guru replied. He taxied onto the runway, and Kara followed in 520, tucking in right at his Five O'clock. They exchanged thumbs-ups, then a final cockpit check. Everything was ready. oeAll set Guru asked his GIB.

oeReady back here, Goalie replied.

oeOkay, Guru said. oeTower, Mustang Lead requesting clear for takeoff.

As usual, the Tower flashed a green light. Clear for takeoff.

oeCanopy coming down, Guru said, pulling down and locking his canopy. Goalie did the same, and a quick check showed Kara and Brainiac's canopies down as well. oeAnd let's go. Guru firewalled the throttles, released the brakes, and 512 thundered down the runway and into the air, with 520 right with them.

Thirty seconds later, it was Sweaty and Hoser's turn, followed by the two RAF F-4Js. Once airborne, they met up at FL 100 and headed south for their tanker rendezvous.

Over Central Texas: 0735 Hours Central War Time:

Mustang Flight was headed south, barely a half-mile east of the Brazos River, and just inside the sector of the Nicaraguan II Corps. No one had hit the Nicaraguans this morning, and thus their air-defense people were quiet. No flak, no SAMs, and no MiGs. And that, to the strike crews going in, was always a good thing. The Nicaraguans' enthusiasm for the war had cooled considerably since PRAIRIE FIRE, and it showed in their not shooting at aircraft not striking their forces.

In 512, Guru wondered how long that would last, for sooner or later, the KGB or DGI might force the Nicaraguans to start being more reactive. No matter: they'd pick out another good ingress route, and start using that instead. For now, the Brazos suited their purposes, though the East Germans on the west bank always shot at them, and the Libyans further south did the same.

Now, Mustang Flight was just east of Lake Granbury, and approaching U.S. 377. The bridge over the Brazos was just to the west. They were going in at 450 Feet AGL and doing 500 KIAS.

oeGranbury in when Guru asked his GIB.

oeFifteen seconds, Goalie replied. She checked her own EW display. oeAnd still clear.

oeFor now, Guru muttered, loud enough for her to hear. oeMr. Mainstay's going to come up sooner or later.

oeBridge off to the right...now! Goalie called, and sure enough, the bridge flew past to their right, and though nearly out of range, the East German gunners on the west bank started shooting. The 57-mm flak fell short, as the strike flight headed on south.

oeGunners are awake, noted Guru. oeThey're on the ball this morning.

oeNo surprise, Goalie said. She checked her EW display again. oeGot something.

Guru checked his own display. Sure enough, a bright strobe appeared to the south, and the SEARCH warning light was on. oeMr. Mainstay's active.

oeWish somebody would take those bastards all the way out, Goalie said. oeDam coming up. She meant the Lake Granbury Dam.

oeGot it, said Guru as the dam flew past on the right. Again, the East German-manned guns on the west side of the river opened up, while the Nicaraguans stayed quiet. The strike flight easily avoided the flak, and kept on course. oeHow far to Glen Rose

oeTwenty seconds, Goalie advised.

oeRoger that! Guru said as he put 512 into a right turn, cutting across a bend in the river and heading due south. Then he called the AWACS. oeYukon, Mustang Lead. Say threats

A controller came back to him. oeMustang Lead, Yukon. First threat bearing One-one-zero for forty. Medium, going away. Second threat bearing One-four-five for fifty-five. Medium, closing. Third threat bearing One-eight-zero for sixty-five. Medium, going away. Fourth threat bearing Two-one-zero for seventy. Medium, closing.

oeRoger, Yukon. Say bogey dope

oeMustang, first threats are Fishbeds. Second and third are Floggers. Fourth threats are Fulcrums.

oeCopy that, Guru replied.

The strike flight approached U.S. 67. oeGlen Rose Bridge off to the right, Goalie said.

oeGot it, Guru acknowledged, as the flak came up again from the west side. They flew past the flak, then Guru took the flight right back down the river once clear of the bridge. For they were leaving the Nicaraguan sector and approaching the Libyans' AO.

oeBrazospoint Bridge coming up, Goalie called. oeFlak on both sides. Both the East Germans and the Libyans were shooting.

oeI see it, Guru replied, leading the flight right down the middle of the river, flying over the bridge and threading the flak from both sides. Once clear, a glance to the rear showed the East Germans had stopped shooting, but the Libyans were still at it-as usual. oeHow long to the 174 Bridge

oeTwenty-five seconds, Goalie replied.

oeRoger that. Guru continued his visual scanning, then checked his EW display. Just the Mainstay's radar was showing, but he knew there were fighters to the east and southeast, thanks to AWACS. Then he checked his instruments. Keeping his head on a swivel had been drummed into his head at the RTU at Homestead AFB prewar, and that was one of the reasons he was still alive and flying.

oeBridge coming up, said Goalie. oeFlak's on both sides.

oeGot it, said Guru as the strike flight approached the bridge. oeThere's some traffic.

oeNot their turn to die, Goalie remarked coolly.

oeThis time, Guru replied as the flight overflew the bridge, then he went down to 400 Feet AGL as Lake Whitney opened up. oeTime to turn

oeOne minute fifteen.

oeRoger that, Guru said as the strike flight thundered down the lake. A quick glance at the EW display still showed the Mainstay's signal. oeDamned Mainstay's still there.

Goalie shook her head in the back seat. oeYou'd think somebody by now would've taken them all the way out.

oeYou'd think, Guru said, a tinge of disgust in his voice. Then he called the AWACS. oeYukon, Mustang Lead. Say threats

The same controller he'd talked to earlier got back to him. oeMustang Lead, Yukon. First threat bearing Zero-four-five for forty. Medium, going away. Second threat bearing One-seven-zero for forty-five. Medium, closing. Third threat bearing One-eight-five for fifty-five. Medium, going away. Fourth threat bearing Two-one-five for sixty-five Medium, closing.

oeCopy, Warlock. Say bogey dope

oeMustang, First threats are Fishbeds. Second and third are Floggers. Fourth threats are Fulcrums.

oeRoger that.

As the strike flight kept on course, eyes were watching, both friendly and hostile. Some of the former were locals, out for a morning's fishing to hopefully catch some fish to supplement the rations allowed them by the occupiers, while others were inhabitants of several boat-in only campgrounds, and those were Resistance groups. They were glad to see the Air Force making regular appearances, for not only did it signal that there was light at the end of the damned tunnel, but that the front lines weren't that far away. Among the latter, there were Soviet, East German, and Cuban soldiers who were also fishing themselves, for given the quality of their rations, some fresh fish would go to help add to that, while others, in two lakeside towns, were stationed there.

In the town of Lakeside Village, there was an uneasy peace between the locals-and the town was unincorporated, so there were no town officials-and the East German 18th Independent Motor-rifle Regiment. The East Germans had been roughly handled up north, and had been in the town for several weeks, resting and refitting. The Regimental Commander, a Major, knew full well that the local resistance was around, but the absence of activity meant that the underground was laying low and biding its time until the front lines moved closer. To the Major, the resistance wasn't the problem, but his Political Officer and Stasi Security Officer were, along with a PSD officer. All three were insistent on having his men search for oeBandits and Counterrevolutionary Elements, and there had been nothing to show for it. All the searches did was make the locals angry, and the Major and his deputy both knew that such activities on the part of the occupiers didn't quench any underground, but merely fueled it.

Shaking his head, the Major was more concerned about his command. The Regiment was still in need of APCs-his regiment had given up its remaining BTR-70s, and had only a battalion's worth of BTR-60PBs, while his tank battalion was in good shape, with two companies of T-55AM2Bs, with the horseshoe armor, upgraded engine, Kladivo fire-control system, laser rangefinder, and a few other extras. The tankers were convinced they had a vehicle equal to the M-60A3, but they knew that if they went up against the M-1, or worse, the M-1A1, it was a different matter. The artillery battalion was in fair shape, with a dozen D-30 122-mm howitzers and prime movers, while the reconnaissance and air defense elements were in worse shape, with the recon company the size of a platoon and the air-defense company only having two ZSU-23-4s and no missile vehicles. The Major had inquired about when his replacement vehicles and personnel would arrive, and was told that the naval situation would dictate that. When he inquired further, the Kampfgruppe's Chief of Staff had told him, oeIt's bad and getting worse.

With that, the Major got up and left his office in what had been a local real-estate agency before the war, and went outside. What he saw didn't surprise him in the least. Six F-4 Phantoms thundered by as they flew down the lake, and the Major knew that the local civilians would be clapping and cheering. That meant that the propaganda line the Political Officer had been feeding both the men and the local population wasn't worth the paper it was printed on, and it also meant that the front lines would be getting closer when spring came around.

oeHow long to turn Guru asked.

oeFifteen seconds, Goalie said. oeDam coming up.

oeI see it, Guru said. oeNo flak yet.

oeTurn in five, four, three, two, one, MARK!

With that, Guru put 512 into a hard right turn. oeComing onto Two-three-five. He steadied the Phantom on the new course, and the rest of the flight did the same. oeSteady on Two-three-five.

oeCopy that, replied Goalie. Though she was using the INS, she was also keeping up with the navigation the old-fashioned way: with a map and stopwatch. oeOne and a half minutes to Fairy.

Guru did the math in his head. Twenty-four miles at this speed. oeGot it, he said, then he kept up his visual scanning. Bypassing Meridian to the north and Clifton to the south, the flight maintained its course. Guru took a quick look at his EW display and scowled beneath his oxygen mask. The Mainstay's strobe was bright as ever. Well...let's make it a little harder. oeFlight, Lead. Music on, he called, turning on his ALQ-119 ECM pod.

oeRoger, Lead, Kara replied, and the others did the same.

oeForty-five seconds, Goalie advised. '

Guru acknowledged the call. oeCopy that.

oeThirty seconds.

oeFlight, Lead. Switches on, and stand by.

oeCopy, Lead, replied Kara, as did the others.

oeSet 'em up, Guru told Goalie.

oeOn it, she replied, setting up the armament controls so that the bombs would all be released in one pass. oeYou're set. All in one go.

oeRoger that, Guru said as Fairy-more a spot on the map than a town, appeared. oeTurn point coming.

oeCopy. Turn in five, four, three, two, one, NOW!

Guru turned right, following F.M. 1602, and gradually climbed as he did so. Not knowing if the advertised targets were there, he decided on the gradual approach. He pulled up, as Goalie scanned the fields along U.S. 281 with binoculars as they approached the town. oeAnything

oeYou bet! Goalie replied. oeConvoy backed up along 281, and two more in fields right and left of the highway.

oeFlight, Lead. Multiple targets south of the town. Take your pick, make your runs, and get your asses north, Guru called the flight, as he pulled up.

oeRoger, Lead! Kara called back.

oeAll set here, Goalie said, tightening her straps and getting set. The bomb run was next.

oeThen let's go, Guru said, rolling 512 in onto the bomb run.

In Hico, the East German Major who commanded the garrison-also East German, was cursing whoever had decided to route a large supply convoy through his town the previous night, and though some of the convoy had passed over the U.S. 281 bridge over the North Fork of the Bosque River, most had not-and some had been caught on the bridge when an air strike went in-either F-111s or A-6s, and four well placed laser-guided bombs had dropped the bridge. The area within a ten kilometer radius around the town was his responsibility, and the convoy elements who were stuck south had been directed to into two nearby fields while he notified the Kampfgruppe's Chief of the Rear, and requested engineers be sent to erect a temporary span while the bridge was rebuilt.

Much to his disgust, the engineers, who had been promised to arrive at 0700, had not arrived, and the convoy commander was also getting on his nerves. He was a major like himself, only this one seemed to be dismissive of the possibility of air attack, even though, as the garrison commander felt, a blind man could see it. The convoy elements backed up south of the river were a tempting target, and it was only a matter of time, the Major felt, before someone came to finish what the night strike had started. The convoy had a couple of ZSU-57-2 AA guns, which were equally useful in breaking up ambushes, along with a couple of gun trucks-ZPU-2 14.5-mm guns mounted on the backs of Ural-375 trucks, and soldiers armed with Strela-2 (SA-7) missiles. His own air-defense guns had been hit hard in previous strikes, and only a few individual 23-mm and 37-mm guns remained.

With those happy thoughts in mind, the Major was at his desk at his headquarters in City Hall, thankful that the civilian population was not giving him any problems. He knew the Resistance was laying low, biding its time, and once it was clear the U.S. Army was approaching, then things would get....interesting. He started to examine some papers when he heard shouts, followed by a siren.

oeALARM! AIR ATTACK!

Guru rolled in on 512's attack run. oeLead's in hot! He called, and as he came in, Guru spotted trucks parked in fields on both sides of U.S. 281. oeWe've got targets, both sides of 281, and dealer's choice, he added. Ignoring the flak that was starting to come up, he selected a group of trucks parked in a field on the west side of 281, and decided they would go away. Your turn, Franz, he thought as the trucks grew larger in the pipper. Guru spotted what looked like a tank transporter with a tank and right there centered it in his pipper. oeSteady...Steady...And..And..HACK! The CO hit his pickle button and pulled up and away, as a dozen Mark-82s came off the racks. He applied power and pulled up and away after weapon release, jinking as he did so. oeLead's off target.

oeSchisse, the Major muttered. Shit....The Amis are back. He watched from his office window as the anti-aircraft fire started, then ran outside just in time to see Guru's F-4 fly past, and hear the bombs going off. The Major ran back inside as others on the staff were running to the basement, but he went to his office, grabbed his binoculars, and went upstairs to the roof, where several soldiers with Strela shoulder-fired missiles and a ZPU-2 AA gun were busy. Several columns of smoke rose from south of the river, and the Major knew the convoy had been hit. Then the ZPU began firing again, as another aircraft was coming in....

In 512's back seat, Goalie had her neck turned to watch as the bombs landed on target. oeSHACK! And we've got secondaries!

oeHow many Guru asked as he jinked left, then right, then left again, dodging a pair of SA-7s as he did so.

oeSeveral, and we've got a big one.

oeSounds good to me, the CO said as he made one last jink, then headed north.

oeTwo's in hot! Kara called as she took 520 down on its bomb run. She saw the CO's run, and the secondaries that he left in his wake. She picked out the trucks in the field on the east side of the highway, and came down on them. Kara saw the flak coming up-including at least two SA-7s, and ignored it. Even an SA-7 flying just past 520's left side didn't faze her. Not today, Franz, Kara thought as several trucks-fuelers by the look of them-grew larger in her pipper. oeAnd....And...And.....NOW! She hit her pickle button, sending her Mark-82s down onto the parked vehicles. Kara then pulled up and away, applying power and jinking as she did. Then she made the call, oeTwo's off target.

oeOf all the... the East German Major muttered. He was watching through his binoculars as Kara's F-4 made its run, and saw the bombs going off-as well as the fuel trucks going up in sympathetic detonations. As he watched, the AA gun on the rooftop fired, as did its counterparts, but the tracers fell short, and as for the missiles Two soldiers fired their Strela missiles, but the missiles failed to guide. Grimacing, the Major turned, and saw his Political Officer there, watching. oeWell, Gunter

oeComrade Major, you should get to a shelter, the Party man replied. oeIt's dangerous out here.

oeOh, you noticed the Major shot back, then he saw the AA gun turn back to the south. More aircraft coming in.

oeBULLSEYE! Brainiac shouted from 520's back seat.

oeGood hits Kara asked as she jinked to avoid the flak, not even noticing a pair of SA-7s that flew past on the right side of the aircraft. Though some puffs of 57-mm fire below and to her left did catch her eye. Not aimed right, and too low, she thought.

oeSome big secondaries, said Brainiac. oeBig and good.

oeI'll take those, Kara replied as she spotted the smoke trail, then 512 itself. Time to join up with the CO, she knew.

oeThree's in hot! Sweaty called as she came in on her run. As she came in, several undamaged trucks on the west side of the highway caught her attention, and Sweaty selected those as her target. As the trucks grew larger in her pipper, she was hoping they were ammo carriers, though a tank transporter also caught her eye. You'll do, she thought as the flak came up. Ignoring the 23-mm and 37-mm fire, she lined up between the trucks and the tank transporter. oeSteady....And...And...Steady.....HACK! Sweaty hit her pickle button and her twelve Mark-82s came off the racks. Once the ordnance was gone, she pulled up, applied power, and pulled away, jinking all the way to avoid flak and missiles. When she was clear of Hico, she called out, oeThree's off.

oeDAMMNT! Damn it, the Major yelled as Sweaty's plane made its run, and as the bombs went off, several ammunition trucks went off as well. The sympathetic detonations rained shrapnel-and the occasional unexploded shell, down, and then some of the ordnance went up. Cursing at the air force-and where were the oeComrades of the Air as the Political Officers called their comrades in the Fraternal Socialist Air Forces The Major saw Sweaty's F-4 make a clean getaway, and to his horror, soldiers on a nearby rooftop fired two Strelas-and one of them exploded in the tube, killing the operator and two nearby soldiers. Stepping away from a missile operator, he watched as the AA gun tracked back south. If three aircraft had come in, there was bound to be a fourth.

oeGOOD HITS! Preacher shouted from Sweaty's back seat. oeWe've got good secondaries!

oeHow good Sweaty wanted to know as she jinked right, then left, then right again, dodging some 57-mm fire and even an SA-7 as she did so.

oeBig and good! Righteously good! Replied the ex-seminary student.

oeGood enough for me, Sweaty said as she headed north, picking up the CO's element as she did.

oeFour's in hot! Hoser called as he came in on his attack run. He saw the explosions left in Sweaty's wake, and thought, Nothing left here.. He then decided to take the east side as a result, and as he did, he spotted several more fuel trucks east of Highway 281. Selecting those as his target, he lined them up, and as he did, noticed the flak. Hoser ignored it, concentrating on the bomb run. The trucks grew larger in his pipper, and he lined up a pair of tanker-trailers. oeAnd...And...Steady....And...NOW! Hoser his his pickle button, releasing his dozen Mark-82s, and after the last bomb came off, he pulled up and away, applying power while doing so. He began jinking to throw off the flak gunners and SAM operators, and as he cleared Hico, Hoser called out, oeFour off target.

oeMother of.. the Major muttered as Hoser's plane came off its run. He saw the bombs go off, and the sympathetic explosions in the F-4's wake as several fuel trucks exploded. Grimacing, the Major watched as a soldier tracked the F-4 with his Strela missile launcher, and then there was an explosion. The Major was thrown back by the shock wave, and staggered to his feet, covered in blood. The missile had exploded in its tube, killing the operator and the Political Officer, who had been standing next to the missile operator. This has been a bitch of a morning, the Major thought as he reached for a field phone to summon medics, for several wounded were screaming at the tops of their lungs. And what will the rest of the day bring, he wondered as the Medical Section came on the line. As he was talking to the Medical Officer, two more F-4s thundered past, but dropped no bombs. Were they reconnaissance aircraft No matter, the Major thought as the door to the roof opened and medical orderlies appeared.

oeSHACK! KT called as Hoser pulled off. oeWe've got some secondaries!

oeHow many Hoser asked as he kept jinking. He dodged some 37-mm and 57-mm flak, and a pair of SA-7s-one flying down the left side of the aircraft, the other on the right.

oeSeveral, and they're big! KT said.

oeTheir happy day, Hoser replied as he picked up his element lead. oeSweaty, Hoser on your six.

In 512, Guru heard that. oeThat's it.

oeFour in and out, Goalie confirmed.

oeRoger that. One-five and One-six, get your asses down and away.

oeRoger that, Lead, Flight Lt. Paul Jackson replied as the two RAF F-4Js broke off from their TARCAP and headed north to join up.

oeKara Guru called his wingmate.

oeRight with you, Boss, she replied.

Guru and Goalie took a look, and 520 was tucked right there with them in Combat Spread. oeGot you, and Sweaty

oeOn your six, and Hoser's with me, Sweaty called back.

oeRoger that, Guru said, then he called the AWACS. oeYukon, Mustang Lead. Say threats

A controller got back to him right away. oeMustang Lead, Yukon, Threat bearing One-zero-five for fifty. Medium, closing. Second threat bearing One-six-five for fifty-five, Medium, going away. Third threat bearing Two-two-five for fifty-five. Medium, closing.

oeRoger, Yukon. Say bogey dope

oeMustang, first and second threats are Floggers. Third threats are Fulcrums. Wait one. There is a fourth threat. Bearing Two-four-five for sixty, climbing and closing. Threats are Fishbeds.

oeMustang Lead copies, Guru replied. oeHow long to the Fence He asked Goalie.

oeTwo minutes, was Goalie's reply.

oeCopy,

The strike flight headed north, threading the boundary between the East German 9th Panzer Division and the 20th MRD, and as they did, drew no fire. Then the AWACS called.

oeMustang Lead, Yukon. Bandits inbound, bearing Two-four-five for forty. Medium, closing.

oeRoger, Yukon, Guru replied. oeHow long to the fence He asked Goalie.

oeOne minute, she replied as U.S. 377 flew by below.

oeYukon, can you get a welcoming committee onto the bandits Guru called the AWACS.

oeRoger that. Yukon can do. Brenda One-one, Yukon. Bandits bearing One-eight-two for forty. Medium, closing. Clear to arm, clear to fire. KILL. Repeat: KILL.

oeBrenda Lead copies, an F-16 flight lead replied. Four F-16Cs turned south and crossed the Fence, fangs out.

oeThirty seconds, Goalie advised.

oeCopy, Guru replied. He had his eyes on a swivel, checking outside, then his EW display. The Mainstay's radar was still there, then another strobe appeared at his Seven O'clock, and the A-A warning light came on. oeGot a fighter radar.

oeBrenda Lead has four hits at twelve, the F-16 lead called out.

oeBandits are Fishbeds, Yukon advised.

oeCopy, Brenda Lead said. oeLet's go get 'em. Four F-16s charged into the MiG-21s, which were East German. All four went down for no F-16 losses, as Brenda Flight covered the outbound strike flight.

oeTime to the Fence Guru asked.

oeComing up on the Fence....now. Goalie said as I-20 appeared. The twin ribbons of freeway marked the front lines for operational purposes, though the actual FLOT was a few miles south.

oeGot it, Guru said as they overflew the Interstate. oeFlight, Lead. Music off and IFF on, out. That meant to turn off their ECM pods and turn on their IFF transponders.

oeRoger, Lead, Kara replied, as did the others.

Guru acknowledged, then he noticed the EW display. The Mainstay's signal had gone off, and the SEARCH warning light was out. oeMainstay's off the air.

oeFor now, Goalie said.

Mustang Flight climbed to altitude, and joined up with the tankers. The USAF F-4s plugged in with a pair of KC-135s, while the RAF was glad to get service from their own Tristar. The flight then headed back to Sheppard, where they were third in line for the landing pattern, following a 335th flight and two flights of Marine F/A-18s. When it was their turn, the flight came in and landed. As they taxied off the runway and towards their dispersal, the crews popped their canopies, but to the disappointment of those watching, no fingers came up to signal kills.

Those disappointed included the Aussie news crew. oeNo kills for the CO's flight, Trevor Scott, the cameraman, observed.

oeThis time, Jana Wendt, the correspondent, said. oeMaybe the next one.

The flight taxied into their dispersal, and the individual pilots found their revetments. Guru taxied 512 into its revetment, and after getting the oeShut down signal from his Crew Chief, said to Goalie. oeFirst one in the logbook.

oeAnd three more, she reminded her pilot.

oeUnless someone screams for CAS, then we get that again.

oeDon't say it, Goalie replied. She, like the rest of the 335th's crews, loathed the CAS mission. Oh, they did it, and did it well, but preferred to leave it to those in the A-4, A-7, and A-10 communities who lived and breathed that mission.

oeMy lips are sealed, Guru said, then they went through the post-flight checklist, while the ground crew brought the crew ladder. After taking off their helmets and climbing down, both Guru and Goalie did a post-flight walk-around, then the Crew Chief, Sergeant Crowley, came over with a bottle of water each for both crewers. oeSergeant.

oeMajor, Crowley said, handing Guru and Goalie their water. oeHow'd it go out there, and how's my bird

oeTore up a supply convoy, and Five-twelve's working like a champ, Guru said after downing half the bottle. oeShe's still truckin' and keep doing whatever you're doing.

oeShit hot, sir! Crowley said. oeWe'll get her ready for the next one.

oeDo that, Sarge. Won't be too long until the next mission comes down.

Crowley nodded. oeShe'll be ready, sir. All right you guys! Crowley shouted at the ground crew. oeYou heard the Major! Let's get this bird ready for the next strike!

Guru and Goalie left the ground crew to their jobs, and walked to the revetment's entrance, where Kara and Brainiac were waiting. oeHow'd it go for you guys Guru asked his wingmate.

oeGot some fuel trucks on mine, and saw you got some ammo trucks and a tank transporter, Kara grinned.

oeGood to know, Guru smiled back. Then he noticed Sweaty and her element coming. oeSweaty How were things with you

oeAmmo trucks for me, along with a tank transporter, replied Sweaty. oeHoser got more fuelers.

oeWe did, Hoser said, and KT nodded.

Then the RAF crews came. oeGuru, Dave Gledhill said. oeToo bad a MiG-21 didn't get past those F-16s. He sounded disappointed that the F-16s had nailed all four MiGs.

oeThat's what the BARCAP's there for, Guru reminded everyone. oeIf they'd gotten closer, say twenty miles I would've called the break, and it would've been fight's on.

oeMaybe next time, Flight Lt. Karen McKay said. She was Gledhill's and Jackson's wingmate.

oeMaybe, Kara said. It was no secret in the squadron that Kara was looking for kill number ten, and that would make her the squadron's first double ace, at the least, if not the first female USAF double ace.

oeDown, girl, Guru said. oeCan't hog the MiG show, and we all know it. All right, let's get the debrief out of the way, get your IN boxes empty and OUT ones full, and by the way, something in your stomachs as well. Because in an hour or hour and a half, we're back at it.

Paul Jackson nodded. oeNo rest for the weary or the wicked, I take it

oeWe'll rest after the war, or when we're dead, Sweaty replied.

Gledhill and his people nodded at that. oeWhich one's true McKay asked.

oeEither one can be graded as correct, Guru said as a pair of Dodge Crew-cab pickups came to pick up the crews. oeLet's go. Get the debrief done, the same with the paperwork, and get ready for the next one.

With that, the crews piled into the trucks to go back to the squadron office. For the CO was right, and it wouldn't be long until time to go back out.

**Matt Wiser** · 02-29-2020, 10:34 PM

Next mission:

335th TFS, 0850 Hours Central War Time:

Major Matt Wiser sat behind his desk, going over some papers. Why couldn't the paper-pusher crowd leave the warfighters alone, he sighed. Even though the war had reduced the number of bureaucrats that infested the Air Force, there were still enough of that loathsome species to make his life-and that of every other squadron and wing commander-miserable from time to time. At least the Air Force had done something right, and culled out those who were either oeFlying a desk for a non-flying tour, and had also given those who had washed out of flight or navigator training a second chance. But there were still enough paper-pushers around to annoy those who went out and did the fighting, much to his disgust.

He had finished what papers there were, putting them in his OUT box, when there was a knock on his office door. oeYeah Show yourself and come in!

The CO's GIB, First Lieutenant Lisa Eichhorn, call sign Goalie, came in with a paper bag in hand. oeGot some food for us. You did say to get something to eat after the strike.

oeThat I did, Guru admitted. 'What'd they have

oeTurkey, chicken, tuna, BLT, and something brown that looks like pastrami but sits there.

oeTurkey and tuna, the CO nodded. oeAfter dealing with those armchair warriors, I need a little more. And I noticed you took off those captain's bars.

oeI did, and didn't want Frank to complain, even though I'm up for O-3 as we all know. As for the useless bureaucrats I don't blame you, Goalie said, handing her pilot-and boyfriend-the sandwiches while he fixed a cup of coffee for both of them. oeGlad the only paper I have to deal with is squadron level and that's it.

Guru nodded. oeThat won't last. If you ever get your own squadron or wing....

oeI know, Goalie replied. oeBut there's this little thing of the war we've got here first.

The CO knew full well what she meant. Getting through the war was what mattered most of all, and only then could one think about what they would do postwar. Though Guru felt that, unlike past wars, the postwar cutbacks of the military wouldn't be so drastic or thoughtless as in previous instances. A nasty feeling that the postwar military would be larger than prewar's came over him as he attacked the tuna sandwich. oeThat detail is always there.

Goalie nodded, but before she could reply, there was a knock on the office door.

oeYeah Guru said. oeCome on in and show yourself.

The Exec, Capt. Mark Ellis, came in. oeBoss, and Goalie, he said. oeWaiting on a mission, and you ought to know that the newbies are here.

oeAlready Guru asked. oeThey hop a space-available instead of the regular C-130 or -141

Ellis nodded. oeThey did, and they're here early, even. No bird for 'em, not until tomorrow.

oeAll right, might as well get this over with, said the CO. oeShow 'em in.

Ellis opened the door, and motioned to the two, both in undress blues, and they came into the CO's office.

Guru regarded them as they entered. The senior of the two was a captain who looked like the typical Irishman, and the CO wouldn't be surprised at all if he did have some of that in his blood, while the junior, a black first lieutenant, had a face that showed confidence, and yet, had a look of nervousness in his body language. Not unknown in someone fresh out of the RTU, and Guru recalled how nervous he had been when he reported to the 335th, two-plus years earlier (or that many lifetimes). Then the captain spoke.

oeCaptain John McMurray reporting for duty, sir, he said, snapping a salute.

oeFirst Lieutenant Greg Prather reporting, sir, the lieutenant said, saluting.

oeAs you were, both of you, Guru said, sketching a return salute. oeWe're a bit informal here, and you may have noticed that everyone's either in BDUs, or for the aircrews, flight suits. And we're on a base at war, so we can drop the jumping up and down nonsense, and that comes from the top at Tenth Air Force. Comprende

oeYes, sir, both said.

Guru nodded, then said to the Captain. oeGot your orders and personnel jacket

oeRight here, sir, McMurray said, handing both over to the CO.

Guru looked through the 201 File. oeImpressive. ROTC from the University of Minnesota, Bachelor's in Aeronautical Engineering, minor in Poli-Sci. Says here you applied to Grad School before the balloon went up.

oeYes, sir, McMurray nodded. oeI was hoping to get my Master's, go to Test Pilot School, then apply to NASA.

oeShuttle driver, said Guru. It wasn't a question, and he saw McMurray nod. oeWell, if you make it to the end, you can go back to school on the Air Force's dime.

oeThat's what I'm hoping for, sir,

Guru nodded while he skimmed the file. oeLooks like we've got us another ace, he noted. oeTwo Badgers, a Bear-D, a Viet MiG-21, and a confirmed Backfire plus a probable.

oeAn ace Goalie asked, and very much surprised. oeIf this was WW II, you'd be doing an instructor tour now,

oeHe would, said Guru. oeOkay, this is the tac air arena, and you did pay Cam Ranh a few return visits He saw McMurray nod, then continued. oeEighty percent or more of our tasking is air-to-ground. CAS, BAI, anti-airfield, armed reconnaissance, you name it. That doesn't mean we're slouches when it comes to hassling with MiGs or Sukhois, but we don't go trolling for bad guys. That can-and sometimes does, get people killed. Am I clear on that

oeYou are, sir, McMurray said, and Guru could tell he was serious.

oeJust as long as you know, the CO said. oeLieutenant, let's see yours, he nodded at Prather.

The Lieutenant handed his new CO the orders and personnel jacket. oeHere you are, sir.

Guru looked over the file. oeClmeson senior when the balloon went up, going for your bachelor's in Business, minor in International Relations. He checked over something, then looked at the new lieutenant. oeYou were on the football team Seeing Prather nod, Guru asked, oeWhat position

oeOutside linebacker, sir. Never broke a quarterback in half, but gave a few some hard hits.

oeBoss, looks like we've got a secret weapon next time we have a pickup football game with the Jarheads, Goalie said.

oeWe do, the CO grinned. oeJust don't let on you played college ball, okay He told Prather.

oeYes, sir.

oeAll right....fourth in your OTS class, same at Nav-with that, why aren't you in SAC

oeMajor, I wanted tac air, Prather said. oeMore chances to hurt the bad guys.

oeFair enough, Guru said. oeSeventh in your class at Kingsley Field....you may know a friend of mine there. Was Captain Tony Carpenter one of your instructors

Prather smiled. oeYes, sir! He was tough, but fair. We were glad to be learning from a combat veteran. Didn't spare the bad stuff-and that includes the resistance time.

Guru nodded. oeHe mention that I was his pilot

oeHe did, sir.

oeHe also mention that there were things neither one of us were too proud of, but had to do, and some that are not topics for discussion Guru asked.

Prather nodded. oeYes, sir. He did mention that.

oeSo you know, the CO said. oeAll right: you two are a crew. We don't have a bird for you today, but we should have a pair of new birds from Japan sometime tomorrow. You can fly a check flight then, and your flight lead will go with you. Captain Don Van Loan is your new flight lead, and he's also the Ops Officer. Day after tomorrow is a stand-down, so the following day will be your first combat mission as a team.

oeSounds good, Major, McMurray said.

Guru heard the reply, and noticed a little bit of eagerness in his voice. oeDon't be too eager. Two-thirds of our losses are people who don't make it past ten missions. Now, you're experienced, but air defense and occasionally putting the hurt on Cam Ranh Bay is one thing. This is a whole new ball game. Comprende

oeUnderstood, sir.

oeSee that you do, the CO nodded. oeOkay, there is a serious Spetsnatz and PSD threat to this base. We're under Marine OPCON, and they take the 'everyone a rifleman' saying very seriously, and that includes us. So, after you've gone to billeting and changed into something more appropriate, the XO will take you to Captain Ryan Blanchard's CSP detachment. You will select a sidearm and rifle, and she and her people will instruct you on the care, feeding, and use of such weapons. So that if you ever hear the base defense siren, and the PA call 'Sappers in the wire', you will be able to defend yourselves. Is that understood

oePerfectly, sir.

oeI hope you do, Guru nodded. oeAll right: tonight, you're FNGs at the Club. Tomorrow Animals in the zoo. If you have a call sign, mention it tonight when you're introduced. If you don't....

oeWe'll find one for you, Goalie said. oeAnd if you don't like it, we'll find one even more embarrassing.

oeThat we will, Ellis added.

The CO had a grin on his face when the XO spoke. oeExactly, XO, he said. oeAny questions

oeNo, sir, McMurray said, and Prather echoed him.

oeVery well, Guru nodded. He extended his hand. oeWelcome to the Chiefs. The two new guys shook hands with the CO, then Guru nodded to the XO. oeMark, show them to Officer Country.

Ellis said, oeWill do, Boss. You two come with me.

The two new guys saluted the CO, then followed the XO out.

oeMemories Goalie asked her pilot.

oeYeah, replied Guru. oeI was a nervous wreck when I reported to the squadron, fresh out of Homestead's RTU. Two and a half years ago.

oeAnd that many lifetimes, Goalie nodded. It wasn't a question. oeNow, how are these two going to shape up

Guru knew what she meant. People who were great in training sometimes were zeroes in combat, and the other way around. And McMurray's experience at Clark was about the same as the RAF arrivals. oeWe'll know soon enough. And they're on the ten-mission clock. A knock on the door followed that remark. oeYeah

The door opened, and Kara came in. oeBoss, saw you with the FNGs. Anyway, we've got a mission. Birds are prepped, and mission folder's waiting.

oeWe getting the RAF

Kara nodded. oeDave Gledhill's element. Dave Golen and Flossy, too.

oeGood. You two, round everybody up. Briefing room in ten.

Kara and Goalie nodded. oeOn the way, Kara said, and Goalie nodded.

oeHope you enjoyed the break, because we're back in the game, Guru said.

oeThat we are, Kara replied. oeWe're gone. And both went out the door.

After they left, Guru finished his coffee, then went out the door himself. He nodded to his secretary, who knew that a mission was coming, and she nodded. The CO returned it, then went to the Ops Office. He found Don Van Loan waiting for him. oeDon, Guru said. oeKara says you've got something

oeThat I do, Boss-man, Van Loan replied. He handed his CO a mission folder. oeComanche East Helo Dispersal. Five miles east of Comanche off of State Route 36. Ivan's using it for Hinds and Hips.

oeThis still Soviet 32nd Army's rear

oeAnd their HQ, Van Loan replied. oeAnd you know what that means.

Guru knew. Army-level air-defense assets were a given. oeSA-4 and guns. Lovely.

oeRead the intel sheet, and you won't like it.

Guru scanned the sheet. Not only was Comanche an Army-level headquarters, but also a division's. He knew that from previous strikes, but still...Then it caught his eye. oePossible SA-11 Intel's full of good news today.

oeThey are, Van Loan winced. oeNot my kind of fun, hassling with those puppies.

Mine neither, the CO thought. oeNo. And no chance of Weasels

oeAll busy.

Same old story, Guru knew. Too many requests for them and not enough assets. Oh, well....At least we've got Dave and Flossy, and the RAF. Guru nodded, then said, oeI know, take care of myself, because you don't want to be Exec and Kara doesn't want to be Ops.

oeTook the words out of my mouth, Boss, Van Loan grinned. oeAnd I'd best do the same.

oeExactly, Guru said. oeYou have a good one, now, and at lunch Get to know your new crew.

oeMark told me.

oeAll right, then. See you later. Guru then headed to his flight's briefing room, and when he got there, he found Buddy, the squadron's mascot, there, waiting. oeYou'd better find a spot to go to sleep, because this could be a hairy one, Guru told the dog. He opened the door, and found the rest of the flight already waiting. oePeople, hope you enjoyed the break, because we're back in the game.

oeWhere to, Boss Sweaty asked.

oeComanche, and we've been there before. No, not the airport or the Soviet 32nd Army HQ this time, but a helo dispersal area about five miles to the east. We get to make it go away. The CO passed around some photos. oeTarget area is at the SR-36-F.M. 304 junction. North of the junction is the helo dispersal, and south of that is a fuel dump-and it's a good-sized one.

oeSo, who gets what Kara asked.

oeComing to that. First, ingress. We meet up with the tankers over Mineral Wells, then the usual route along the Brazos, staying just east of the river in the Nicaraguan sector. Follow the river to Lake Whitney, and a mile short of the dam, we make a right turn to a heading of Two-five-zero. Stay on that heading, and we avoid Hamilton, where our British friends got burned last time we were there, Guru said, nodding at Dave Gledhill's people. oeTurn point is State Route 16, a mile west of a town called Newburg. Go north, and fifteen seconds after the turn, we pop up. Look for a lake south of the target area. It's Lake Comanche, and the fuel dump is two miles to the north. The helo dispersal is just north of that. ID your targets, make your runs, then get your asses north.

oeSounds good, Boss, so...

oeTargets, Guru said. oeThere are three dispersal areas, and a munitions storage area to the east. I'm taking the center dispersal. Kara He nodded at his wingmate. oeYou get the west one, and Sweaty gets the east.

oeMy pleasure, Sweaty nodded.

oeHoser Guru regarded Sweaty's wingmate. oeYou take the munitions storage.

oeGot it, Hoser replied.

oeDave Guru nodded at Dave Golen and Flossy. oeYou and Flossy take the fuel dump.

Golen and Flossy exchanged looks, and nodded. oeWe'll take it out, Golen replied.

oeGood. As for our RAF cousins Guru nodded at Dave Gledhill's people. oeClimb and assume a TARCAP. Kill anyone in the air, and break up any party-crashers.

oeWill do, Dave Gledhill said.

oeAll right: ordnance. Strike birds get a dozen Mark-82s, each airplane. Six of 'em will have the Daisy Cutter fuze extensions. I know, CBUs would be more appropriate, but not this close to the town.

Sweaty asked, oeUsual air-to-air

Guru nodded. oeFour AIM-9Ps, two AIM-7Fs, full twenty mike-mike, two wing tanks, and the usual ECM pod. That was either an ALQ-119 for the element leads, and the older ALQ-101 for the wingmates.

Dave Gledhill spoke next. oeFor us Four AIM-9Ls, four Sky Flash, two wing tanks, and a SUU-23 gun pod.

oeFair enough, Guru said. oeNow, defenses, and the CO noted he had everybody's full attention. oeThis is an army-level headquarters, and expect that kind of defense. At the target proper There's several ZU-23s, and you can expect guys with MANPADS. As for heavy stuff There's several 57-mm batteries around the town, and SA-4s. The intel sheet does mention possible SA-11, and they may be transitioning from the SA-4 to SA-11, so both may be in the mix.

Preacher said, oeSin Licon's full of good news today, referring to the squadron's intelligence officer.

oeHe is. As for MiGs We'll be only a minute's flight time from Brownwood Regional and as we know, there's two MiG regiments based there. And Goodfellow by San Angelo is only five minutes away, and that's MiG-29 country, Guru reminded them.

Flight Lt. Susan Napier said, oeJust like last time.

oeYeah, the CO said, recalling the MiG-29 kills from the last visit to the area. oeOther than that, the MiG threat is the same as this morning, and the usual bailout rules apply. That meant anyplace rural, and away from roads if at all possible. oeAnything else

oeHow many more Jang, Flossy's GIB, asked.

oeTwo more, unless someone hollers for CAS, and in that case, there's more, Guru replied. oeJust hope nobody makes that call, then we get more than that, he said as an Ops NCO came to the door to collect the briefing materials. oeAny other questions The CO looked around, and there were none, and he saw the dog still asleep. oeBuddy's still having a nap, so that might be a good omen. Gear up and meet at 512, because we're back in the game.

The crews headed to their locker rooms to gear up, and when Guru came out of the Men's, Goalie was waiting for him, as usual.

oeWell She asked.

oeTime to get back at it, but I'll be glad for the weather stand-down.

oeNot just for maintenance, but getting some rest, Goalie observed. oeAnd there's one other thing.

oeWhat Guru wanted to know.

Her expression grew coy. oeBedroom gymnastics.

oeI think we can arrange that, Guru grinned as they headed on out. They walked to 512's revetment, and found the rest of the flight gathered there, waiting. oeOkay, people, gather 'round. It was time for his final instructions.

oeUsual on the radio Kara asked. That meant call signs between them, and mission code to AWACS and other parties.

oeYou got it. Now, nobody's done anything yet about those fucking Mainstays, so if you see that familiar strobe Don't bother calling it out. And if you see those damned basketball-sized tracers at the target That meant ZSU-30-2, and those things were bad news. oeAbort. We'll reform and go after opportunity targets.

KT asked, oeWhen does our EW gear get tweaked

oeHaven't heard anything from Tenth Air Force, so we'll just have to wait our turn, the CO said. oeAnything else Heads shook no, he saw. oeOkay, let's go get 'em. Time to hit it. We meet at ten grand overhead. Guru clapped his hands for emphasis.

With that, the crews headed to their aircraft, and Guru and Goalie went into the revetment to 512. There, Sergeant Crowley was waiting, and he snapped both the CO and his GIB a perfect salute. oeMajor, Lieutenant Five-twelve's ready go back out and kick some more Commie ass.

Guru and Goalie returned the salute. oeThanks, Sarge, Guru said. He and Goalie then went about the pre-flight walk-around, and then Guru signed for the aircraft. The pilot and GIB then climbed the crew ladder and mounted their aircraft, strapping in, then going ahead with the cockpit checks.

oeWere we all like that That lieutenant who seemed confident but still nervous Goalie asked as they went through the checklist. oeEjection seats

oeI sure was, Guru admitted. oeSeems like two and a half lifetimes ago, not that many years. Seat armed top and bottom, check yours.

oeSet, and even when I went to my old C-130 squadron, I was still the new one in town.

oeWhen it's your first assignment, that's probably universal. Arnie

oeArnie's all set, and so is the INS, Goalie replied, referring to the ARN-101 DMAS system and the INS still used as a backup. oePreflight complete and ready for engine start.

oeRoger that, Guru said. He gave a thumbs-up to his CC, and Sergeant Crowley responded by giving the oeStart Engines signal. First one, then both, J-79 engines were up and running. Once the warm-up was complete, Guru called the Tower. oeTower, Mustang Flight with eight, requesting taxi and takeoff instructions.

oeMustang Lead, Tower, a controller responded. oeClear to taxi to Runway Three-Five-Charlie. Hold prior to the active, and you are number three in line.

oeRoger, Tower. Mustang Lead rolling. Guru gave another thumbs-up to Crowley, who waved to the ground crew. The wheel chocks were pulled away, the crew ladder removed, and only then did Crowley give the oeTaxi signal.

Guru released the brakes, and began to taxi out of the revetment. When 512 was clear, Crowley snapped another perfect salute, and also gave a thumbs-up. Guru and Goalie returned the salute, then Guru taxied out of the dispersal area and towards the runway, with the rest of the flight in line. When they reached the holding area, there were, as advertised, two flights ahead of Mustang. The lead was a Marine F-4S four-ship, and ahead of Mustang was a 335th flight of four. After the Marines launched, the 335th flight taxied, and everyone in Mustang recognized the XO's bird.

oeGood luck, Corrine, Goalie said, almost to herself.

oeYour friend Cassidy Guru asked. She was Firefly's replacement, after he had gone to the F-20.

oeYep, and glad to see she got through her first day. She's got five more to go, said Goalie, referring to the ten-mission counter before one's chances of making it to the end-whenever that was-increased considerably.

oeAnd after that, who knows how many Guru said, even though it wasn't a question. When the XO's flight had gone, Guru taxied into the holding area, where the armorers removed the weapon safeties, thus making the ordnance oeLive. Then he called the tower. oeTower, Mustang Lead requesting clear to taxi for takeoff.

The controller came back immediately. oeMustang Lead, Tower. Clear to taxi for takeoff. Winds are Two-six-five for ten.

oeRoger, Tower, replied Guru. He taxied onto the runway, and Kara in 520 followed, tucking in at his Five O'clock. A final cockpit check followed, and Guru and Goalie looked over at 520, whose crew gave them thumbs-ups to signal all was ready. Then it was time.

oeTower, Mustang Lead requesting clear for takeoff, Guru called.

As usual, the tower didn't reply over the radio, but flashed a green light instead. Clear for takeoff.

oeReady Guru asked Goalie.

oeReady back here, Goalie replied.

oeCanopy coming down, Guru said as he pulled his canopy down and locked it.

Goalie did the same, and they looked over at 520, where Kara and Brainiac had done it as well. The lead element was ready to go.

oeHere we go, Guru said. He firewalled the throttles and released the brakes. Five-twelve rumbled down the runway and into the air, with 520 right alongside. Thirty seconds later, it was Sweaty and Hoser's turn, followed then by Dave Golen and Flossy, with the RAF F-4J element bringing up the rear.
Once airborne, the flight formed up at FL 100, then headed south for the tankers.

Over Central Texas: 0955 Hours Central War Time:

Mustang Flight was headed south, following their tanker rendezvous. The flight had met the tankers near Mineral Wells, and after topping up from a pair of KC-135s, had gotten down low, and were now past the fence, in enemy territory, just inside the Nicaraguan II Corps sector, and about a quarter-mile east of the Brazos River.

oeLake Granbury's coming up, Guru said as the lake appeared off to the right. They were close enough to the river to use it as a navigational aid, but hopefully far enough to avoid flak at the bridges from the East Germans.

oeGot it, Goalie replied. oeTen miles to the bridge. Forty seconds.

oeCopy that, Guru said. He had his eyes on a swivel, checking his instruments, then looking out and around for possible threats. That habit had been drummed into his head at Homestead AFB's RTU from his first day there. Then he checked his EW display. Clear so far. oeEW's clear.

Goalie took a look at her own display. oeFor now, she reminded him.

oeLead, Starbuck, Kara came up. oeNo Mainstay radar. Where'd he go

oeHe's out there, Starbuck, Guru said. oeHe'll show sooner or later.

Then a strobe appeared on the EW display, with the SEARCH warning light coming on. The display showed the radar off to the south, and the strobe's brightness was poor, but getting brighter. oeHe's there, Goalie said.

oeMainstay's back. Guru said, and it wasn't a question. oeSwell.

oeFun while it lasted, Lead, Kara said.

It was, Guru said to himself. oeBridge coming up, he said, meaning the U.S. 377 bridge at Granbury. oeAnd the flak.

oeEast Germans at it again, Goalie noted as the 37-mm and 57-mm on the west side of the river opened up.

oeSome things never change, Guru said as they flew past, noting that U.S. 377 was empty of traffic. oeNobody moving here.

oeNext time, Goalie said wistfully. She was hoping to catch a truck park or supply dump, or better yet, draw an armed recon. oeTwenty seconds to Lake Granbury Dam. One minute to Glen Rose. That was the U.S. 67 bridge.

oeCopy, Guru said.

The strike flight kept on going, and flew past the dam. Again, the East German gunners at the dam opened up, while the Nicaraguans held their fire. Guru kept the flight on course until they reached a bend in the river, then he turned straight south for the Glen Rose Bridge. oeHow far to the bridge

oeThirty seconds, Goalie called back.

Nodding in the cockpit, Guru then called the AWACS. oeWarlock, Mustang Lead. Say threats

A controller got back to him right away. oeMustang, Warlock. First threat bearing One-three-zero for forty-five. Medium, going away. Second threat bearing One-six-zero for fifty-five. Medium, closing. Third threat bearing One-eight-zero for sixty-five. Medium, closing. Fourth threat bearing Two-one-zero for seventy. Medium, going away.

oeRoger, Warlock. Do you have bogey dope

oeMustang, Warlock. First and second threats are Fishbeds. Third threats are Floggers, and fourth are Fulcrums.

oeCopy.

oeBridge at One, Goalie advised as the U.S. 67 bridge appeared, along with the puffs of flak from the East German-manned guns on the west bank of the river.

oeI see it, Guru said. The fire was close, but not accurate, as the 37-mm burst to their right, while the 57-mm was behind them. oeNext up is Brazospoint.

oeRoger that, Goalie confirmed. oeTwenty seconds.

Guru replied by turning 512 to the right, and then flying straight down the river. From now on, it would be Libyans on the east bank, and East Germans still to the west. oeOn it, he said as the bridge appeared and the Libyans started shooting. Their fire was wild and inaccurate, while the East Germans were more refined, but they still failed to connect. As the flight passed, the crews noted the lack of activity at what had been the town of Brazospoint, where they had put paid to an East German-manned flak trap.

oeWe're clear, Goalie called. oeThirty seconds to Route 174. That was the bridge that signaled Lake Whitney.

oeRoger that, Guru said. As he checked his EW display, he noticed that the Mainstay's signal had suddenly dropped off the air. oeMainstay's gone.

oeGone Goalie asked, dumbfounded. Then she checked her own display. oeConfirmed. He's off the air.

Guru switched to a common frequency, and heard a call. oeLightning One-zero-five, FOX THREE! Then it repeated. oeFOX THREE AGAIN!

Another call followed. oeLightning One-zero-eight, FOX THREE!

oeWhat the hell's that Goalie asked. Then she remembered and answered her own question. oeGot to be F-14s.

oeNobody else has Phoenix, Guru said.

oeSPLASH! Lightning One-zero-five has a splash! One of the F-14s had scored.

oeOne zero-eight has a splash! The second Tomcat called. oeFOX THREE AGAIN! He then launched a second Phoenix missile at some target.

oeLighting One-zero-five, Warlock. Confirm splash, the AWACS called.

oeWarlock, splash one Mainstay. One-zero-five called. oeWe're inbound.

oeRoger, Lightning. Two additional Lightnings and four Eagles ready to cover.

oeRoger that, the F-14 pilot called as his wingman reported his second kill.

oeSPLASH! Two Flankers. Repeat: Splash two Flankers.

Guru then got back on the squadron's frequency. oeMustangs, Lead. No more Mainstay for this one. Tomcats splashed him.

oeThe 174 bridge coming up, Goalie reminded him. There was still their mission.

oeHot damn, Lead! Kara called.

oeAbout damned time, Sweaty added.

oeKnock it off, people! Guru said as they flew past the Route 174 bridge. oeStill got this mission to go. He noticed there wasn't any traffic on the bridge, and to him, that was a pity. If they drew an armed reconnaissance, finding a supply convoy to tear up was always a good option.

oeOne minute to turn, Goalie said.

oeRoger that, replied the CO as Lake Whitney opened up.

The strike flight thundered down the lake at 500 Feet AGL and 540 KIAS. Even with the Mainstay gone, the local air-search radars would come up, and that could mean trouble. As the flight headed south, both locals and Soviets or East Germans watched from the lakeshore, as was so often the case. The locals knew that friendly aircraft meant that the war was coming closer, while the Soviets and East Germans knew that the line their political officers told them, that the Socialist Forces controlled the air, was a bunch of bullshit-and now that the front lines were back in Texas, what else that the political officers said was also in the same category

oeForty-five seconds to turn, Goalie said.

oeRoger that, Guru replied. oeWarlock, Mustang Lead. Say threats

oeMustang, Warlock, a controller replied. oeFirst threat bearing Zero-eight-five for forty. Medium, closing. Second threat bearing One-four-five for fifty. Medium, going away. Third threat bearing One-seven-five for fifty. Medium, closing. Fourth threat bearing Two-five-zero for sixty. Medium, closing.

oeThirty seconds, Goalie advised.

oeRoger, Warlock. Do you have bogey dope

oeRoger that, Mustang. First threats are Fishbeds. Second and third are Floggers, and fourth are Fulcrums.

oeMustang Lead copies, Guru replied. oeFulcrums might be in the way.

oeAs you say, that's what the RAF's for, Goalie said. oeFifteen seconds to two-five-zero.

oeCall it.

oeTurn in ten...Now five, four, three, two, one, MARK!

Guru pulled the stick to the right, and 512 banked in that direction, then he settled on the new course of two-five-zero. The rest of the flight copied the turn, and the strike flight settled onto the new course. oeHow far to the next turn

oeFour minutes, Goalie replied.

oeCopy.

The flight continued on course, as State Route 22, then a few seconds later, SR 6 passed by beneath. As they overflew SR 6, a convoy appeared. oeGot some traffic down there, said Goalie. oeToo bad this ain't an armed recon.

oeNot their turn to die today, replied Guru. oeMaybe later.

oeI know, said Goalie wistfully, and not for the first time on the mission. oeStill...

oeI know what you mean.

The hills of this part of Texas gave the region its name: the Texas Hill Country, and to the strike crews, it was also a help, for going in at their altitude meant that a look-down radar would lose them in the ground clutter, while ground-based radars also had trouble. Right now, the pilots had their eyes out of the cockpit, checking for threats, while the GIBs handled the navigation and monitored the EW display.
Two minutes passed, then the strike flight approached U.S. 281, just north of the 281 bridge over the Leon River, several miles north of Hamilton.

oeHighway 281 dead ahead, Guru said. oeGot a visual.

oeCopy that, Goalie replied. oeLooks like we've got traffic there. She had eyes on a convoy or a troop column.

oeArmor moving, Guru said as they oveflew the column, and this time, the Soviets from Hamilton didn't fire.

oeNo tracers, Goalie said. oeBig or small.

oeGood.

Below, the Third Battalion from the 327th Guards Independent Tank Regiment had been on a patrol. The tanks and motor-rifle troops had begun to patrol the roads, something that the Rear-Area Protection troops who were the normal garrison had demonstrated an unwillingness to patrol very far from the town. So far, there had been no activity from the bandits and terrorists who called themselves the American Resistance, and the battalion commander, a Major who was a veteran of Afghanistan, something his battalion's company commanders wondered about, to themselves, of course, felt that it was the presence of T-80s and BMP-2s that made sure of that.

The Major in question was, right now, not a happy man. The battalion was returning to its laager north of Hamilton, and was waiting at the Leon River Bridge. The Commandant's Service traffic regulators were the problem-along with a supply convoy headed north. Much to his disgust, the Traffic Regulators had held up his battalion in favor of the supply convoy, which was headed for the East Germans to the north, and the Major was angry, to say the least. He had radioed the Regimental Commander, and the Colonel was on his way, but the East Germans, it seemed, had a priority pass, and unless Front Headquarters intervened, they were likely to get priority over his battalion.

A shout from some of his motor-rifle troops alerted him, and the Major, sitting in his T-80BK command tank, turned to see what the shouting was all about. Eight American F-4s flew over his battalion, headed for some target to the west. Though angry at first, because his air defense battalion had not engaged, the Major was also relieved, for it meant his battalion was not attacked. Which, he knew, would come sooner or later. Now, as the Regimental Commander's own tank appeared at the south end of the bridge, he got off his tank to see if these rear rats who decided where and when his vehicles could be moved would listen to him-and if necessary, the Colonel.

oeThat's that, Guru said after clearing the road-and not drawing any fire.

oeIt is, Goalie agreed. oeNinety seconds to turn.

oeCopy that, replied Guru as they maintained their course. He glanced at the EW display. Still clear. Not having a Mainstay's radar lighting up the display was a good thing-always. oeEW still clear.

oeHot damn! Goalie's reply was nearly a shout. She, too, wondered what had took so long for someone to do something about the Mainstays. Though she also knew that Ivan wasn't likely going to allow for a repeat performance. oeOne minute.

oeRoger that, Guru said as the rolling hills and valleys flew by below. Even with the Mainstay gone, he was still keeping an eye out for threats. Especially at low level, for a helo or a Su-25 could appear with little or no warning-and paint transfer at any altitude and their speed was very bad news.

oeThirty seconds.

oeCopy. Guru turned on his ECM pod. Then he told Goalie, oeSet 'em up. That meant the ordnance.

oeOn it, she replied. Goalie knew what he wanted-always. Everything in one pass. Going back and attacking an alerted target was a short road to one's funeral.

oeFlight, Lead. Music on, switches on, and stand by to turn.

oeRoger, Lead, Kara replied, as did the others.

Goalie came back. oeYou're set. Turn in ten. Now five, four, three, two, one, MARK!

Guru turned hard right as State Route 16 appeared, then settled on a course of due north. oeFlight, Lead. PULL! He then buried the stick in his gut as he pulled up. As he climbed, Guru was able to make out Comanche to the west, and the target area. Time to make this happen, he knew. oeReady back there

oeLet's go, Goalie said.

oeFlight, Lead. Target in sight. Let's go to work. Guru then rolled in on his attack run.

Near Comanche, the commander of the 2nd Squadron, 114th Independent Helicopter Regiment, was actually in a good mood. His squadron had received several replacement helicopters, even though they were the Mi-24D instead of the V model (Hind-E) that the squadron flew. The Regiment had been battered in the past few months, having been battered in the American Summer Offensive, and now, they were finally able to rebuild. The squadron commander, a major, was also pleased with the quality of the replacement aircrews that had arrived with the helicopters. Though all were fresh from training back in the Rodina, at least they were competent, unlike the motor-rifle and tank blockheads the Regiment often supported. At their orientation briefing, the pilots and gunners had asked the right questions, though several seemed awfully young. Was I like this when I reported to my first unit The Major wondered to himself. When he was told that the Academy's academic syllabus had been cut from four years to two, with a vigorous emphasis on both officer skills and flying skills, the Major wondered-to himself, of course, how these young puppies would take it. Though they had been trained-and trained hard-on what to expect in America, the Major expected several of these eager faces not to survive their first day in combat. It was always like that. First in Afghanistan, and now here.

Now, the Major was waiting for General Sisov, the Commander of the 32nd Army, to come and inspect the squadron. With the regiment dispersed to several dispersal fields as a precaution against American air attack, things such as regimental inspections were out of the question. Still, the Regimental Commander would accompany the General, and the Major was hoping that things would go well, especially since the squadron would return to combat flying the following day.

About the only thing the Major had reason to be upset about was the air defense-or more correctly, the lack of air defense. Other than a battery of ZU-23s, and some soldiers armed with Strela-3 (SA-14) shoulder-fired missiles, the squadron had no real air defense. The 32nd Army's own 272nd Anti-aircraft Missile Brigade handled the air defense in the Army's rear, and their 2K11 Krug (SA-4 Ganef) SAMs had taken losses due to the Americans' antiradar missiles, and replacement radars, missiles, and launchers had not yet arrived. With that, the brigade only had two intact firing batteries available-with both of them covering the north, not the Army's rear.

The Major was wondering how he could broach this with the Regimental Commander if the opportunity arose when the air raid alarm sounded. He looked around, and saw two smoke trails off to the south, and both were closing. American F-4s, he knew. Shouting oeAIR ALARM! The Major ran for a slit trench and jumped in, with several of his aircrews following suit.

oeLead's in hot! Guru called as he took 512 in on the bomb run. He picked out the center dispersal area, and saw that the four revetments in the dispersal were occupied by Hinds. Good, the CO grinned beneath his oxygen mask. You'll do. As he came in, Guru noticed tracers coming up, and a couple of shoulder-fired missiles, but he ignored all of that as he concentrated on the bomb run. Spotting a pair of revetments, he centered his pipper between them, intending to walk his bombs across the field, and catch at least two of the helos. oeSteady....And...Steady....And...NOW! Guru hit his pickle button, and a dozen Mark-82s came off the racks. He pulled up and away, applying power and jinking as he did so, and when clear of the target, Guru called, oeLead's off safe.

oeShit! The Major muttered to himself. He saw Guru's F-4 fly right over him, and he saw the bombs coming off the aircraft. He rolled on his belly, then curled up into a balls as the bombs exploded. The blasts showered the trench with dirt and some shrapnel, which was followed by two screams. Getting back up, the Major saw that one of his maintenance officers had taken shrapnel to his neck, and another officer had a bomb fragment sticking out of his chest, and the man was bleeding out. He started to go fetch a medical orderly when someone pulled him back into the trench. More American aircraft coming in.

oeSHACK! Goalie called from 512's back seat. oeWe got a a couple of secondaries!

oeChoppers Guru asked as he kept jinking.

oeLooks like two, Goalie replied.

oeI'll take those, Guru said as he picked up Proctor Lake and headed north.

oeTwo's in hot! Kara called out as she took 520 down on its bomb run. She saw the results of the CO's run, and was pleased to see two clouds of oily smoke rising from revetments. Kara, too, noticed the flak coming up, and she ignored it as she picked out the western dispersal, and spotted two of the Hinds with rotor blades starting to move. Somebody's trying to take off, she knew as she lined up the dispersal area in her pipper. Kara intended, like the CO, to walk her bombs across the dispersal area and catch at least two on the ground. The choppers grew larger in her pipper as she concentrated on the bomb run. oeSteady...And..And...And...HACK! Kara hit her pickle button and sent her dozen Mark-82s onto the target. She then pulled up and away, and like the CO, she applied power and began jinking. Kara got clear of the target and then made her call. oeTwo's off target.

oeDAMN IT! The Major said aloud as Kara's F-4 came in on its run. He glanced up, seeing the bombs come off the aircraft, hoping that the pilot had been distracted by the anti-aircraft fire. Two fireballs erupting as the bombs went off dispelled him of that notion. The Major got up, and saw that one of the tents where aircrew normally stayed between missions had been blown apart, while a fuel truck that had been servicing a helicopter had a burning cab, then it blew up in an orange-red fireball. When he saw the AA gunners turning their weapons back south, he knew that the raid wasn't over, and the Major ducked back into the trench.

oeBULLSEYE! Brainiac shouted from 520's back seat. oeWe've got good hits!

oeHow good Kara wanted to know as a shoulder-fired missile flew past on the right side.

oeMultiple secondaries good, her GIB called back.

Kara grinned beneath her oxygen mask. oeWe'll take those, she said as she cleared the area, and picked up the CO's bird.

oeThree's in! Sweaty made that call as she came down on her run. She saw the results of Kara's strike, and the fireballs that came up, as well as the flak starting to come her way. Ignoring the 23-mm fire, and a couple of SA-7 type missiles that flew harmlessly past, Sweaty picked out the eastern dispersal, and spotted the revetments. She, too, intended to walk her bombs across the dispersal area, and as she lined up the area in her pipper, two sets of spinning rotor blades caught her eye. Trying to take off under attack Ivan or not, you've got guts, she thought as she placed her pipper between two of the revetments, and the helos grew larger in the sight. oeSteady...Steady.....And...And....NOW! Sweaty said as she hit her pickle button, releasing her dozen Mark-82s onto the Russians below. She, too, pulled up and away, applying power and jinking as she did so, giving the flak gunners and SAM shooters a harder target as she egressed the area. Once clear of the target, Sweaty made the call. oeThree's off safe.

oeOf all the.. the Major muttered as Sweaty's F-4 came in. Huddled in the trench, he ducked as the F-4 released its bombs, and braced for the impact. The bombs exploded, and the trench shook with the concussion, then two more detonations followed, then another. Sympathetic explosions, the Major knew. He stuck his head out of the trench, and saw three pillars of smoke rising from the eastern dispersal area. With that, he knew his squadron was now going to be combat ineffective as of now. The Major started to get up when he noticed the ZU-23s turning back south. Knowing that meant more American aircraft incoming, the Major ducked back into the trench.

oeBULLSEYE! Preacher called. oeWe've got good hits back there.

oeHow many Sweaty asked as she kept up with her jinking, as an SA-4 flew over two or three hundred feet above.

oeTwo or three secondaries, replied her GIB. oeMaybe another.

oeI'll take that, said Sweaty as she headed north, and picked up both the CO and Kara as she did.

oeFour's in hot! Hoser called as he came in on his run. He picked out the dispersal field's munitions storage-which consisted of several revetments filled with cannon ammo, unguided rockets-both 57-mm and 80-mm, and AT-6 ATGMs. Hoser, too, ignored the flak that came up, and even a pair of SA-7 type missiles that failed to guide, as he came in. Centering two of the munitions revetments in his pipper, Hoser stayed steady on the bomb run. oeAnd....And....And....NOW! He hit his pickle button, sending his dozen Mark-82s down onto the target. Hoser, too, pulled the stick in his gut as he pulled up and away, applying power and jinking as he did so. Only when he got clear of the target did he call out, oeFour off target.

oeOf all the... The Major muttered as Hoser's F-4 made its run. This time, he watched as the F-4 came in and released its bombs to the east, and right away, he knew what the target was. When the bombs exploded, not only were their explosions visible, but the sympathetic detonations from the squadron's munitions storage added to the chaos. Shaking his head at the sight, the Major started to get out of the trench, but someone-who he didn't know, grabbed him and pulled him back into the trench as the AA guns continued to fire.

oeSHACK! KT hollered from the back seat. oeWe've got secondaries!

oeHow many and what kind Hoser asked as he watched an SA-7 fly past on the left, and another that flew by a hundred feet above his aircraft.

oeMany and big!

oeGood to know, replied Hoser as he picked up Sweaty's bird and headed north.

oeFive in hot! Dave Golen called as he came in on his run. He, too, saw the flak and ignored it as he went down on the bomb run. He easily identified the fuel dump, and lined up some of the fuel tanks and drums in his pipper. Concentrating on the run, Golen ignored an SA-7 that flew by on the right, and an unguided SA-4 that flew past on the left. As the fuel dump grew larger in his pipper, he got ready. oeSteady...And...Ready...Ready....And....NOW! Golen hit his pickle button, sending his dozen bombs onto the fuel dump below. He then pulled up and away, jinking and applying power as he cleared the target area, only when clear did Golen make the call, oeFive off target.

oeMother of... the Major thought aloud, then held it, not knowing who was listening. Even under air attack, one never knew who was an informer or not...No matter, the Major heard Dave Golen's F-4 come in, only this time, the explosions were further away. He looked up out of the trench, and saw several fireballs and dark, thick clouds of black smoke rising from south of the road, and right away, the Major knew the fuel depot had been hit. Not only was that some of his fuel up in smoke, but the 32nd Army also used the depot, and he knew that General Sisov, the Army Commander, would be livid at the news. The Major looked around, and saw one more American aircraft coming in, as the AA guns turned to fire at it. This time, he stayed up to watch as what he hoped was the last aircraft to attack came in.

oeGOOD HITS! Terry McAuliffe, Golen's GIB, shouted. oeMultiple secondaries!

oeHow many Golen asked as he jinked to avoid some 23-mm and 37-mm, along with at least one shoulder-fired missile.

oeLots, and they're big!

Golen grinned beneath his oxygen mask. oeTheir lucky day, he observed as he picked up Sweaty and Hoser's birds visually.

oeSix in hot! Flossy called as she brought 1569 down on its bomb run. She saw the secondaries left by her element leader, and knew that the main part of the fuel dump was ablaze, but Flossy had another target in mind. She adjusted her aim, and picked out the truck park next to the dump, where the fuel trucks were parked, and she easily picked them out. Ignoring the 23-mm flak that was coming up, Flossy concentrated on the bomb run, and as the trucks grew larger in her pipper, she got ready. oeSteady....And...Steady....Ready.....HACK! Flossy hit her pickle button, releasing her dozen Mark-82s, then she pulled the stick hard back, as she pulled up and away, jinking and applying power as she did. When she got clear, Flossy made the call, oeSix off target.

oeSookin sin... Son of a bitch, the Major muttered as he watched Flossy's F-4 come on its run. He saw the bombs come off, and knew before they hit what the target was. Sure enough, a number of fireballs came up as bombs found fuel trucks-a number of them loaded, while others, empty, were tossed around like toys by the blasts. The Major watched as the F-4 pulled away, and then shook his head. This was turning out to be a bitch of a day, he thought to himself. Then his training took over, and he began shouting orders. Time to get some order in this mess...

oeGOOD HITS! That was Jang's shout from 1569's back seat.

oeSecondaries Flossy asked as she jinked left, dodging an SA-7, then she went right, then left again.

oeMultiple! Jang replied. oeAnd righteously multiple, as Preacher would say.

oeGood enough, Flossy said as she picked up her element leader, formed on him, and headed north.

In 512, both pilot and GIB were paying attention. oeSix in and out, Goalie said.

oeStill got a game on, Guru reminded her as they cleared Proctor Lake. oeOne-seven and One-eight, get your asses down and clear.

oeRoger, Lead, Paul Jackson replied as the two RAF F-4Js departed from their TARCAP orbit, then got back down to pick up the rest of the flight. As they did, they also drew fire, but easily outran it.

oeCopy, Guru replied. oeKara

oeRight with you, Lead, Kara replied, and a quick glance by Guru and Goalie saw that she was right with them in Combat Spread.

oeRoger that. Sweaty

oeOn your six, and I brought Hoser with me.

oeCopy that, said Guru. He did a visual scan, then called the AWACS. oeWarlock, Mustang Lead. Say threats

A controller got back to him right away. oeMustang Lead, Warlock. Bandits bearing Two-four-zero for forty-five. Medium, closing. Wait one.. The controller paused, then continued. oeTwo bandits bearing Two-one-zero for thirty. Low, climbing and closing. Bandits are Fishbeds.

That made them East German, Guru knew. oeHow far to the fence He asked Goalie.

oeOne minute thirty, she replied.

oeRoger that, Guru said. He took a look at the EW display. Still clear. Not taking any chances, he got down even lower, to 400 Feet AGL. oeThey'll have a hard time picking us out, he said.

oeNot ready for a fight Goalie asked. She, too, wanted to add to her kill sheet.

oeOnly if they get too close, Guru said. oeWarlock, Mustang Lead. Say bogey dope

oeMustang, Warlock, the controller replied. oeClosest threats are Fishbeds. Now bearing Two-three-five for twenty-five on a parallel course-wait one. Bandits now turning away.

Guru grinned beneath his oxygen mask, and so did Goalie. No Mainstay to guide them, and they also knew the Weasels had done a number on many of the Early-warning radars in the area, and others were jammed by the standoff EF-111s or EA-6Bs. oeRoger, Warlock. Say second bandits

oeMustang, Warlock. Second group of Bandits are Fulcrums. Now Two-four-zero for thirty-five.

Guru checked his EW display. Sure enough, a single strobe appeared, followed by another, and the A-A warning light came on. Not close enough, and they won't catch us in time, Guru thought. oeRoger that, Warlock.

oeOne minute to the fence, Goalie advised.

oeLead, do we turn on the bandits Kara asked.

Guru was about to respond in the affirmative when the strobes went out on the display, and the warning light turned off. oeWarlock, Mustang Lead. Fulcrums still closing

oeNegative, Mustang. Fulcrums now bearing Two-five-zero for forty, going away.

oeHear that, Two Guru asked Kara.

oeRoger, Lead, replied Kara. She was disappointed, but knew that if the MiGs had gotten closer, then it would've been a fight. Oh, well. Number ten would come soon enough.

oeThirty seconds, said Goalie, as Lake Comfort appeared dead ahead. The strike flight flew over the lake, then came I-20 and the Fence.

As the twin ribbons of the Interstate appeared, Guru called to the Flight: oeFlight, Lead. Music off and IFF on, out.

The flight then climbed to altitude, then headed for their post-strike refueling. This time, the RAF birds were able to tank from their own Tristar, while the 335th hooked up with a pair of KC-10s. Once that was done, the flight headed back to Sheppard.

When Mustang Flight arrived, they were fourth in the pattern after a 335th flight, one each of Marine Hornets and F-4s, and the westbound C-141. When it was their turn, the flight came in and landed. As they taxied off the runway and back to their dispersal area, the crews noticed four F-4Es sitting on the transient ramp, in fresh SEA camouflage.

oeOur birds must be early, Guru noted as they passed by.

oeThough they weren't due in until tomorrow, Goalie said as 512 passed the news crew, who was filming, as usual.

oeSo did I, Guru remarked oeOr..

oeOr what

oeThey're passing through. Maybe these four belong to the rest of the 4th or the 347th further east.

oeMaybe, Goalie said. Wonder of wonders if they got up to full strength in aircraft.

The flight taxied to their dispersal area, then the individual crews found their revetments. Guru taxied 512 into its revetment, and once he was in, Sergeant Crowley gave him the oeStop, followed by the oeShut down' signal. The ground crew put the wheel chocks, then the CO shut down the engines. The ground crew brought the crew ladder as the crew popped the canopy, then went through their post-flight checklist. That finished, Guru took off his helmet and climbed down, followed by Goalie. After they went through with the post-flight walk-around, Sergeant Crowley was waiting with a bottle of water for each. oeSarge, Guru said. oeThanks.

oeHow'd it go, sir Crowley asked. oeAnything wrong with my bird Crew Chiefs never forgot to remind the pilot that the aircraft belonged to the crew chief, and the crew only borrowed it.

oeTore up some Hinds on the ground, and didn't take any hits. Five-twelve's working like a champ. Whatever you're doing, Sergeant, don't change a thing, said Guru, who then downed half a bottle of water.

oeAny of 'em get airborne Crowley asked. He, too, wanted to put another red star on the CO's bird.

oeNada, Goalie said with a tone of disgust. oeWe hit 'em too fast.

oeToo bad, Ma'am, Crowley said.

oeIt is, Guru said after finishing the bottle. oeSarge, get the post-flight finished. Then you people get yourselves some chow before getting her ready for the next one.

Crowley beamed at that. oeYes, sir! He turned to the ground crew. oeOkay, you heard the Major! Let's get the post-flight done, then we'll get us some chow.

The ground crew responded with a will, as Guru and Goalie then headed for the revetment's entrance. When they got there, Kara and Brainiac were waiting, along with Sweaty, Preacher, Hoser, and KT. oeWell Guru asked. oeGot a couple Hinds on the ground, so how'd things go with you guys

oeGot two or three, Kara said. oeToo bad they were all on the ground, she spat. Everyone heard the contempt in her voice,for she was looking to make double ace, and they all knew it.

Guru nodded. oeDown, girl. I know, you're hoping to get number ten, but we take 'em however we get 'em. Sweaty

oeGot a couple, replied Sweaty.

oeOn the ground, Preacher added. He, too, wanted another kill in his log book.

oeYour time will come, the CO reminded them. oeHoser

oeGot the ammo dump, said Hoser. oeLots of secondaries after that.

oeThere were plenty, KT added.

oeSame for the fuel dump, Dave Golen said as his element came up. oeThose helicopters won't be flying for a few days.

oeHopefully, Flossy added. oeHard to move fuel around if the fuel tankers got blown sky-high.

A new voice answered her. oeIt is that, Sin Licon said as he came up. The 335th's Intelligence Officer liked to meet the crews after they landed and do a little informal debriefing before taking care of things more seriously.

oeQuite, Dave Gledhill added as his people came over from their dispersal area. oeThat's four in a row with us where we've never fired a shot.

oeYou guys still did your job, Dave, Guru said. oeKeep that in mind.

oeWill do, Gledhill nodded. oeToo bad those MiGs didn't get closer.

Guru also nodded. oeIf they'd gotten closer, it would've been fight's on, but since they turned away...

oeHe who runs away lives to run away another day, Flight Lt. Susan Napier, who was Gledhill's and Paul Jackson's wingmate, said. oeEither that, or they had orders not to cross the fence.

oeGood question, Susan, Gledhill replied. oeSin

oeMight be... the Intel wondered. oeLet's debrief, Major, Squadron Leader.

Guru sighed. That was the last item of business on a mission, and right now, he wanted to get something to eat first. Oh, well....Have to make the intels happy. oeOkay, Sin. Let's get that done. People, once we're finished, he told the crews. oeGet your desks clear of any paperwork, then some chow, because in an hour or an hour and a half, we're back at it.

oeNo rest for the weary or the wicked, Susan Napier joked.

oeWe'll rest when the war's over or we're dead, Razor Wilkinson, her GIB, replied.

oeBoth answers can be graded as correct, Gledhill reminded them.

Guru nodded. oeThey can. All right, let's make the intels happy.

oeThanks, Major, Licon said. oeOh, those four birds on the transient ramp Word has it they may all belong to us now.

oeAll four Guru asked as the others were wondering in amazement. Four new F-4s, and they were theirs now oeAnyone talk to the senior ferry pilot

oeVan Loan tried as senior officer present, Licon said. oeHe won't talk to anybody but the CO, and you've been out. They've been here for half an hour or so.

Guru looked at his intel officer. oeHe have anything

oeHe does, Licon admitted. oeSealed envelope, with orders to give it to you, and you only.

oeTell this guy I'll see him when the debrief's done, Guru said.

oeGot it, Boss, Licon said.

oeAll right, we're on the clock. Let's debrief, then we'll see what this is all about, Guru said. oeLet's go.

**Matt Wiser** · 02-29-2020, 10:38 PM

Getting some new aircraft, and a new mission...Anyone recognize General Starukhin

335th TFS Offices, 1120 Hours Central War Time:

Major Matt Wiser came out of the briefing room, the debrief over and done. Now that the Spooks had been made happy, the CO was looking forward to lunch, but first, some squadron business had to be taken care of. The Major went to his office, where his secretary, Staff Sergeant Tricia Lord, was at her desk. oeTrish Anything

oeNo, Major, no calls. She nodded at another Major who was chatting up a female Lieutenant-who happened to be one of the assistant maintenance officers. oeThat officer there, though, wants to see you.

Guru regarded the officer, who was still in his flight suit, as one might expect. No need to change into undress whites here. oeHe the senior ferry pilot

oeThat's what he told me, sir.

oeAll right, tell him I'll see him in five minutes, after I check my IN box.

oeYes, sir.

Guru then went into his office, and checked his IN Box. Nothing important, he was pleased to see, though some idiot was still sending memos to F-4 squadrons (and presumably, similar ones to F-15 and F-16 squadrons as well) critical of oeexcessive expenditure of twenty-millimeter ammunition. Shaking his head at the thought of some armchair warrior criticizing the way those on the firing line waged the war, he fed the offending memo to the shredder, while silently wishing that Sundown Cunningham would pay this bureaucrat a visit-and give him a kick in the ass. Literally.

That done, the CO nodded to himself, then opened his office door. oeTrish You can send that guy in.

oeYes, sir, his secretary nodded, then she went over to the officer in question, who then came over to the office. Guru regarded him-a well-built fellow who looked like he'd been a baseball player in college.

oeYou are Guru asked. No need to salute, for both could see the other wore gold oak leaves.

oeMajor Paul Lancaster. You must be Major Wiser.

oeSure am, Guru replied. oeCall sign Guru. My Ops Officer tells me you brought me some airplanes, and a sealed envelope.

Lancaster nodded. oeI did, he replied. Then he handed the CO the envelope in question. oeHere you are.

Guru took the envelope and opened it. Out came a note from General Tanner, the Commanding General of Tenth Air Force. He began to read.

oeMajor, you were probably expecting to get two new birds as attrition replacements. You're the squadron in Tenth Air Force with the lowest loss rate, and you deserve some kind of reward for that. Pulled a couple of strings, and you're now up to full strength in aircraft. The four birds this officer delivered are all yours. Brand-new from Japan and the Depot at Hill. With their EW systems having the latest tweaks. That was where equipment-such as the AJB-7 bombing computer and the oeSniffing gear for Wild Weasels was installed, that sort of thing being forbidden under Japanese law. Guru kept reading. oeSorry, but I do read your mind from this far west, but you can't poach the ferry crews for replacements. I'll light a fire under those folks who handle such things, and you should have two new crews in a few days. Your birds are also due to have their EW gear tweaked in a week, plus or minus a couple of days.

oeAwful nice of him, Guru muttered gratefully. oeThanks for the new birds, General. We'll put 'em to good use.

oeMajor Lancaster asked.

oeNothing, Guru said. He went on reading. oeI've been briefed on that little project you and your GIB have been cooking up, thanks to General Olds. He's impressed with what you've got so far, though he did tell me you need a lot more intel before you can put a proper strike plan together. My ops people are also impressed, and they want to put their input into this little plan. I know, you're modeling this on BOLO, where the people who plan the mission fly it. This is your baby, and you can accept or reject their advice as you see fit. I'll find time in my schedule next week, and I do want to see you in person. Bring your GIB, your planning material, such as it is, and your F-4. And if that snotty major who just got himself an Article 15 complains You already know what to do. Plan to stay at Nellis for two days, and let your Exec run things.

oeNo word yet on when General Cunningham's coming out this way, but plan for Mid-December. If said snotty major is still around Sundown will do everyone a favor, and we all know what that means. Keep doing what you're doing, Major, and I'll try and get there and pay all of my kids there a visit around Christmas or New Year's.

oeTanner.

Guru nodded, then folded the letter. oeOkay, Major, I probably have to sign for some airplanes.

oeYour Ops Officer took care of that, Lancaster said.

Guru nodded again. oeYou all going to RON, or wait for a ride out of here Because the westbound C-141's already left.

Lancaster grimaced. The last thing he and his people wanted to was stay here, with that Thrace character around. oeWe did pack, but..

oeWhat

oeI have to ask: is that crazy one-Thrace-still around

Guru nodded. oeShe is. And she's my best pilot. Why do you want to know

Lancaster nodded back, this time grimly. oeBecause I've lost my shirt to her-along with a few others, and I'd like to avoid that if at all possible.

The CO stared at Lancaster. oeYou run afoul of her, well....'alternative payment plan'

oeNo, but I do know two guys who have.

oeNot surprised at that, Guru said. How many has she taken to bed, he wondered. Then again, maybe he didn't want to know.

oeAlong with at least one girl, said the visitor.

Guru looked at him, then rolled his eyes. Nothing he heard about Kara's antics surprised him any more. oeWell, when we've got someone who would qualify as a board-certified nymphomaniac around, that's probably to be expected. So you'll have to wait until morning to get out of here. Okay, find the XO, and the SDO will point you in his direction. He'll find billeting for you guys, and tonight at the Club Keep your wallets under lock and key. With Kara around, and people who are doing RONs Guru saw Lancaster paying close attention. oeMeat on the table for her.

oeI'll let the new guys know, and half of us are the old Vietnam term-cherries, so they'll be warned.

oeAll right, and while your new guys are here, have 'em pay attention to what's going on. We're only a hundred miles plus from the front lines, so have 'em watch and listen. They'll be in combat sooner or later, and they'll be glad. If you want, have 'em sit in on a mission brief or debriefing.

oeMore of an education, Lancaster said. oeWill do.

Guru nodded. oeFind the Exec, and he'll help get you guys bedded down for the night.

oeThanks, said Lancaster, shaking Guru's hand.

oeAnytime, and if you need anything while you're stuck here Don't hesitate to ask.

oeGotcha.

As Lancaster left the office, he passed Goalie coming in, with two Styrofoam containers. oeWho's he Goalie asked as she came in with lunch for both her and Guru. oeFerry driver

oeYep, and the senior one. Those four new F-4s on the transient ramp They're ours. He showed her the note from General Tanner. oeBefore you read on, no poaching crews, though. He does want both of us in Nellis sometime next week.

oeThe strike on the Su-24s we're cooking up She saw her CO and lover nod, then went on. oeEver since the Brits got here, we haven't had much time to plan, Goalie reminded him.

oeI know, but chances are, that mission has an unofficial go-ahead. We'll probably get the green light after this meeting, then we get serious with planning.

oeSounds good, Goalie said. oeAnything else

oeThey've all run into Kara before, said Guru. oeThis guy told me he knew two guys who did run afoul of Kara's....alternative payment.

Goalie nodded. oeShe's had a year to get that going.

oeThat, and he also said that Kara's bi, because he knows of one female officer who also had to use that plan.... Guru grimaced as he said that, but knew that with his rambunctious wingmate, nothing would surprise him anymore. Her making ace was a little wild after-hours, he recalled. Then there was the story about a beach party in Oahu that was, to use Kara's phrase, oeMultiple partner wild.....

Goalie rolled her eyes, but she, too, wasn't surprised. oeWould've found out sooner or later. Enough of that: it's chowtime.

oeAs long as it's not the Suggestion of Pork Tri-tip, I'll eat. What's on the menu today

Goalie opened the containers. oeBarbeque Chicken with cole slaw and fries.

oeThen we chow down.

After lunch, Goalie was about to leave when Kara came in. oeBoss, Kara said. oeWe've got a mission. Just came down from Tenth Air Force.

oeWhere to Guru asked.

oeSomeplace we were two days ago. Kara handed her CO the frag order. oeBrownwood Regional again.

oeWHAT Goalie yelled. oeAGAIN

oeAgain, Kara nodded. She, too, wasn't that happy about it either. But if things went the same way as they did two days prior, MiG-29s might show, and the chance to kill one of those....

oeDown, both of you, Guru said. He scanned the frag order. oeSix-ship this time, and the Brits. Kara Find Dave Golen and Flossy. They're coming with us.

oeWill do, and the Brits

Guru thought for a few seconds. oeDave Gledhill's element, he replied without hesitation. oeFind everybody concerned, and get 'em to the briefing room. Fifteen minutes. That would let them finish lunch at least....

oeOn the way, Kara said as she headed out the door.

Goalie nodded. oeBreak was fun while it lasted.

oeIt was. Now we're back in the game. Find some of our people and get them to the briefing room.

oeWill do, Goalie said. oeI'm gone.

After she left, Guru cursed-then he left his office, and went to the Ops people. When he got to the Ops Office, he found Don Van Loan waiting with a target folder. oeDon, Guru said.

oeBoss, Van Loan replied. oeHere's Brownwood Regional again, he said, handing the CO the briefing folder.

oeLovely, Guru spat. oeWhose bright idea was this He saw the Ops Officer start to reply, then held up his hand. oeI know, somebody at Tenth Air Force. Guru scanned the mission order. oeWell, now.

oeWhat

oeGot an addendum to the Frag Order. Two Weasels will join us at the tankers.

oeAbout damned time somebody heard those hollers, Van Loan said. oeYou, me, Mark, and just about every flight or element lead in this squadron's been screaming for Weasels.

Guru nodded. oeSomebody did listen, he said. oeOkay, you be careful, now. I know, You don't want to be XO, and Mark doesn't want to be CO.

Van Loan laughed. oeTook the words out of my mouth, Boss. You be careful your own self.

oeWill do. Oh, those four new birds Have Chief Ross get them over to our dispersal area.

oeAlready on it, Van Loan said.

oeAll right: you have a good one, and see you later. Guru said.

oeLikewise.

Guru then went to his flight's briefing room, and when he got there, everybody was waiting. Even the squadron's mascot, Buddy, who then found a corner and went to sleep. oeAll right, people! Hope you all enjoyed the break, because game time's come again. Hold onto your lunch, though. Somebody thinks we need to go back to a target we hit two days ago. Brownwood Regional Airport. Several of the crews stared at their CO incredulously, then it was Sweaty who broke the silence.

oeFuck that, Boss! She said. oeThat place can crawl.

oeIt does, and this time, we're getting Weasels. Two F-4Gs will join up at the tankers. Coors One-seven and One-eight will be at the tanker track, waiting for us.

oeJolly good, Squadron Leader Dave Gledhill said. oeFirst time we'll have those, I believe.

oeWeasels are a good thing, Guru said. oeAll right: ingress. We hit the tanker track west of Mineral Wells, and the Weasels latch on to us. Then we get our asses down low, and cross the fence. Pick up the Leon River, and that's near State Route 16, which is the boundary between the East Germans and the Soviet 32nd Army, and head south to Proctor Lake.

oeThat's close to Comanche, which we just hit, Boss, Hoser reminded him.

oeTrue, but they'll still be busy picking up the pieces, Guru said. oeAnyway, when we hit the south side of the lake, we turn five degrees left, then head for the town of Gustine. Get there, then turn right to a heading of One-eight-five. Twenty-four miles to Lake Meritt, that's a minute and a half flight time. Then we turn due west to the town of Indian Creek-that's where F.M. 45, F.M. 586, and F.M. 574 all intersect. This is a town, not a collection of ruins, by the way. Turn north, and it's exactly sixteen miles-one minute's flight time-to Brownwood. We pop up there, ID the target, and make our runs. Then get your asses down and away from there, and head north.

oeStill 3rd Shock Army there, Boss Kara asked. oeThose guys have a lot.

oeThey are, and they do, Guru acknowledged. It's Army-level, so SA-4, with possible SA-11. There's also some armor around, and they have ZSU-23-4 and SA-9 or -13. The airport's defenses are still a mix of 23-mm, 37-mm, and 57-mm, and guys with MANPADS.

oeMiGs Flight Lt. Susan Napier, who was wingmate to Gledhill and Flight Lt. Paul Jackson, asked.

oeUnchanged since this morning. Remember that this field hosts two Regiments-one Soviet with MiG-23s, the other East German with MiG-21s. And this is close enough to San Angelo and Goodfellow with MiG-29s.

oeRan into Fulcrums last time, Paul Jackson nodded. oeGot a couple.

Guru nodded back. oeYeah, and there might be more with that Mainstay down. Be careful of what you wish for, especially around here.

Kara finished for him. oeBecause you might regret it. So, who gets what

oeYou and I, Guru said. oeWe take the ramp area. I'll take north, you get south.

oeGot it, and tell me we're using CBUs, Kara said.

oeWe are, the CO replied. oeYou and I each have a dozen Rockeyes.

Kara and Brainiac's faces each had a grin. oeAbout time we get those puppies again.

oeYep, and that's with the usual air-to-air load. Guru added, meaning four AIM-9Ps, two AIM-7Fs, two wing tanks, a full load of 20-mm, and an ALQ-119 ECM pod for him and an ALQ-101 for Kara.

Sweaty asked, oeAnd us

Guru passed around some reconnaissance photos. oeThey've built some field hangars since we were there last. Some of these are on the north side of the ramp, others on the south side. You guys get those and a dozen Mark-82s to rip them up.

oeOur pleasure, Preacher, who was Sweaty's GIB, said.

oeGood. The CO turned to Dave Golen and Flossy. oeYou two There's a choice of targets. He handed them some more photos. oeThere's a fuel dump that's brand new. It's east of the field on the east side of U.S. 183. There's revetments filled with either fuel drums or fuel bladders, and quite a few trucks. South of that is what looks like a newly-built munitions storage area. It's not on these old photos. Then there's the old fuel dump, and the runways.

oeI'm worried about following Dave if he hits either fuel dump, said Flossy. oeAll that smoke means either an abort or bombing blind.

oeCan't have the former, Dave Golen said. He scanned the photos, then nodded. oeI'll take the old fuel dump. If I can't ID that Then I'll take one of the runways.

oeAll right, said Guru. oeFlossy The fuel dump east of the field is yours.

oeI'll take it out, Flossy said firmly, and Jang, her GIB, nodded.

oeAll right. Weather and bailout areas still unchanged, Guru told the crews. oeAny other questions

oeJust one, Susan Napier said. oeAny of those bloody guns around

Guru looked at her. oeYou're referring to ZSU-30s When she nodded back, he went on. oeThere's a tank division located nearby, and they may have the guns. If you see any of those damned basketball-sized tracers Call them and that's an abort right there. We'll reform east of the field and start looking for opportunity targets.

Kara added, oeThis is an Army-level rear area, so we ought to find something to hit. Being Assistant Ops Officer, she would know from all the recon photos that the office used to put together the mission folders.

oeWe should, Sweaty said.

oeOught to, said Guru. He looked around, and saw Buddy still fast asleep. oeAll right, hope you all enjoyed halftime, because it's time to kick off the second half. Gear up, and we'll get ready to start the third quarter. I'll see you at 512's revetment.

The crews headed to the locker rooms as an Ops NCO came to collect the briefing materials. Then Guru went to the Men's Locker Room to gear up. When he came out, Goalie was waiting for him, as usual. oeReady to get back in the game Guru asked his GIB.

oeAnd to earn my flight pay, Goalie replied with a chuckle.

oeAnother reason to get back out, Guru nodded, grinning. oeEven if, on April 15, Uncle Sam gets his share back.

They both laughed, then headed on out. When they got outside, both noticed Capt. Kevin O'Donnell's maintenance people towing one of the new birds into the dispersal area. oeKev, Guru said. oeAnything leap out of the new birds

The Maintenance Officer shook his head. oeWe've got the maintenance records, and everything worked like a charm on the acceptance flight, the TransPac, and the check flight from Hill. It all checks out.

oeGood, the CO nodded. oeTell Van Loan, and his newbies can get a hop in this one in a couple hours or so.

oeWill do, and Boss O'Donnell said. oeGood luck out there.

oeThanks, Kev, said Guru.

Guru and Goalie then headed to 512's revetment, where the rest of their flight was waiting. oeGather 'round, people. He was giving his final instructions.

oeUsual on the radio Kara asked. Everyone knew it by heart, but still...

oeThat it is, Guru said. oeWe're still Mustang Flight, by the way. Now, a reminder: this field we're hitting There's two MiG regiments there: one's East German, the other Soviet. If anybody tries to take off ahead of you Splash 'em.

oeWith pleasure, Kara grinned. Everyone knew she was out for her tenth kill and becoming the first female double ace in the Air Force.

oeOther than that Guru said. oeIf they get within ten miles, fight's on. Before I forget Be glad somebody splashed a Mainstay.

People grinned at that news. oeWell, Boss, the Navy's good for something once in a while, KT said.

oeDown, girl, Guru replied. He had a cousin who was an A-6 driver on a carrier based out of San Diego, and the Navy was fighting its own war, out at sea as well as on land. oeTomcats do have their uses, so keep that in mind. Anything else Heads shook no. oeThen it's game time again. Meet up at ten grand overhead. Time to hit it.

The crews headed to their aircraft, while Guru and Goalie went into the revetment. Before they got to 512, Sergeant Crowley snapped a perfect salute, which they returned. oeMajor, Lieutenant Five-twelve's all ready to go out and kick some more Commie ass.

oeThanks, Sarge, Guru said. He and Goalie did their usual pre-flight walk-around, then after Guru signed for the aircraft, they climbed the crew ladder and got into their seats. After strapping in, they went through their preflight checks.

As they went through the checklist, Goalie said, oeNo Mainstay for a while. Ejection seats

oeArmed top and bottom, replied Guru. oeCheck yours, and his replacement might already be up-and care to bet there's several Flankers watching him

oeSeat armed, and yeah, the new one's got buddies around.

oeIvan's not dumb, at least in that department, Guru said. oeArnie

oeAll set, and the backup INS, said Goalie. oePreflight complete and ready for engine start.

oeWe're set, Guru confirmed. He gave a thumbs-up to his CC, and Crowley gave him the oeStart Engines signal in return. First one, then both, J-79 engines were up and running. After the warm-up, Guru called the tower. oeTower, Mustang Lead with eight, requesting taxi and takeoff instructions.

A controller got back to him immediately. oeMustang Lead, Tower. Clear to taxi to Runway Three-Five-Lima. Hold prior to the Active, and you are number two in line.

oeRoger, Tower. Mustang Lead rolling. Guru gave another thumbs-up to Crowley, who waved to the ground crew. The chocks were pulled away, along with the crew ladder, then Guru released the brakes. Crowley gave the oeTaxi signal, and 512 eased out of the revetment. When clear, Crowley snapped another perfect salute, and both pilot and GIB returned it.

Guru taxied out, and the rest of the flight followed. He taxied to Runway 35L, and when he got to the holding area, another 335th flight, and this one was a two-ship, which he recognized as Don Van Loan's due to his tail number and tail code. After the Ops Officer's flight departed, Guru led the flight into the holding area, where the armorers removed the weapons safeties. That made the ordnance oelive, and it was time to call the tower. oeTower, Mustang Lead requesting clearance to taxi for takeoff.

oeMustang Lead, Tower, replied the controller. oeClear to taxi for takeoff. Winds are two-seven-three for five.

oeRoger, Tower, said Guru. He taxied onto the runway, and Kara followed in 520. A final cockpit check followed, then he called the tower. oeTower, Mustang Lead requesting clear for takeoff.

As usual, the tower controller didn't respond by radio, instead flashing a green light. Clear for takeoff.

oeReady Guru asked his GIB.

Goalie replied, oeAll set back here. Let's fly.

oeLet's, Guru agreed. oeCanopy coming down, he added, pulling down his canopy, then closing and locking it. Goalie did the same, and a quick check of 520 showed that Kara and Brainiac had done the same. All was ready for both aircraft. The crews exchanged thumbs-ups, then it was time. oeHere we go, Guru said, firewalling the throttles, then he released the brakes. Five-twelve rumbled down the runway and into the air, with 520 right alongside. Thirty seconds later, it was Sweaty and Hoser's turn, followed by Dave Golen and Flossy, with the RAF element right behind them. They formed up at FL 100, then headed south for their rendezvous with the tankers and the Weasels.

Over Central Texas: 1320 Hours Central War Time:

Mustang Flight was headed in, low and fast. After meeting up with the tankers, the two F-4Gs had latched onto the flight, as had been briefed, and now, they were going in. After crossing the I-20, the flight picked up State Route 16. Though it was a north-south highway, it was also the boundary between the East German Army-level formation to the east, and the Soviet 32nd Army to the west. And that meant that both allies were not likely to be talking to each other-at least when it came to air-defense matters. More often than not, that meant that inbound strike aircraft had a free ride into enemy territory.

In 512, Guru was watching his instruments, then his EW display, then outside the cockpit. Lessons drummed into his head at the RTU before the war, and reinforced the hard way during the first few days, meant that one always had their head on a swivel. oeSo far, so good, he said on the IC.

oeSo far, Goalie acknowledged. She, too, was watching, along with keeping up on the navigation. Though the ARN-101 DMAS system was a big boost to navigation, especially at low level, she and the other GIBs had a simple backup: map, compass, and stopwatch. oeLake Comfort to the left. Proctor Lake in ninety seconds.

oeCopy that, replied Guru. He glanced at his EW display. The strobe that normally signaled a Mainstay's radar were not there. Good. Maybe after one had been splashed by the Navy earlier, the Russians were keeping the remaining ones-however many that was-on the ground instead of in the air. He did notice another radar, on the display-with an oeS surrounded by a square, and that meant a known search radar-a ground one. The reason for the strobes had been that the EW system had not been tweaked to positively ID the Mainstay radar, hence the strobe and the SEARCH warning light. At least the ground radar was a known one, and this one wouldn't have a chance of picking them up.

oeOne minute, Goalie advised.

oeCopy, Guru said. He glanced around, and saw some military traffic moving on the highway. Nothing major, but a company's worth each of tanks and APCs would have definitely attracted his attention-if they were on an armed reconnaissance, and Guru would've loved to draw another one of those. Then the Leon River appeared, and Guru turned slightly left to pick up the river. Next up would be Proctor Lake. oeHow long to the lake

oeThirty seconds, Goalie said. oeEW mostly clear.

oeIt is, said Guru. The search radar had gone off. Good. oeWarlock, Mustang Lead. Say threats Guru said, calling the AWACS.

A controller came back to him at once. oeMustang Lead, Warlock. First threat bearing One-five-zero for fifty. Medium, going away. Second threat bearing Two-one-zero for sixty. Medium, closing. Third threat bearing Two-four-five for sixty-five. Medium, going away.

oeRoger, Warlock. Say bogey dope

oeMustang, Warlock, the controller replied. oeFirst threats are Fulcrums. Second threats are Fishbeds, and third threats are also Fulcrums.

oeRoger that.

oeState Route 6 coming up, Goalie said. oeFifteen seconds to the lake.

oeOn it, Guru said as the state highway came into view. No traffic, he saw as they overflew the road, still heading south. Then the north shore of Proctor Lake appeared. oeLake at twelve, he called.

The strike flight flew over the lake, and as it approached the south shore, Goalie made the call. oeTurn point coming up. In five, four, three, two, one, MARK!

Guru turned 512 five degrees left as the flight crossed the shore-and U.S. 67-377, and headed for Gustine, the small town on State Route 36 that was their next turn point. As the flight crosed the highway, both Guru and Goalie noticed several military vehicles on the road. oeSaving bombs today.. Guru said wistfully.

oeStill wish we were on armed recon

oeIn a heartbeat, Guru said. oeHow far to Gustine

Goalie replied, oeThirty seconds.

oeCopy.

At the same time as Mustang Flight's flyover, a Soviet patrol from the 619th Motorized Rifle Regiment, 203rd Motor-rifle Division, had pulled over along U.S. 67/377. A company from the Regiment's 3rd Battalion, along with a tank platoon, had been on a routine patrol, and they had met up with their East German counterparts. Both parties had found nothing, and had headed back towards their respective laagers. However, the Soviet company commander decided to pull over and have a look around the town of Proctor. The town had a small store, a cafe, a church, and a few houses, and not much else.

The Soviet commander, a Captain, went into the store and found the proprietor pleasant enough, but barely. Everyone knew the front lines weren't that far north, and the Captain knew that the locals-and in this part of Texas, one could say that it meant without exception, were eager to have the U.S. Army come further south. Having fought his first battle during the Wichita business-and then the long withdrawal south, the Captain knew that things had gone from bad to worse, and his veterans knew it. The replacements, though.....many still believed what their political officers back home in the training programs told them, though some-the officer replacements, for example, were more cynical. One of the Junior Lieutenants-the new commander of Second Platoon, had told him about his convoy's trouble. They were out in the Central Atlantic when there had not only been a submarine attack, and seeing a guided-missile destroyer and a tanker torpedoed had been a surprise, but right afterwards, there was an air strike, and the American aircraft were clearly carrier-based. Two freighters and another tanker had been sunk or crippled, and right then and there, the young officer knew that this war was certainly not going the way State Television and Radio-not to mention the Political Officers-had been saying.

The Captain didn't need that story to tell him that the war was clearly going badly. He had been a platoon commander himself when the Wichita Campaign had started, only to take command after the company commander and the other platoon commanders had been killed or wounded. The rearguard had been a long one, and now that the Regiment was being reconstituted, maybe things would get better, but any thought of going back north, he had heard from his battalion commander, was out of the question. Still, the Captain was grateful for the brand-new BTR-70s for his boys, and the new T-80s for the tankers-how that had happened nobody knew.

After talking with the shopowner, the Captain waved to his men to mount up. Suddenly, eight American F-4s flew by overhead, and they didn't bother attacking. Either his company wasn't worth attacking, or the aircraft had business elsewhere. Shrugging his shoulders, the Captain yelled at his men to get moving, and the company's vehicles started up. If there were more Americans coming, he wanted to be somewhere where the Regimental air-defense battalion was covering.

oeGustine coming up, Guru said. oeRoute 36 dead ahead. He had eyeballs not only on the town, but the state highway.

oeGot it, Goalie said. oeTurn in five, four, three, two, one, MARK!

Guru turned 512 to the right as they flew over the town, and the others followed suit. Staying in formation, the eight-ship formed up on its new course of One-eight-five. oeNext up is Lake Merritt.

oeRoger that, Goalie called back. oeNinety seconds.

oeCopy, said Guru. Just over twenty-four miles. He glanced at his EW display, and it was still clear. Then a strobe came up to the southeast, at his Ten O'clock, and the SEARCH light came on. oeGreat.

oeWhat

oeCheck your EW display, Guru said with an exasperated tone in his voice.

Goalie did so, and she was just as...agitated. oeAnother Mainstay

oeLooks like it, Guru spat. oeFlight, Lead. Music on, we've got another Mainstay.

oeRoger, Lead, Kara replied, as did the others.

oeOne minute to Lake Merritt, Goalie added.

Guru nodded in his cockpit. oeCopy. Then he decided to call the AWACS. oeWarlock, Mustang Lead. Say Threats.

oeMustang Lead, Warlock, the controller replied. oeFirst threat bearing One-three-zero for forty-five Medium, going away. Second threat bearing One-nine-five for fifty-five Medium, going away. Third threat bearing Two-two-zero for sixty. Medium, closing.

oeRoger, Warlock. Say bogey dope

oeMustang, first threats are Fulcrums, with the second being Fishbeds. Third threats are also Fulcrums.

oeRoger that, Warlock, Guru siad.

oeThirty seconds, Goalie called as State Route 16 appeared again. This time, it was empty of traffic as the strike flight flew parallel to the road, then crossed it as Lake Merritt appeared. oeLake coming up.

oeOn it, Guru said. oeTime to turn

oeTurn in ten...Now five, four, three, two, one, MARK!

Guru then turned west, towards Indian Creek, and their final turn point before the target. oeTime to next turn

oeNinety seconds, Goalie said.

Another twenty-four or so miles, Guru thought, doing the math in his head. A quick glance at the EW display showed the new Mainstay's radar, and it had gotten a little brighter, but the rest of the display was empty. No fighter or SAM radars, Guru noted, and that was always a good thing. oeRoger that, he replied.

The Texas Hill Country flashed by beneath Mustang Flight as it headed west, with the two Weasels just above the Es, while the two RAF F-4Js brought up the rear. oeOne minute, Goalie called.

oeCopy, one minute, Guru replied. He shot another glance at the EW display. Other than the Mainstay, still clear.

oeThirty seconds, Goalie said.

oeRoger that. Give me the count.

oeCopy. Coming up on fifteen seconds. Mark.

oeCall it.

oeRoger that, Goalie said. oeTurn in ten...Now five, four, three, two, one, MARK!

Guru turned north, as the rest of the flight followed, and now it was just over a minute's flight time to Brownwood and the pop-up. oeFlight, Lead. Switches on, and stand by.

oeRoger, Lead, Kara called, and the rest did the same.

oeSet 'em up, Guru told Goalie.

oeOn it, she replied, working the armament control panel in the rear cockpit. She set up the ordnance, so that everything would release at once. oeYou're set. All in one.

oeGood girl, Guru said. oeTime to pop-up

oeForty-five seconds, Goalie replied. She took a look at her own EW display. oeMainstay's still there.

oeHope they learned their lesson this morning, said Guru. oeF-14s got too close... He picked up his own visual scanning, for there were MiGs out there, and maybe transports or helos.

oeSame here, Goalie said. oeThirty seconds. Eight miles to go....

oeCall it at ten.

oeGot it. Brownwood coming up, she called.

Guru looked ahead, and there was Brownwood, right in front. oeTime to pull

oeIn ten...Five, four, three, two, one, PULL!

Guru pulled back on the stick, and called, oeFlight,Lead. PULL!

The rest of the flight did so, and their EW displays lit up. oeLead, Coors, the Weasel element lead called. oeGot some radars here.

oeCoors, Mustang, replied Guru. oeWeasels, go to work!

oeRoger that! MAGNUM! Coors One-seven called as he shot a Standard-ARM at a SA-4 radar.

The Weasels went in on their SEAD mission, as the city of Brownwood flew by, and the strike flight picked out the airport. oeFlight, Lead. Target in sight.

oeAll set back here, Goalie said, tightening her shoulder straps.

oeThen let's do it, Guru said, rolling in on his attack run.

In Brownwood, General Starukhin was not a happy man-as usual. Two days earlier, Marshal Kribov's visit had been spoiled by some American and British aircraft, with the Marshal's Yak-40 VIP transport blasted on the airport ramp, severe damage done to the airport's facilities and the aircraft on the ramp, and four defending MiGs had been shot down, with no loss to the attackers. The Marshal shrugged at the damage reports, writing them off as oeone more set of bad news among many, but the General was more concerned. More things like this happening, and he could forget about being appointed to command the Tank Army Group that Marshal Kribov was thinking of forming. The only serious contender was Suraykin over at 4th Guards Tank Army, and the two couldn't have been more different. Starukhin knew that many in the Army viewed him as a thug, while Suraykin was seen by many as an intellectual in uniform, though no one doubted his aggressiveness, or Starukhin's for that matter. No doubt that swine Chibisov, the Marshal's Chief of Staff and his pet Jew (Starukhin's Anti-Semitism was well known among senior officers, and everyone who needed to know knew that both men cordially despised the other) would whisper in the Marshal's ear that Suryakin be given the command. Though there was a wild card-Bayromov over at 1st Guards Tank Army was seen as an outside contender, and Starukhin, if he didn't get the command, would rather serve under him instead of Suraykin.

Now, with all four divisions of his Army in the process of reconstitution, the General was keen to get his Army back in shape to fight. He knew that the Navy was running into problems in getting its convoys across the Atlantic, but, despite his disagreements with Marshal Kribov-and that little shit Chibisov-getting on their bad side wasn't a good idea. Namely, the tanks, APCs, artillery, and SAMs that his Army needed would go to Suraykin's Army, and that was the last thing Starukhin wanted.

The General got up from his desk at headquarters-the City Hall, intending to visit his independent air-assault battalion, the 899th, when the sirens began to sound. Instead of going to the shelter in the basement, Starukhin's first instinct was to head for the roof and watch. Grabbing his binoculars, and dragging his own Chief of Staff, he headed for the roof to see the air show-his Air Force Liaison's phrase-for himself.

oeLead's in hot! Guru called as he took 512 down on its bomb run. He saw the Weasels going in, and watched as a HARM missile took down a Firecan (57-mm) AAA radar, but the flak was still coming up. Guru ignored the 23-mm and 37-mm, while the 57s were less accurate now that the radar was out, but they kept shooting anyway. As Guru came in, he picked out the North Ramp, and spotted some aircraft parked out in the open, and tiny specks running to them. They were trying to get their alert birds airborne, he knew. You've got guts, but not for long, was his thought as he lined the planes up in his pipper. As Guru approached bomb release, he recognized the aircraft-or thought he did. MiG-29s. What were they doing here No matter.... oeSteady....Steady...And..And....HACK! He hit his pickle button, sending his twelve Rockeye CBUs on their way. Guru then pulled up and away, applying power and jinking as he did so to give the flak gunners and MANPADS operators a harder time in lining him up. Once clear, Guru made his call, oeLead off target.

oeSookin sin.. Starukhin muttered. Son of a bitch. He and his Army had been in America since the invasion, and the General knew all too well that the USAF knew its business in putting bombs on target. Starukhin watched through his binoculars as Guru's F-4 made its run, and released its bombs. To Starukhin, the CBUs going off looked like several thousand firecrackers-then followed by at least four larger detonations, then another two. Parked aircraft and a couple of fuel trucks, he thought. He turned to his SAF liasion officer, and shot a nasty scowl.

The man merely replied, oeThey're good, Comrade General.

oeToo damn good, Starukhin muttered as a second F-4 came in.

oeSHACK! Goalie yelled from 512's back seat. oeWe've got multiple secondaries!

oeHow many Guru asked as he jinked right to avoid a SAM-probably an SA-4, he thought-that came by on his left. Then he jinked left again.

oeTwo hands needed to count, she replied.

oeGood enough, said Guru as he jinked one more time, then headed due north for the fence.

Kara rolled 520 in on her bomb run. oeTwo's in hot! She called as she went in. Kara, too, saw the Weasels at work, and the flak. Ignoring the latter, she saw the CO make his run, and the secondaries that resulted. Good run, Boss, she thought as she picked out the south ramp, and several MiGs parked there. She, too, saw specks running to the aircraft, and knew right away the Russians-or East Germans-were trying to get their alert aircraft up. Not today, Kara said to herself as she lined up several aircraft in her pipper. MiG-23s by the looks of them..... oeNot your day....Steady...Steady.....Steady....HACK! Kara hit her pickle button, releasing her dozen Rockeyes. Once the ordnance was gone, she pulled up and away, applying power and jinking as she did. Once clear of the target, Kara made her call, oeTwo off safe.

General Starukhin shook his head as he watched Kara's F-4 come over, then go on its bomb run. He watched as the flak gunners kept up their fire, and the SAM boys did their thing, but Starukhin did notice the other F-4s overhead, firing missiles when a SAM launcher did launch. He turned to the SAF officer with him, who nodded.

oeAntiradar missiles, Comrade General.

Starukhin nodded back, and saw Kara's bomb run finish-leaving more CBUs going off, and several aircraft exploding in its wake. He grimaced, but at least the Americans were going after the air force and not his Army. Then the General turned, and saw another F-4 coming in.

oeBULLSEYE! Brainiac's shout came over 520's IC. oeMultiple secondaries back there!

oeHow many Kara wanted to know as she kept jinking. First to the left as a SAM flew past on the right, then back right as another one-this one probably a shoulder-fired SA-7 or SA-14, went by on the left.

oeSeveral, and they're big and good!

oeI'll take those, said Kara as she picked up the CO's bird.

oeThree's in! Sweaty called as she came in for her run. She saw Kara's pullout and the secondaries left behind, and smiled beneath her oxygen mask. Sweaty, too, saw the flak coming up, and ignored it, concentrating on the bomb run. She picked out the field hangars on the north side of the ramp, and decided to aim just short, and walk some of her bombs amongst the parked aircraft and into the hangars. Sweaty made her adjustments, lining up on a couple of fighters. MiG-23s by the looks of them. Good. oeSteady....And...And....Steady....NOW! She hit the pickle button, sending a dozen Mark-82 five hundred-pound bombs down onto the field below. Sweaty then pulled up, applying power and jinking as she pulled away, giving the flak gunners and any MANPADS shooters a harder target. Once clear, she made the call. oeThree's off safe.

oeOf all the... Starukhin growled as Sweaty's F-4 went in on its run. He knew the AA gunners were Voyska-PVO and thus not under his command, but he growled at them as if they were. The AA fire was close, but not close enough to the American aircraft as they went in, and when Sweaty's plane pulled up, the General watched as a dozen bombs exploded in its wake. Two fireballs erupted as bombs landed on parked aircraft, then another as a fuel truck exploded, finally, a large explosion as a hangar was blown apart-taking the aircraft inside with it. Starukhin lowered his binoculars, and saw the SAF officer next to him grimace. Then the AA gunners shifted their fire from the escaping plane back towards the south. More Americans coming in....

oeGOOD HITS! Preacher shouted from Sweaty's back seat.

oeSecondaries Sweaty asked as she jinked to avoid some tracers, then again as a missile-type unknown, but a small one, flew by her right side.

oeMultiple and big!

oeWe aim to please, Sweaty smiled beneath her oxygen mask, made one more jink, then picked up the CO's element as she headed north.

oeFour in hot! That was Hoser's call as he came in on his bomb run. He saw Sweaty's run, and the secondaries that followed, and watched as the flak started to come his way. Hoser, too, ignored the flak, concentrating on his run, and he picked out the hangars on the south side of the ramp, despite the smoke and flames left by the others' ordnance. Despite the flak, he lined up the hangars in his pipper, and noticed a parked helo-a Hip, he thought, in front of one of them. You'll do, Hoser thought as he got ready. oeSteady....Steady...Ready...And...NOW! He hit his pickle button, releasing his dozen Mark-82s onto the field below. Hoser then pulled up and away, jinking and applying power, as he cleared the area. Once he was clear of the field, he made his call, oeFour off target.

General Starukhin watched as Hoser's F-4 made its run, and he scowled as the aircraft released its bombs and pulled away, leaving a dozen explosions in its wake, followed by at least two secondary detonations. Starukhin turned, and his Chief of Staff had a very pained expression on his face. Both knew that Brownwood Regional was not under the Army's command, and that the air strikes meant that the Americans might be paying more attention-especially if they discovered the laagers and supply dumps. oeMove all of our supply depots to new locations. I don't care how, just get the old ones empty and the new ones properly camouflaged, Starukhin told his Chief of Staff.

oeRight away, Comrade General, the man said, going back down to issue the orders.

oeMore coming in, Comrade General, Starukhin's ADC, a young Captain, called.

oeFive's in! Dave Golen called as he came in on his run. As the IDF Major went in, he tried to pick out the old fuel dump that the recon photos showed as still in use, but he couldn't. So, he adjusted his run, and picked out Runway 17/35 as his target. Golen knew that to fly right down the runway was asking for it, but in order to put a bomb at the intersection of that runway and Runway 13/31, he had no choice. Golen, too, saw the flak coming up, and ignored it as he came in, lining up Runway 17/35 in his pipper, aiming just past the intersection, hoping one or more bombs would hit that portion of the runway. oeAnd...And....Steady....And....NOW! He hit his pickle button, sending his twelve Mark-82s onto the runway. Golen then pulled up and away, clearing the field as he did so, applying power and jinking to avoid flak. When he cleared the target area, Golen made his call, oeFive off target.

oeThis has been a bitch of an afternoon, Starukhin grumbled as Dave Golen's plane went in on its run. He watched as the bombs came off, and unlike the previous strikes, no fireballs erupted into the air, but the General noticed that the bombs had landed on one of the runways. He turned again to his SAF liaison officer, who was now scowling himself. That meant that the field was likely out of commission, unless the bombs had missed that runway intersection. Though the AF man knew, unlike the General, that not all of the GATOR mines had been cleared from the previous strike, as the East Germans had found out the previous day, when a MiG-21 set off a mine as it taxied off a runway. Starukhin turned to look to the south, and noticed another American aircraft inbound. How many of those bastards were there

oeSHACK! Terry McAuliffe, Golen's GIB, called. oeSome good hits!

oeDid we get the runway Golen asked as he jinked left to avoid a SAM-this one looking like an SA-4, then right to dodge a pair of MANPADS.

oeCut at least in one place, maybe two.

oeI'll settle for that, Golen said as he picked up Sweaty's element.

oeSix in hot! Flossy called as she took 1569 down on its bomb run. She, too, ignored the flak and the missiles, and noticed her element lead's run. Flossy saw the bombs on the runway, and where the runway was now cut. Nobody flying from that runway for a day or so, she thought as she picked up her target, the fuel dump east of the field on the east side of U.S. 183. The flak gunners were persistent, but she concentrated on her bomb run, despite the tracers and even an SA-7 type missile that failed to guide. oeCome on...Steady....Steady......HACK! Flossy hit her pickle button, releasing her dozen Mark-82s, then she pulled up and away, and like the others, applying power and jinking as she did. Once she was clear, Flossy made her call. oeSix off safe.

Starukhin watched with his binoculars as Flossy's F-4 went into its run. He saw right away that the aircraft was not attacking the airport, and for a moment, wondered what the target was. Then he saw the bombs come off, and knew right away what target had attracted the pilot's attention. Starukhin watched as the bombs landed in the fuel dump, and multiple orange-red fireballs erupted. oeAnd where is the Air Force He asked his SAF liasion officer.

oeStretched, Comrade General, the man-a Colonel-replied. oeAnd this raid had almost no warning.

Nodding, Starukhin watched-and he didn't need his binoculars this time, as more explosions tore through the fuel dump. Then two more F-4s came over, but this pair didn't attack. Either fighter cover or reconnaissance, he mused. Then he turned to his Chief of Staff, who had just returned. oeThis has been a bitch of an afternoon.

oeSo it has, Comrade General.

oeBULLSEYE! Jang shouted from 1569's back seat. oeMultiple secondaries!

oeWhat kind Flossy asked, jinking right to avoid an SA-7, then left as an SA-4 flew past, then right again to dodge another SA-7.

oeBig and multiple!

oeGood to know, Flossy replied as she picked up her element lead, and formed up with Dave Golen in Combat Spread.

oeSix in and out, Guru said.

oeNow we fly for ourselves, Goalie added. oeTwo minutes to the fence.

oeMiles

oeThirty-two, replied Golaie.

oeRoger that, Guru said. oeMustang One-seven and one-eight, get your asses down and clear of the target.

oeRoger, Lead, Paul Jackson called back. oeOn the way.

Guru then called the Weasels. oeCoors, Mustang. We're outbound for the fence.

oeCopy that, Mustang, Coors One-seven replied. oeMAGNUM! He fired a HARM at a AAA radar, then called, oeWe're coming out. Both Weasels were now out of their antiradar missiles, but they had lived up to the Weasels' reputation of oeFirst in, last out.

oeRoger, Coors, Guru called. Then he talked to the AWACS. oeWarlock, Mustang Lead. Say threats.

oeMustang Lead, Warlock. Threats bearing Two-zero-zero for fifty. Medium, closing. Both threats are Fulcrums.

oeCopy, Warlock, said Guru. MiG-29s Oh, boy. oeTwo, you with me

oeRight with you, Lead, Kara replied.

Guru shot a quick look to the right, and found his wingmate right with him in Combat Spread. oeGot visual. Sweaty

oeAt your six, and I've got Hoser, Sweaty called.

oeOne-five and One-six right behind Sweaty, Dave Golen added.

This time, there were no lakes or large hills, as they flew over elements of the 32nd Army. But the Soviets on the ground, surprised to see eight F-4s coming from their rear, held their fire.

oeHow far to the fence Guru asked Goalie as U.S. 84 flew by beneath them.

oeOne minute, was Goalie's reply. Sixteen miles.

oeCopy, Guru said, taking a look at his EW display. The Mainstay's strobe was there, along with two aircraft symbols, with the number oe29 beneath them. That meant the MiG-29s were out there, radars on and searching. oeWarlock, Mustang. Say bandits

oeMustang, Warlock, the controller called. oeBandits bearing Two-one-zero for thirty. Medium, closing.

Guru did the calculations in his head. They were now forty-five seconds to the fence,and there was no way the MiG-29s would catch up to them. oeRoger, Warlock. Can you arrange a reception committee if they get too close

oeRoger that, Warlock, the controller said. oeRustler Lead, Warlock. Bandits bearing One-eight-five for forty. Medium, closing. KILL. Repeat: KILL. Clear to arm, clear to fire.

oeRustler Lead copies, an F-15C flight lead replied, as four F-15s turned south to confront the MiGs.

oeThirty seconds, Goalie advised.

oeGot it, Guru replied. He glanced again at the EW display. The Mainstay signal had gone away, and so had the MiG-29 radars. Either the MiGs had turned their radars off, or, they had turned away.

Unknown to Guru, it had been the latter. The MiGs had picked up the F-15s on their own radars, along with the APG-63 radars on their own Sirena-3 RWRs, and knew that two MiGs and four F-15s didn't mix. Not on this day. At a word from the A-50's senior controller, the two MiGs turned away. The Eagles, low on fuel, didn't pursue.

oeFence in when Guru wanted to know.

oeIn ten...now five, four, three, two, one, MARK! Goalie said as the twin concrete ribbons of I-20 appeared.

Once clear of the freeway, Guru made his call. oeFlight, Lead. Music off and IFF on, out.

With the ECM off and IFF on, it should be clear to the Army's air-defense pukes that they were friendlies. Should be, everyone knew. Then the flight climbed to altitude and formed up with the tankers for their post-strike refueling. Once tanked up, the Weasels broke off and headed for Reese, their FOB, while Mustang Flight headed for Sheppard.

When they got there, the flight was fourth in the pattern, behind two Marine flights, a 335th flight, and behind them was the eastbound C-141. When it was their turn to come in, the flight came in and landed. As they taxied away, the news crew was filming them, as usual.

oeDon't they ever quit Guru asked Goalie.

oeIf they're not filming us, they're not doing their job Goalie wondered.

oeMaybe, Guru said as he popped his canopy, and Goalie did the same.

The flight taxied to its dispersal, and the pilots made for their individual revetments. When Guru taxied 512 to its revetment, Sergeant Crowley was waiting, and guided the CO in, then gave the oeShut down signal as the ground crew brought the wheel chocks. They then brought the crew ladder as Guru and Goalie went through the post-flight checklist.

Once that was done, pilot and GIB climbed down, and did the usual post-flight walk-around. Only then did Crowley come with a bottle of water each for both crew. oeMajor, Lieutenant He asked. oeHow'd my bird do
oeFive-twelve's working like a champ, Guru said after downing half a bottle. oeSaid it before: but whatever it is you're doing Don't change a damned thing.

oeAnd the bad guys

oeTore up a few MiGs on the ground, Guru said.

oeShit hot, sir! Crowley beamed.

oeBetter there than in the air, Goalie chimed in.

oeIt is that, Guru agreed. oeSarge He turned to Crowley. oeLet's get her ready. We've got time for one more strike.

oeYou got it, Major! Crowley said, turning to the ground crew. oeYou heard the Major! Let's get this bird prepped for one more strike.

Guru and Goalie left the ground crew to their work, and headed to the revetment's entrance. There, not only Kara and Brainiac were waiting, but also Sweaty, Preacher, Hoser, and KT. oeWell Guru asked.

oeGot some MiGs on the ground, Kara said. oeToo bad, though, ground kills don't count.

oeSo did we, Guru said. oeLooked like Fulcrums there-and that wasn't in the intel part of the brief.

oeWas it an FOL Goalie wondered aloud.

oeMaybe, Guru said. oeSweaty How'd things go with you and Hoser

oeGot the northern hangars, Sweaty replied. oeAlong with a couple planes.

oeSame with us, Hoser added. oeTook out the southern hangars, and maybe a grounded plane or two.

Then Dave Golen, Flossy, and their GIBs arrived, along with the Brits. oeDave How was it with you and Flossy Guru asked.

oeCouldn't ID the old fuel dump, so I dropped on the runway. Might have cut it in one or two places, Golen replied.

oeFlossy

oeNo more fuel dump, Flossy said. oeLots of secondaries going off.

oeOh, there were, Jang added. oeBig time.

oeGood to know, Guru said. oeDave, what about you guys

Their IDF oeObserver shook his head. oeCouldn't ID the old fuel dump, so I dropped on Runway 35.

oeGet the intersection

oeI think so, Golen said. oeTerry thinks so as well.

Guru turned to Terry McAuliffe, who nodded agreement. oeFlossy

oeWe got the fuel dump, Flossy grinned.

oeLots of secondaries, Jang added. oeThose MiGs are grounded for a few days.

A voice spoke up. oeOne can hope, Major.

Heads turned, and Sin Licon, the Squadron's Intelligence Officer, was there. oeYou may think they're grounded, but in a day, two at the most, they'll have their fuel. No thanks to all the oil wells and refineries they control.

oeLovely, Kara spat. oeSomebody needs to do something about those.

oeCan't do much, Licon said. oeHitting the storage, that's one thing. But the refineries themselves Whole different story.

Sweaty nodded, her hands folded in front of her chest. oeBecause we need the refineries for postwar reconstruction. It wasn't a question.

oeYou got it.

Guru shook his head at that. This was a complicated war. In any other part of the world, even in Europe or the Middle East, hitting an oil refinery was guaranteed to give the bad guys a real headache. Now, though, targeting had to be selective, so that critical facilities that had been captured in the early days of the war could be retaken intact. Even if it gave the Russians and their lackeys the fuel they needed to run their forces in Texas and Louisiana. oeSo we take out the POL storage and leave the refineries intact

Sin nodded. oeThat's about the size of it.

oeLovely, Guru nodded. oeOkay, Dave You and Susan didn't have much to do.

oeNot that bad, Dave Gledhill replied. oeEven if we didn't get ourselves a kill, at least we kept them from taking off after you guys.

Susan Napier nodded back. oeJust wish those MiG-29s had gotten closer, she said.

oeWHAT Kara said. oeYou guys want another hassle with Fulcrums

oeDid it the first time, she grinned, recalling her first kill in-theater, and that had been a MiG-29.

oeBe careful, Sweaty told her. oeYou might just give Kara an idea. She was one of only two MiG-29 killers in the squadron-with the CO being the other.

The CO grinned. oeShe's right.

oeMajor, Sin Licon said to break things up. oeHate to be a party-pooper, but we need to debrief.

Guru knew it. Had to make the intels happy.... oeOkay, people, let's get the debrief out of the way, check your IN boxes, and if you can, get a workout in. Because in an hour or so, we're back at it.

Hoser scowled. oeUnless somebody starts screaming for all the CAS in the world.

oeDon't say it, Preacher reminded him. The last thing they all wanted was time enough for a couple of back-to-back CAS runs. Not that they didn't mind helping the guys and girls on the ground, but the squadron's preference was to leave CAS to those that lived and breathed the mission.

oeSeconded, Goalie added.

oeThey're right, Guru said. oeLet's get with it.

With that, the crews headed to the squadron office to take care of the debrief, for the CO was right: it wouldn't be long until they were back at it.

**Matt Wiser** · 02-29-2020, 11:02 PM

Last mission of the day, and it's a CAS run, while 3rd ACR waits for the results:

335th TFS, Sheppard AFB, TX: 1505 Hours Central War Time:

Major Matt Wiser was in his office, having finished up the debriefing a few minutes earlier. A quick check of his IN box found only routine business, and after scanning the papers, the CO knew what to do. He got up, went outside the office, and found the XO's desk, with the XO sitting behind it. oeMark, here. If you have to sign your name and indicate 'For the Commanding Officer,' that's fine with me.

oeThanks a heap, Boss! Capt. Mark Ellis said. oeAnd just before the last strike. I've got a brief in fifteen.

oeThen you'd best attack these, Guru grinned. oeRemember, Colonel Rivers did it to both of us-when I was Exec and you were Acting Exec a couple of times.

oeYeah, when you and Goalie were on R&R, the XO nodded. oeCan't wait to be a CO myself, then I can make my XO's life miserable every once in a while.

The CO winced. oeYou want something to happen, after everything you've said The Exec had warned Guru repeatedly about not wanting to be CO.

oeNo, after the war, when I can be a CO the regular way. Enough of this bloody wars and sickly seasons crap, Ellis said, recalling an old British Army saying about promotions.

Major Wiser nodded. oeYou're not the only one thinking that, he said. Even with the war, peacetime was something to be looking forward to. But not until they got to Mexico City, and probably Havana, too. oeBut we still got a job to do.

oeYeah, Ellis said, and the way he said it indicated he was getting tired. The CO noticed it right away.

oeMark, when was your last R&R

oeBack in April.

Too long, the CO knew. He'd had an R&R with Goalie in September, spending time in Vegas and Lake Mead, and he'd protested, but Colonel Rivers had insisted on it. Now, he was glad to have had the time, and he knew, Goalie was as well. oeOkay, Mark. You need some time off. I'm going to get you on the R&R schedule.

oeWhich makes Van Loan Exec, and Kara as Ops-and are you sure you want the latter Ellis asked.

oeWe can deal with that for a couple of weeks, Guru replied, though he wasn't sure how, given Kara's negative attitude towards paperwork.

oeIf you say so, Boss, the XO said, and he saw Guru nod. oeIn that case, I'd better get this done, indicating the papers Guru had handed him. oeThere's a brief coming up.

oeGood man, Mark. The CO turned to go back to his office, then remembered something. oeYou get a workout in Doc's still checking off names.

oeGot one in this morning.

oeOne more reason for Doc to be happy. I'm headed that way myself. The CO went to his office, double-checked his desk, then went to his tent to change into his workout clothes. He then went over to the tent that was the fitness center, where sure enough, he found Doc Waters waiting outside, clipboard in hand.

oeBoss, the flight surgeon said. oeComing for your workout

oeSince you're checking off names, and can ground anyone for reason, Guru smiled. oeMight as well. Though he knew Doc had that kind of power, the sawbones rarely used it, much to the CO's relief. Doc signed him in, then the CO went into the tent to get some weight training in. Once that was done, he found himself a treadmill, and got into his run.

While he was running, Guru saw Goalie, Kara, and Sweaty, along with Hoser and Brainiac, come in for their workouts. Good. At least he didn't have to get on their cases about staying in shape, though he knew that the others in the flight were just as serious, as were the RAF people, and several of them were getting their own workouts in as well. He had finished three miles of his usual four when Don Van Loan came into the tent, and the Ops Officer was in a hurry. Van Loan looked around, saw Guru, and came over. oeDon, what's up

The Ops Officer was direct and to the point. oeGot a mission for you, right now.

Guru turned off the treadmill. oeWHAT Don't tell me it's CAS.

oeI won't, but that's in the frag order, Van Loan replied, showing the CO the frag order. oePlace called Morgan Mill and to the west. East Germans got a little frisky this afternoon, and 23rd ID's been hollering for some fast movers.

oeWhere are the Hogs Guru asked, referring to the A-10s.

oeBusy further west, and before you ask, the A-4s and A-7s are just as tied up. Ivan's doing probes, spoiling attacks, whatever, all along the line from Midland-Odessa to the Brazos this afternoon. Nothing major, Sin Licon says, otherwise they would have hit us with a Scud attack at the very least.

oeIf not Fencers or Flogger-Js, Guru noted, with a reference to the Soviet Su-24 and MiG-27 strike aircraft.

oeThere is that. Anyway, they want you up in fifteen.

The CO sighed. oeAll right. He nodded to Goalie, and waved her over. When she got to where Guru and Van Loan were talking, she could tell something was up.

oeWe've got a mission

Guru nodded. oeCAS, and it's virtually no-notice. Get everyone dressed, and ready to fly. We meet at 512's revetment.

His GIB winced, but knew the drill. oeOn my way. Do I get Dave and Flossy's crews

oeDon

oeThey're going with Mavericks. You do want them, I take it

The CO grinned. oeYou read my mind. Find 'em, and tell them they tag along with us. Same for Dave Gledhill's element.

oeI'll get 'em, Van Loan said. oeThen I get ready to go myself.

oeTake care of yourself, Don. If Mark goes on R&R shortly, you're acting XO.

oeGotcha, Boss, the Ops Officer said, then he headed out.

oeTime to go Goalie asked as Kara, Sweaty, and Brainiac came over.

oeIt is. Tell everybody to gear up and meet at 512.

oeWe're gone, Kara said, then they went out.

Guru went to his tent to change into a flight suit, then raced to the Men's Locker Room to gear up. He found Goalie waiting outside, as usual. oeReady

oeNot for CAS, but let's get it over with, she replied. At least this late in the afternoon, there was only time for one strike.

oeYeah, let's, said Guru. They went outside, and headed to 512's revetment. Two other flights were already warming up as the CO and Goalie arrived at the revetment, where the other crews in the flight were gathered. oeAll right, folks, we've got a mission.

oeCAS, KT spat. oeUh, Boss.

oeNo need to apologize, because that's how I feel, Guru replied. oeWe head for the tankers, then call in to Tampa. That's the EC-130 airborne command post, the CO said for the benefit of Dave Gledhill's people. oeThey give us tasking, then hand us off to a FAC.

oeWhat's the ordnance load Sweaty asked.

oeDave and Flossy have Mavericks, while the rest of us have a dozen Rockeyes, said the CO. oePlus the usual air-to-air.

oeWhat's our job Squadron Leader Gledhill asked.

oeTwo things, Dave, Guru replied. oeFirst, as usual, strike escort. But second, once we're in the target area, you find anyone doing CAS for the bad guys and make them go away.

oePreferably to a smoking hole in the ground, Sweaty quipped.

oeRight on that, Guru said. He turned to Dave Golen. oeDave You and Flossy use your Mavericks to kill any air-defense assets you see. They could have anything, from small-arms fire to SA-7s, then the SA-9s or -13s, then SA-6 or -8. Guru paused, then added, oeAnd guns.

oeAny ZSU-30s around Preacher asked.

oeAssume they are, Guru replied. oeThat's what Dave and Flossy will kill. MiGs and Sukhois, along with Hinds, are possible, so watch for 'em. Don't engage until after you drop your ordnance. Helping the guys on the ground comes first. Comprende

Heads nodded at that, then Kara said, oeGot it, Major.

oeAll right. Meet at ten grand overhead. We've got an hour of daylight left, so let's make it count. Time to hit it. Guru clapped his hands for emphasis, and the crews headed to their aircraft.

Guru and Goalie went into the revetment, where the ground crew was hurriedly at work. The Crew Chief, Sergeant Crowley, snapped a salute. oeMajor Lieutenant Five-twelve's ready to rock.

oeThanks, Sarge, said Guru. He and Goalie did a quick walk-around, then climbed the crew ladder and got strapped into their seats. A quick preflight in the cockpit followed.

oeGlad this is the last one of the day Goalie asked. oeEjection seats

oeArmed top and bottom, and check yours, Guru replied. oeAnd yeah, I am. Arnie

oeArnie's up and ready, with the backup INS, said Goalie, referring to the ARN-101 DMAS. oeJust wish it wasn't CAS.

oeYou and me both, Guru said. He gave a thumbs-up to Crowley, who gave the oeStart engines signal.
First one, then both, J-79 engines were up and running. Once the warm-up was finished, Guru called the Tower. oeTower, Mustang Lead with eight, requesting taxi and takeoff instructions.

A controller came back to him. oeMustang Lead, Tower. Clear to taxi to Runway Three-Five-Charlie. Hold prior to the active, and you are number two in line.

oeRoger, Tower. Mustang Lead rolling. Guru waved to the ground crew, who raised the integral crew ladder, then gave a thumbs-up to Crowley, who waved to the ground crew himself. They pulled the chocks away from the wheels, then Crowley gave the oeTaxi signal.

Guru released the brakes, then taxied out of the revetment, then turned to the taxiway. As he did, Crowley snapped a salute, and both Guru and Goalie returned it. The F-4 taxied to the holding area, as the rest of the flight followed. When Guru rached the active, he found a Marine F-4 flight, similarly loaded, ahead of them, just taxiing onto the runway.

Guru taxied into the holding area, where the armorers removed the weapon safeties. The Marines ahead of them thundered down the runway and into the air, and a quick look behind the flight found another 335th flight behind them. He noticed the tail number of the flight lead and winced. Tail number 657 was Major Frank Carson's bird, and the CO wondered if this was the time that the pressure building on the man was going to pop. Because if it did....Or, the man would do something stupid and get himself killed-and maybe his GIB, too. In that case, he dreaded the letter-writing to follow, especially to Carson's blue-blood father. Then it was time. oeTower, Mustang Lead requesting taxi for takeoff.

oeMustang Lead, Tower. clear to taxi for takeoff. Winds are calm. The Tower Controller replied.

oeRoger, Tower. Guru taxied onto the runway, and Kara followed in 520. A final cockpit check followed, then both 512's and 520's crews exchanged thumbs-ups. After that, Guru called the tower. oeTower, Mustang Lead requesting clear for takeoff.

As usual, the tower flashed a green light. Clear for takeoff.

oeReady Guru asked his GIB.

oeAll set back here, Goalie replied.

oeCanopy coming down, said Guru as he pulled his canopy down and locked it. He heard Goalie do the same, then checked to his Five O'clock. Kara and Brainiac had done the same. All was ready.

oeLet's go, Goalie said.

oeYeah, let's. Guru replied. He firewalled the throttles, then released the brakes. Five-twelve then thundered down the runway and into the air, with 520 right with them. Thirty seconds later, it was Sweaty's element, then after that, Dave and Flossy's turn. Finally, the two RAF F-4Js brought up the rear. The flight met up at FL 100, then they headed for the tankers.

Over Central Texas: 1610 Hours Central War Time:

Mustang Flight was orbiting at 15,000 Feet, just south of the I-20. They had met up with the tankers, as usual, then after checking in with the AWACS, had been passed off to Tampa, the EC-130E ABCCC command plane that ran the CAS side of the war. A controller aboard the EC-130 then told them, oeGet in line at twenty grand and wait your turn. And so Mustang got to the back of the line at FL 200 and waited as the flights before them went in.

oeIf that reporter asks why we hate CAS Major Wiser asked over 512's IC. oeThis is one reason: waiting our turn.

oeThen there's the people who live and breathe the mission, Goalie replied. She looked out the canopy and noticed the artillery fire down below-and from both sides. oeLeave this to the A-10 guys. They can have all of this crap to themselves.

oeGirl, you are preaching to the choir, Guru replied. They got down past 15,000 down to 14,000, then a minute later, FL 130. oeThey're moving fast.

oeWith the last hour of daylight, like you said said Goalie. oeThen the Apaches take over.

oeIf any are around.

oeLead, One-seven, Dave Gledhill's voice came over the radio. oeIs it always like this

oeThe waiting, One-seven Guru called back. oeYou should've been here during PRAIRIE FIRE. One time we had to get in line at Flight Level 250 for a CAS tasking.

In their F-4J, both Gledhill and his pilot, Flight Lt. Paul Jackson, scowled beneath their oxygen masks. Waiting at 25,000 for a turn at CAS No wonder these Yanks don't care for the mission. They did agree with the 335's CO: leave this to the people who specialize in the mission. oeWe'll take your word for it, Lead.

Guru chuckled underneath his oxygen mask. oeSome of 'em will get used to it.

oeWhat Goalie asked as they went down to 12,000.

oeCAS, the CO said. oeDave told me some of his people are staying here once they get to San Diego. Those folks go to Kingsley Field and the RTU. They get to learn the E.

oeTheir lucky day, Goalie grinned beneath her own mask. oeExchange duty

oeHe didn't say, but that's my bet. Then after a call from Tampa, they got down to 11,000, then thirty seconds later, down to FL 100.

oeLead, Two, Kara called. oeThey're moving fast with this. Sure they just want one mission out of us

oeDon't say it, Two, Guru replied. That was the last thing he-or anyone else up right now-wanted. A CAS run with little or no sunlight. Leave that to the Apache drivers and the NVG-equipped A-10s.

oeMustang Lead, Tampa, the ABCCC called. oeContact Covey Two-five-five. Covey was a FAC.

oeRoger, Tampa, Guru said. oeCovey Two-five-five, Mustang Lead checking in.

oeMustang Lead, Covey, the FAC called. He was flying in an OA-10 over the battle area between Morgan Mill on U.S. 281 and Huckabay on State Route 108. oeSay aircraft and type of ordnance please.

oeCovey, Mustang has four Foxtrot-Four Echoes with twelve Rockeyes each bird, two Echoes with six Rifle shots per bird, and two Juliets with full air-to-air.

oeRoger, Mustang. Your target is a regimental-sized unit, with moderate surface-to-air threat. Be advised bad guys are Libyans.

oeCove, Mustang Lead. Can you mark the target area Guru asked the FAC. It was always good to know where the FAC wanted the ordnance.

oeThat's affirm, Covey called back. oeBad guys are east of the town of Huckabay, with East Germans to the west of the town.

Guru nodded in his cockpit. Libyans...Thought they were down in the Nicaraguan sector. No matter...We can kill them there or kill them here. oeRoger, Covey. Say surface-to-air threat. Any Zulu-Sierra-Uniform Three-Zeroes around

oeMustang, Covey. Regimental level threat, and negative on the Three-zeroes.

oeRoger that. Rifle armed birds ready to go in, then the rest of us. One pass only, south to north.

oeYour call, Mustang, Covey replied. oeMarking the target area.

Guru watched as an A-10 rolled in and, despite the Triple-A and shoulder-fired missiles, fired several WP rockets. oeThat's your target area.

oeCopy that, replied Guru. oeFlight, Lead. Switches on, and music on. That meant to arm weapons and turn on their ECM pods. oeMustang One-five and One-six, take your rifle shots. Then the rest of us go in.

oeRoger, Lead, Dave Golen in One-five replied. oeGoing in hot. Then oeRifle calls came from Golen's and Flossy as they took their Maverick shots. Then came the call, oeMustang One-five is Winchester. That meant oeOut of ordnance.

oeMustang One-six is Winchester, Flossy added a few seconds later.

oeRoger that, Guru called. oeYou two, get clear. One-seven and One-eight, go TARCAP. Rest of you, on me.

oeRoger, Lead, Kara replied, and the rest followed.

Goalie had anticipated that, and worked the armament control panel in the rear cockpit. oeAll set back here. Everything in one pass.

oeGood girl, Guru said. oeLet's go. He rolled 512 in on the attack run.

East of Huckabay, on State Route 108, the Commander of the Libyan 6th Mechanized Brigade was actually pleased. His brigade had been transferred from the Nicaraguan II Corps sector to the East Germans, and had been placed under East German command for this mission, which was a spoiling attack into the Americans' III Corps. Similar attacks were going all over the Front, he had been told, and when the Soviets got into it, they attracted the American A-10s and most of their other ground-attack aircraft. Which meant his brigade, and an East German Motor Rifle Regiment, had an easy time of it from the air as they pushed into the sector held by the American 23rd Mechanized Infantry Division. They and the East Germans had brushed aside a few outposts, and were now getting ready to repel the inevitable American counterattack.

The Libyan Major (about as high as one could go in the Libyan military without getting too close to the Leader, Colonel Qaddafi (who had abolished ranks higher than Colonel), knew, though, that things were tough for the Socialist Forces in general and the Libyan contingent in particular. The American Sixth Fleet routinely bombed targets in Libya from their carriers, and ports had been mined-either by aircraft or submarines, and coastal targets had even been shelled by battleship and cruiser guns. That meant that shipping new equipment from home was now out of the question, though replacement personnel came by air, and that was less of a problem. Even so, the equipment being shipped from the USSR was having a rough time getting to America, he had been told by the East Germans, though thanks to Colonel Qaddafi, his brigade had been reequipped to his satisfaction. Two battalions with T-72G tanks, and two mechanized battalions with BMP-2s (both coming from the Martin Factory in Czechoslovakia), an artillery battalion with 2S1 122-mm SP guns and a RM-70 MRL battery (also from Czechoslovakia), and an air defense battalion with ZSU-23-4s and Strela-10 (SA-13 Gopher) SAMs. While the equipment was as good as Colonel Qaddafi could buy-even with the war, the personnel replacements were another matter.

While some of the replacements had come from the hospital, and a lucky few had escaped the disaster in Colorado, what many called the Pueblo Cauldron, most were shipped from Libya, and their training left much to be desired. Not to mention that many of them were university students whose deferments had been rescinded, and most of that lot certainly didn't want to be here. The exceptions, though, were giving him some problems, for they were from the Jamiriyah Youth Movement, and their zeal was troubling to the Major. They were wild-eyed, idealistic, and thought that whatever was in Colonel Qaddafi's oeGreen Book would solve whatever difficulties they encountered. As for the others There had been a trickle of desertions, the Major knew, and he also knew that if his brigade took a drubbing, that trickle might become a flood.

Now, as he looked around at his brigade command group, he noticed two aircraft off to the south, and missile trails coming from them. Within two minutes, six of his brigade's vehicles had been destroyed, and his air-defense commander was on the radio, reporting that three of their Shilkas, two Strela-10 launch vehicles, and the BTR-60 belonging to his deputy had been hit. At the same time, the two aircraft came overhead, and he recognized them as American F-4 Phantoms. A quick glance to the south saw smoke trails in that direction, and growing closer. Air strike coming in, he saw at once. oeAIR ATTACK WARNING! The Major shouted, then he jumped into a roadside ditch. That was safer than being in a vehicle....

oeLead's in hot! That was Guru's call as he took 512 down on the bomb run. He spotted what looked like tanks to the northeast of the town, or what had been the town, of Huckabay. You'll do, Guru thought as some flak began to come up at him, not just from the Libyans, but the East Germans to the west. Ignoring the tracers after looking to see if any were the basketball-sized ones, and relived at not seeing any, the CO picked out some tanks and lined them up in his pipper. Should have stayed back in Libya, he said to himself as the tanks grew larger as he descended. oeSteady...Steady...And.....NOW! Guru hit his pickle button, sending a dozen Mark-20 Rockeye CBUs down onto the Libyans below. He then pulled up and away, applying power and jinking to avoid flak as he cleared the area. Then he made the call, oeLead's off safe.

oeMother of Allah.. the Libyan Major muttered as Guru's F-4 flew over. The aircraft hadn't picked the command group as a target, but had clearly seen something to the north, and the Major poked his head above the ditch to watch just as the CBUs came off the F-4. Several thousand firecrackers seemed to be going off as the CBUs exploded, and some of them found targets, for there were a number of fireballs erupting, and the Major knew right away who had been hit. The 62nd Tank Battalion was there, and that American had just found some of his tanks. The Major shook his head, then someone pulled him back into the ditch, for American planes didn't attack alone.

oeSHACK! Goalie called from 512's back seat. oeGot some secondaries!

oeHow many Guru asked as he continued jinking, watching as a SAM, either a SA-9 or SA-13, flew by on the right. He jinked right, then left, as another SAM flew above the aircraft, then he dropped low.

oeSeveral, and they're good.

oeSuits me, the CO said as he set course north.

oeTwo's in! Kara called as she took 520 down onto the Libyans below. She saw the CO's run, and decided to add to it, noting that a number of tanks were still unscathed. That wouldn't do, and she picked out a company's worth of armor on the right. Kara, too, ignored the flak coming up, and kept her focus on the bomb run. Okay, you should've stayed in Qaddafi-land, she thought as bomb release approached. Lining up on some T-72s, she got ready. oeAnd.....Steady...Steady...And....HACK! Kara hit her pickle button, releasing her own Rockeyes, then she pulled up and away. As Kara did, she applied power and began jinking, to give a harder time to the flak gunners and SAM operators below. When she cleared the area, she called, oeTwo's off target.

oeThis isn't happening, the Major heard someone in the ditch say. He turned, and it was his political leadership officer, not unlike a Soviet Army Political Officer, and this chap was Tripoli's eyes and ears in the brigade. The Major wasn't happy with this puppy, who seemed to be too idealistic, and it showed, with the man having promised the men that they would be in Chicago before the year was out. Shaking his head at that, the Major heard Kara's F-4 come over, and he was relieved that the command group wasn't a target. He lifted his head out of the trench, and saw the same sight as with the first plane. CBUs raining down on the 62nd Battalion's position. Among the firecrackers going off were a number of fireballs going up as tanks took CBU hits and exploded. Of all the....The Major then saw a ZSU-23-4 turn its turret back south, and right away, he ducked back into the ditch as the AA gun fired.

oeGOOD HITS! Brainiac called from 520's back seat.

oeHow good Kara asked as she continued jinking, dodging a shoulder-fired missile on the left, then an SA-9 or -13 on the right. Libyans or no, these guys were persistent.

oeSeveral tanks good.

oeI'll take those, Kara replied as she picked up the CO's smoke trail, then the CO's bird itself.

oeThree's in hot! Sweaty called as she came down on her bomb run. As she came in, she noticed what looked like towed artillery pieces setting up, and decided to hit those. Sweaty, too, ignored the flak that was coming up, and even a couple of shoulder-fired missiles that failed to guide, as she picked out her target. You are mine, she thought as the guns and prime movers grew larger as she closed in. oeSteady...Steady....And...And....HACK! Sweaty hit her pickle button, and a dozen Mark-20 CBUs came off the racks, falling onto the Libyan artillerymen below. Like the CO and Kara, she, too, applied power and pulled up and away, jinking as she did to avoid flak and to make the SAM operators try harder to lock her up. Once clear, Sweaty made her call, oeThree off target.

oeHere we go again, the Major muttered as the AA gunners opened up again, then came the rumble of a jet as Sweaty's F-4 came in on its run. He lifted his head, and saw the CBUs come off the aircraft as it came over. The Major knew what the target was even before the first bomblets exploded, for the F-4 had overflown his artillery battalion. Then came the explosions as the bomblets found targets, hitting the one battery that was already set up and ready to fire. Guns, prime movers, and stored ammunition all went up, followed by sympathetic detonations as more of the artillery ammunition was set off. Ducking back into the ditch as shrapnel flew in all directions, the Major wondered what else could go wrong this afternoon. The sound of more AA fire answered that question, for that meant another American aircraft was coming in.

oeBULLSEYE! Preacher yelled from Sweaty's back seat. oeMultiple secondaries!

oeWhat kind Sweaty asked. She, too, kept jinking, dodging some tracer fire, then a SA-9 or -13.

oeBig and multiple! Replied the ex-seminary student turned GIB.

oeGood enough, Sweaty grinned beneath her oxygen mask as she headed north.

oeFour in hot! Hoser called as he came in on his run. He saw Sweaty's run, and the multiple secondaries that resulted from it, and began looking for a suitable target. KT, in the back seat, spotted a group of vehicles to the east of the secondaries, and called them out. They'll do, Hoser thought, rolling in on them, and lining the vehicles up in his pipper. He, too, ignored the flak as he came in on the bomb run, and identified the vehicles, or so he thought. Command group Looks like it. They'll go away, he said to himself as Hoser lined them up. oeAnd.....Steady...And....And.....HACK! Hoser hit his pickle button, releasing his Rockeyes onto the Libyans below. After release, he pulled up and away, jinking just as the others did to avoid flak and SAMs. Once he got clear, he made his call. oeFour off target.

oeOf all the... the Libyan Major muttered as the AA guns opened up again, then he heard Hoser's F-4 come in. This time, it was right overhead, and he knew what the target was. Ducking his head, he heard the CBU bomblets going off, then explosions-very close, followed by screams. Only after the last of the CBU detonations did he lift his head, along with the others in the ditch, and he frowned. Most of the vehicles in the Brigade Command Group had been hit and were either burning or had already exploded. One man got up past him and shouted to some soldiers who were getting up from the ditch on the other side of the road, then there was an explosion as the Poltical Officer stepped on a bomblet. The man didn't even have a chance to scream as the bomblet blew him apart. At least the Americans have done me a favor, the Major thought. Then he began issuing orders. Time to sort this mess out, and see what would come of it.

East of the brigade, had he known, the Major would have been properly frightened. For the 3rd ACR was waiting to move. The 2nd Squadron's Major Monica Vansen was sitting on top of her M-1 tank, eyes glued to the scene, and watching through binoculars as the zoomies did their thing. Grinning, she turned to her new XO, who had commanded G Troop at the same time she had Eagle, before both had been promoted. oeWhen Regiment cuts the leash, we go down there and tear the Libyans a new asshole.

oeSuits me, Ma'am, the XO replied. oeAnd when we're done with them

oeDo the same to some East Germans west of Highway 108.

oeI like the way you talk, Ma'am. Then the XO headed to his Bradley, while she got on her radio and passed the word. Come on, Colonel, she said to herself. Turn us loose.

oeGOOD HITS! KT yelled from Hoser's back seat.

oeWe have secondaries Hoser asked as he jinked, dodging some tracers, then an SA-7, and after that, an SA-9 or -13.

oeSeveral, KT replied.

oeGood enough, Hoser said as he picked up Sweaty's bird.

oeFour in and out, Guru said in 512. oeTime to fly for ourselves. One-seven and One eight, get your asses clear of the target area.

oeRoger, Lead, Paul Jackson replied. The two RAF F-4Js dropped down low and headed north in Combat Spread. As they did, the two RAF birds drew some flak, and even a missile, but both cleared the target area. Once clear, they picked up the rest of the strike flight, and watched as Dave Golen and Flossy joined them.

oeCopy, Guru said. oeCovey, you have any BDA

oeMustang, Covey. You have a four-decimal-zero. Nice work, fella, the FAC replied. oeMaybe we can do this again sometime.

oeMaybe, replied Guru as the flight formed up. oeFlight, Lead. Let's head for Texaco. That was radio code for the tankers.

Mustang Flight then headed for the tanker track over Mineral Wells, then headed for Sheppard. When they got back, they were third in line, behind two other 335th flights. When it was their turn, the flight came in and landed, and as they taxied off the runway to their dispersal, Guru noticed the XO's flight and one other had been ahead of them. And when they got to the squadron's dispersal area.... oeWell...guess who didn't get a case of the stupids, he snorted as they taxied past the revetment for 657.

oeFrank Goalie asked matter of factly. She shook her head. oeHe got lucky. This time.

oeNot disagreeing with you, Guru replied. Sooner or later, Frank was going to pop, and the question was when, and what the fireworks would be afterwards.

The flight taxied to their revetments, and when Guru took 512 to its revetment, Sergeant Crowley and the ground crew were waiting. After taxiing in and shutting down, pilot and GIB went through the post-flight checklist, while the ground crew brought the crew ladder. oeFour and done for the day, Guru said with relief. oeAnd that's nearly sunset. The sun was low in the western horizon, signaling another day finished.

oeGood, Goalie said as she popped her canopy and Guru did the same. oeI've done my share today.

oeWe all have, Guru nodded as he climbed out of the cockpit and Goalie followed. A quick post-flight walk-around followed, then Sergeant Crowley was waiting with bottles of water for both of them. oeSarge, Guru said. oeFive-twelve's humming right along. Get her ready for the morning.

oeWill do, Major! Crowley beamed. oeHow'd she do

oeMade some Libyans go away, Guru replied after a swig of water.

oeOr at least, reconsider their choice of vocation, Goalie added. oeThose who lived, that is.

oeShit hot! Crowley said. oeUh, sir, ma'am...

Guru laughed. oeSarge, you can use that kind of language around here, he said. oeJust get her prepped.

oeYou got it, Major! Crowley said. oeAll right guys, you heard the CO. Let's get this bird ready for the morning! And the ground crew set to work with a will.

Guru and Goalie headed to the revetment's entrance, where Kara, Brainiac, Sweaty and Preacher were waiting. oeWell, how'd it go with you Got some tanks for us.

oeDropped near where you dropped, and got some more, Kara replied as Dave Golen, Flossy, their GIBs, and the RAF crews arrived.

oeGood job, Guru said. oeSweaty

oeMade some guns go away, as in up, grinned Sweaty.

oeThen came back down, in pieces, and their ammo went up as well, Preacher added.

oeNice work, the CO nodded. oeHoser

oeHit some command tracks, Hoser said. oeNot sure whose they were.

oeMaybe we got their CO, KT ventured.

A voice came up. oeMaybe. It was Sin Licon, the Squadron's Intel Officer. oeArmy may let us know. Or maybe not.

oeYou never can tell with those pukes, Kara said.

oeAin't that the truth Flossy said. oeAnyway, we had our Rifle shots.

oeHow'd those go Guru asked.

Dave Golen replied, oeTwelve shots, ten hits. Two went dumb.

oeGet any air defense tracks

oeSeveral, Flossy replied. oeTwo of mine, though, went dumb like Dave said, she spat.

oeI'll talk with Kerry Collins, Guru said. Capt. Kerry Collins was the de facto Ordnance Officer. oeSee what happened, and have him check the Mavs we still have.

oeHer bad luck, Kara added.

oeYeah, the CO nodded. oeAnd our British cousins

oeCame for the dance, and no one wanted to tango, Dave Gledhill said. oeToo bad.

oeThere's always tomorrow, Kara said. She was still looking for kill number ten, which would make her, for all she knew, the USAF's first female double ace-and extend her lead in kills over the rest of the squadron. Including the CO....

oeThere is, said Flight Lt. Susan Napier, Dave Gledhill and Paul Jackson's wingmate.

oeSin, Guru asked his intel. oeAnyone still out Then the rumble of jets answered that question.

oeOps Officer's flight, and that should be them, Licon replied as six F-4s, four USAF Es and two RAF Js, came into the pattern. Five of them broke away and came in to land, while the sixth made another go-around, and did a pair of victory rolls, before coming in to land.

oeSomebody got a pair, Sweaty noted. oeWho

The F-4J in question taxied in, and the pilot and GIB had their canopies popped. As they taxied in, the pilot showed two fingers to signal kills, as Dave Gledhill noted the serial: ZE 359. oeThat's Karen McKay.

oeWell, now, said Guru. oeAnyone in your unit get two in one hop

oeIt's been a while, Gledhill admitted. oeOne of the crews we lost got two Badgers in one mission.

oeOkay, we'll find out what she splashed at the Club, Guru said. oeBefore we do that, we need to get debriefed, check our IN boxes, and then we can go get a little crazy.

Kara looked at her CO. oeOnly a little

oeTomorrow night We've got a stand-down day after tomorrow, so we can let it out, Guru grinned.

oeAnd no Twelve-Hour, Brainiac added.

oeUnless you're sitting alert, Sweaty reminded everyone.

oeThere is that, said Guru. oeCome on, let's get going.

With that, they headed into the squadron's office to get the debriefing taken care of, then it would be time to let things rip in the Club.

**Matt Wiser** · 02-29-2020, 11:07 PM

And winding things up in the O-Club, it's "Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow they may not tell us from what's left of the aircraft."

Again, comments and questions are welcome!

335th TFS CO's Office, Sheppard AFB, TX: 1655 Hours Central War Time:

In his office, Major Matt Wiser sat behind his desk, getting the last of the day's paperwork out of the way. What had filled his IN box had been annoying, but this was stuff that the CO had to handle, instead of leaving it to the XO to take care of. Once the armchair warriors had been satisfied, with the OUT box being full, the CO got up and had a look outside his office window. It was getting dark, and with that, no more flying for the day. Oh, both the 335th and the Marines had people sitting Zulu Alert, for air defense, but other than that, the flying day was done. He was about to head on over to the Officer's Club when there was a knock on the door. oeYeah Come in and show yourself.

The XO came in, clipboard in hand. oeGot a few things for you, before knocking off, Capt. Mark Ellis said.

oeOkay, Mark, lay it on me, Guru said.

oeFirst, we'll have twenty-two birds for the morning. Two are getting pulled for hundred-hour checks, and the two new birds from Japan will fill in.

oeLovely, the CO nodded. oeMaintenance wants an early start

oeThat's what Kev O'Donnell said. Capt. Kevin O'Donnell was the Squadron's Maintenance Officer. One of the three nonflying officers in the squadron, with the flight surgeon and intelligence officer the other two, and all three could not be ignored or have the CO take their opinions lightly-which did happen in other squadrons....Not in the 335th.

oeAll right, and let me guess: half the squadron's getting the same thing day after tomorrow. That was when weather was coming in, and there would be a stand-down for weather, and getting caught up on maintenance.

oeFour-decimal-zero, Boss, Ellis replied.

Guru nodded. oeThat's that. What else

oeTwo new crews coming as well, the XO said, handing the CO a message form. oeComing tomorrow.

oeAs long as they're not all FNGs, the CO commented. oeI'd love to get a couple of seasoned hands, even if they're fresh out of the hospital and requalified.

Ellis nodded. oeTo be wished for, he said. oeOh, word on Airman Kellogg's family. He was referring to an airman whose family was missing-brother in the Navy who knew where, sister having fled Austin, and parents who had stayed behind as he and his brother had fled ahead of the invasion.

oeAnything definite

oeNo, nothing on the siblings, Ellis replied. oeChief Ross, though, has a contact in OSI, and is checking. But the parents Different story.

oeUh-oh... Guru said. oeI don't like the sound of this. Though I expected it, he thought. The last thing he wanted was to tell the underage airman his parents were dead.

The Exec didn't either. oeSame here. Ross talked to Ken Patrick-he's Ryan Blanchard's Master Sergeant. Captain Ryan Blanchard ran the detachment from the 4th Security Police Squadron attached to the 335, and the ex-Deputy Sheriff was another nonflyer that the CO trusted implicitly. oeHe's got contacts with the Army and the local Resistance people. One of his army contacts came through, and said that the parents' names are on a list that the local KGB and PSD put together.

oeLet me guess: a list of 'Reactionary and Counter-Revolutionary Elements'

oeThe same. No word on their fate, just that they were on the list.

Guru thought for a moment. That meant they were either in a labor camp or dead. oeAny word on that mass grave He was referring to a mass grave near what had been the town of Thornberry, where many of those who had oeDisappeared during the occupation had been found.

oeNot much, other than Ivan buried the bodies without any ID on them. They were forced to strip before being bound and shot, said Ellis. oeYou want to talk to Kellogg

oeNo, not tonight, Guru said. oeI'll fill him in tomorrow, the CO decided. oeHe does have a right to know.

Ellis nodded. oeOther than that Newspapers came in on the eastbound C-141, and we'll get them in the Club. As for the last thing Weather still unchanged. Storm due in late tomorrow night, and all the next day.

oeSo we do get our stand-down, the CO said, and Ellis nodded again in reply. oeGood. He checked the clock on the office wall. It read 1705. oeNow we're off the clock. Let's hit the Club.

When the CO and XO got to the Officer's Club tent, they found the place already rocking. Word about Karen McKay's kills had gotten around, the two found out, and it wasn't that often that someone from MAG-11 got two kills in one mission. The last time had been during the Su-24 raid, when Colonel Brady himself had a MiG-23 and an Su-24 to his credit, Guru recalled. And now one of their allies had matched it.

Guru and Ellis got to the bar, and found Smitty, the barkeep, there as usual. oeSmitty, what have you got today

The barkeep grinned. oeOlympia, Bud, Michelob, some Sam Adams, and the first shipment of Coors since they got going again.

oeSam Adams for me, the CO nodded.

oeBud here, the XO added.

Smitty produced the bottles, and after paying him, the two noticed Flight Lt. Karen McKay going through a wave of hands to a number of AF and Marine aircrew, showing how she had gotten her two kills. oeWonder what she splashed Guru wanted to know.

Just then, his RAF counterpart bellied up to the bar. oeSmitty, a Sam Adams, Dave Gledhill said.
After getting his beer, he turned to watch as McKay downed one beer, then went after another, and started the hand-waving show all over again. oeShe's on her third.

oeWho were the guys she splashed, Dave

Gledhill turned to the 335th CO. oeTwo Libyans. Not helos, mind you, but Su-22s.

oeFitters, Ellis nodded. It wasn't a question. oeLet me guess: those Libyans you guys took a crack at called for some help.

oeThey probably did, Gledhill replied, then he took a swig from his own bottle. oeNot that she's complaining.

oeNo, Guru said. He waved her over. oeSo, Flight Lieutenant, Guru said. oeCare to enlighten us on how you did it Just then, Colonel Brady came in with two of the Marine squadron commanders. All three came over. oeColonel, here's the woman of the hour.

The MAG-11 CO nodded. oeSo we've heard, Brady smiled. oeCongratulations, he offered his hand. As did the CO of VMFA-134 and VMFA-333, respectively.

After shaking the hands, McKay went on. oeWell, it went down like this, sirs. She began waving her hands-again. oeWe were covering the Ops Officer's flight- she nodded in the direction of Don Van Loan, who, as it turned out, was paying for the drinks- oein a TARCAP orbit. Then AWACS warns of bandits, then four Fitters come in as if they're looking for trouble.

oeRussians or East Germans Asked -134's CO.

oeNeither, McKay replied. oeGreen circles on the wings and tail.

oeLibyans, Colonel Brady noted. oeKeep going.

oeYes, sir, McKay said. She went on. oeThey saw us, and jettisoned their bombs. Then they broke into pairs and went after us. Turned into the lead element, did a high yo-yo, then rolled right. They were in a left turn, and I turned in behind them. Got lock on the wingman with a Sidewinder, and shot one off. Flew up his exhaust and blew off his tail. His canopy fires, the seat launches, and there he is in a chute.

oeThat's one, Smitty said. He couldn't help but overhear the talk.

oeIt was, McKay grinned. oeThe leader He's still in a left turn, then he reverses, then reverses again. Had to go into another high yo-yo, rolled left to keep visual. Then I applied left rudder and went into a power dive and got behind him. Too close for a Sidewinder, so I used the gun pod.

oeWhen Dave Golen hears this Said Ellis. oeHe's going to slap you on the back-and hard.

oeThe Israelis value gun kills most of all, Guru added. oeHe might just buy you enough to get drunk.

oeShe's halfway there, Dave Gledhill pointed out.

oeOne thing at a time-sir, McKay said. oeAnyway, he starts smoking, then he rolls inverted and goes into the ground. No chute.

oeAnd the other two Colonel Brady asked.

oeWhen they saw what happened to the lead pair They turned and went the way they came. The last of Don's flight calls off target, then we join up on them.

oeCongratulations, Guru said. oeNow, one person who may not be thrilled about this is Captain Thrace. She's top gun in the 335th with nine kills, and I'm her next closest competitor.

Ellis nodded. oeUntil now, he pointed out.

oeUntil now.

Just then, Kara came into the O-Club, and had Ms. Wendt, the Aussie reporter who was now attached to the 335th, with her. They were talking about something, and the reporter nodded as they did. oeWhy's Kara so calm with the reporter Ellis asked.

oeGood question, Guru said.

oeWhen are you taking her and her cameraman up, Major Colonel Brady asked.

oeDay after tomorrow, sir, Guru replied. oeIf the weather clears in the afternoon, he added. oeI'm taking the cameraman up, and Captain Thrace has Ms. Wendt in the back seat.

oeTrying to scare her out of here Mckay joked.

oeShe's made of sterner stuff, said Guru. oeShe's been through at least one Scud attack and that Su-24 strike, and came through with flying colors.

oeGood luck with her, sir. McKay said, then she went back to the table where she'd been demonstrating her kills.

oeThanks.

After she got to the table, McKay found Maj. Dave Golen, IDF, waiting, along with Flossy and their GIBs. When Golen found out her second kill was with the SUU-23 gun pod, sure enough, the IDF Major slapped her on the back, then nearly crushed her with a bear hug. oeThat answers that, Mark Ellis observed.

oeSure does, Guru said, as Goalie and the rest of his flight came in and got their table. It wasn't far from where Karen McKay was holding court. oeColonel, looks like I'll be with my people. And unless I'm wrong, tomorrow's going to be a maximum effort.

oeYou're not. Days before stand-downs usually are, Brady agreed. oeYou have a good evening, Major.

oeWill do, sir. Guru then went to his flight's table, and found most of them there, with Kara and Sweaty talking with Karen McKay. oeWell Have a talk with her yet

oeWho'd she splash Goalie asked. oeEast Germans or Libyans would be my guess.

oeLibyans, Guru nodded. oeTwo Fitters. And apart from Colonel Brady on that Su-24 raid, when's the last time anyone flying from here got two kills in one mission

Hoser replied, oeOur recently-departed friends in F-20s, Boss.

oeClancy and Pruitt, KT added. oeThose two young pups when they ran into that recon flight with Yeager.

oeForgot about those guys, Guru admitted. Then the intel officer came over, with a bunch of newspapers in his hands. oeWhatcha got there, Sin

oeToday's newspapers, Sin Licon said, just as Kara and Sweaty came back to the table. oeWhat's our double Fitter killer saying

oeOther than setting a record for getting drunk before Twelve-Hour Kara quipped, and there were a few laughs at that. oeNot much than what you probably know already. But I got this impression: the flight she engaged They came in expecting to get shot down.

Heads nodded at that. Most Libyan aircrew encountered seemed to expect getting splashed. Either they were fatalistic, or just plain knew that they were in inferior aircraft for the most part, and their chances going up against an F-4, let alone an F-15 or F-16. oeI'll second that, Boss, Sweaty added.

oeI had that feeling when Karen recounted the story to me and Colonel Brady, Guru said.

Hearing that, Sin was curious. Off-duty or not, he was still a spook. oeWhat gave you that idea

oeThe wingman didn't maneuver hardly at all, once she got on his tail, Kara said. oeHe was like 'Here I am, shoot me.' And she did just that.

oeAnd the leader Sweaty chimed in. oeHe tried some evasive maneuvering, but kept it in the horizontal. Reversed his turn a few times, but didn't go into the vertical or anything.

oeHe did force her to overshoot, Guru pointed out.

oeThat, and I'd say that was the minimum he did, Kara said. oeOnce she got back in gun range, that was it.

oeAnd so it was, Preacher added.

oeThat's that, Guru said. oeOkay, Sin. What's in the papers

oeL.A. Times for you, Boss, the Intel said, handing the paper to the CO. oeOrange County Register for Goalie.

oeThanks, Goalie said as she took the paper.

oeUSA Today for who Seeing Kara nod, Licon handed the paper to her. oeAnd Stars and Stripes for Sweaty, said the Intel.

Sweaty nodded thanks as she took the paper.

oeBoss, that....caper you're putting together Sin asked. Seeing the CO nod, he added, oeIf you need anything else, let me know.

oeWill do, Sin, Guru said. The Intel went to a table with the Ops Officer's flight, while Guru scanned the front page. oeNot much happening in the big picture, he noticed. When the front-page story was about the former Mayor of L.A., Tom Bradley, announcing plans to run for a U.S. Senate seat in California, it meant the war on this day wasn't much. oeOur little part was pretty lively.

oeIt was, Kara grinned. oeUSA Today has something on the protests in West Germany. They had 75,000 in West Berlin, and they were right up against the Wall.

oeWhat's the reaction from the other side KT asked.

oeDoesn't say, but they did have banners that could be seen from the watch towers. Telling the guards they were serving a criminal regime, anyone in the East German Army doing the same thing, they should defect, that sort of thing.

oeGot one here, Sweaty added. oeThey had 200,000 in Hamburg, and they marched from City Hall to the Russian Consulate.

Goalie shook her head. oeBet that made the KGB not very happy. There's this, she said. oePage four, OC Register.

oeWhat Guru asked.

oeSeems some tourists in Budapest-they were on a Danube River cruise-reported when they got back to Vienna that they saw an anti-war protest being put down by the Hungarian cops.

oeYou sure, Goalie Sin Licon asked. He was at a nearby table, but within earshot.

oeThat's what it says. They said it was several hundred people, Goalie replied, scanning the article.

oeFirst protest in a East Bloc country since the war Kara asked as she went through USA Today.

oeThat we know of, Sin Licon reminded them.

Guru nodded at that. oeWon't see anything of that sort in East Berlin, I'll bet.

Kara heard that. oeBoss, that's one bet I wouldn't take.

oeYou've got that right. Guru went to another article. oeSays here Gary Hart's going to run for the Senate again,

oeThat half-brain Preacher asked. oe'Where's the beef' that Mondale quipped, and all that

oeThe same, and I doubt Colorado voters are going to be in a good mood: Half of the state was occupied, the Denver siege, all of it. And the kicker's this: he voted against most of the weapons systems we're using right now to fight this war.

oeHe have a political death wish or what Sweaty wanted to know.

oeGuess so.

Then the restaurateurs came in with dinner. oeFolks, it's chowtime. We've got Barbequed chicken or pork chops, and Salisbury Steak. With all the fixin's. Come and get it.

After people got their meals and sat back down, the CBS Evening News came on from L.A.. oeGood evening from Los Angeles, Walter Cronkite began. oeEnemy forces in Central and West Texas launched a series of spoiling attacks against the line held by both U.S and South Korean forces today, but were repulsed. Heavy fighting was reported in places ranging from south of Big Spring and Abeline, to north of occupied Stephenville. Our reporter with the Americal Division, Jim Kerr, formerly from our affiliate KCBS in Los Angeles, leads off.

oeHere, near the town of Huckabay, the Libyans and East Germans came north, Kerr said. oeOnly the Americal Division and some Armored Cavalry were waiting. The camera showed a mix of Americal Division mechanized infantry and some Cavalry troopers engaging the enemy, and off in the distance, the occasional fireball erupted as enemy vehicles took fire and exploded. oeBut they weren't alone, as the Air Force came into the picture. Then the camera showed A-7s and F-4s (the former being VA-135, but what the reporter didn't know, he couldn't say, and the latter being both AF and Marine) making their runs, and Libyan vehicles exploded as bombs and missiles found their targets. The reporter then came to a female Cav officer-who was easy to pick out because of the Stetson she wore. oeMajor, what's next

oeGo down there once the Air Force does its job, then we tear some Libyans apart. And the East Germans while we're at it, the Cav Major replied.

oeHow tough are they The reporter asked.

oeThe East Germans are first-class SOBs, pardon my French, said the Major. oeLibyans Different story. Some are good, but most of 'em don't want to be here.

oeThanks, Major, and good luck, said the reporter. oeWhile we were waiting, two American aircraft ran into some East German or Libyan aircraft, and two of the enemy went down, Kerr said, and the camera showed first one, then another aircraft falling in flames, to the cheers of the Cav and Americal troopers. Then the Armored Cavalry rolled into the attack. oeAnd now, the Cav is going after the Libyans. Jim Kerr, with the Americal Division, Central Texas.

oeKaren Dave Gledhill said. oeLooks like you were on the news, even if they got who was flying the Phantoms wrong.

oeNot their fault they couldn't see the roundels from that far below, McKay cheerfully replied.

After a story about Key West, and how the southernmost town in the U.S was handling being the closest city to Cuba, and seeing locals point out where two POWs had landed a homemade raft after escaping from the island, things shifted to Philadelphia. There, the big story was the continuing investigation into Senator Proxmire's aides, and reported ties two of those aides had to the Cuban DGI.

oeIf he's got any guts, he'll say he's not going to run for reelection, Colonel Brady observed.

oeHe does like his milk subsidies, VA-135's CO pointed out.

Hearing that, Cosmo grumbled, oeStill want to give him a gift membership in the Flat Earth Society. She, like many others in the astronomy and space science communities, harbored a grudge against the senator, whose anti-NASA views were well known.

oeYou've got reason, Guru told his squadron mate.

After a story about life aboard the reactivated cruiser Salem, and old hands' reaction to female sailors reporting aboard, it was one of Ms. Wendt's stories.

oeHere, at an air base in a liberated part of Texas, Brigadier General Chuck Yeager brought a new aircraft to this base, Ms. Wendt said. oeThe F-20 Tigershark, and those who fly the F-4s here were not so pleased. Footage of Yeager's arrival and his people followed. The camera focused not only on Yeager, but also on Clancy, Pruitt, and Prada. oeWhen the F-20s got into a fight with some Russians, opinions changed-slightly. The camera showed the kills displayed on the four F-20s-three of them with red stars, and General Yeager's F-20C with his WW II score of 11.5 Germans, and one Russian from this war. oeGeneral, what happened She asked Yeager.

The General replied in his West Virginia drawl. oeWe went up on a demonstration flight, and some Russians crashed the party. We fought, they lost.

oeAnd General Yeager and the young pilots with him are showing what the next generation of fighters can do, Wendt said, as the camera showed Clancy, Pruitt, and Prada hand-waving for the camera, with some 335th aircrew paying attention. oeJana Wendt, CBS News, with the U.S. Air Force, Liberated Texas.

oeWell.... Mark Ellis said. oeThat was interesting.

oeSure was, Kara agreed. oeYou do know some of us have unfinished business with those clowns. She had vowed to teach that punk Clancy a lesson. Or two, or three, until he got the message.

oeDown, girl, Guru said firmly. oeShe's right, though. One of these days...preferably in an F-15E, he said to himself. oeSo when's the next piece

Ms. Wendt smiled. oeThere's more on him for tomorrow, with that mock dogfight you had with him. Then the piece on your mascot, she said.

oeGood.

After a Charles Kuralt On the Road story from Columbia, South Carolina, home of Fort Jackson and its Basic Training, the broadcast wrapped. oeFrom all of us at CBS News, good night, said Cronkite. After the news, AFN showed a rerun of a Chicago Bears-New Orleans Saints game from 1983. oeNews and football, Goalie noted. oeHell of a war.

oeEven if no matter how often it's rerun, the Bears win, Guru said. He got up and went to get some nachos, and while waiting on the order, he noticed Frank talking with Doc and his usual table mates. It was clear to Guru, watching the whole thing, that Frank was doing most of the talking, for the others at the table simply nodded or shrugged their shoulders. He watched as Doc got up and came to the bar. oeDoc, the CO nodded. oeHow's Frank

oeSame as always, Doc said. oeTonight, he's wailing about not getting the F-20 again, and that Article 15.

oePretty much it, the sawbones replied. He got another beer. oeHe's under a ton of pressure, and he'll snap if he's not too careful.

oeGoing to give him a checkup Guru asked as his order appeared. He paid, then waited for Doc's answer.

Doc thought for a moment. oeI just might.

oeIf you can find any reason to ground him, and ship him off for some tests, Guru reminded him. oeYou would be doing this squadron a favor.

oeI know, but he's still the poster child for passing a flight physical, the flight surgeon told the CO. oeSo far, nothing leaps out.

Guru knew it, but still.... oeWell, given the pressure he's under, see if you can find a reason anyway. Even if it's Emotional Instability, he said. oeShip him off for some tests, then they shunt him into a desk job for the rest of the war.

oeI'll try, but so far, he's passed every exam with flying colors, Doc said.

oeAll you can do, Guru reminded him, then the CO went back to his table. oeDoc's going to try and see if he can find a reason to ground Frank.

oeGood, Kara spat. oeShip him off and make him somebody else's problem.

Guru sure didn't want to do that, inflicting Frank on a fellow officer, and yet, it was likely anyway. oeCollateral damage, he said.

oeUnfortunately, Goalie added, sympathizing with her pilot and lover.

oeWith that, it's time, Kara said, getting up and going over to the pool table. She first disposed of a Marine ground officer, then a transiting C-130 navigator, followed by the nav's pilot. Seeing that, Mark Ellis came over to the CO's table.

oeBoss, looks like she's on a roll again.

oeYou noticed, Guru said, starting on his second beer. oeDid you also see the ferry drivers He nodded in the direction of a table where the four ferry crews were seated, and yet, talking with some of the 335th's people. oeThey either know her personally or know about her. No way are they taking a chance.

oeThey value their wallets being full, the XO observed.

oeYeah. And the lead ferry pilot told me that he knows of at least one female who's had to uh, use, Kara's alternative payment plan.

When he heard that, the XO wasn't the least bit surprised. oeWe would've found out sooner or later, he said matter of factly.

Guru nodded. oeSurprised it took us this long to find out He asked. Then the CO saw two of the RAF Regiment officers head to the pool table. oeUh-oh...now to see how this plays.

Dave Gledhill came over. oeI warned you about the Rockapes, he grinned. oeNow we'll see who's better.

oeFamous last words, Dave, replied Guru.

One of the Rockape officers laid down his money, then Kara did the same. It didn't take long for the RAF officer to show his skills, and Kara was out $50.00. She went to the bar, got another beer, then went to accept the other challenger. This fellow, though, wasn't as lucky as his friend, and he was soon out $50.00. oeOne for two, Gledhill observed.

oeThis time, said Guru.

oeFifteen minutes until Twelve-Hour! Doc Waters called from the bar.

oeAll right, people! Colonel Brady announced. oeWe've got one major item of business to take care of, and it involves one of our RAF visitors. He nodded at Dave Gledhill. oeSquadron Leader Gledhill, will you do the honors

oeMy pleasure, Colonel, Gledhill replied. oeFlight Leftenants Karen McKay and Razor Wilkinson, step forward!

Both pilot and GIB came front and center, and they knew what this was all about. First double kill scored by a Sheppard-based crew since the big Su-24 raid had been broken up. oeWe know what this is all about... she was heard to mutter.

oeYou two scored our first double kill of The Tigers' Texas deployment, Gledhill began. oeLast mission of the day, so let's hear it.

oeGladly, Dave, McKay said. Then the two of them recounted the Fitters coming in, how they got behind the lead element and lined up the wingman, before nailing him with a Sidewinder shot. Then it was the leader's turn, and how he went through the motions of evasive action before McKay got in behind him, and had to use the SUU-23 20-mm gun pod to kill the Fitter.

oeMy friends! IDF Maj. Dave Golen stood up. oeBack home, you'd be heroes! They would forget you used a missile on the wingman, and got a gun kill!

oeSidewinders are there, so why not use 'em Don Van Loan asked. oeIt's what they're there for.

oeTrue, but as we all know, there's no kill like a gun kill, Golen replied.

oeForgive my element lead, Flossy said as she stood up. oeHe's slightly drunk. Though personally, she preferred using a Sidewinder....

oeOr more than slightly, Jang added, seeing Golen grin.

Colonel Brady smiled. oeIn that case, here's to the Fitter killers, he said, raising his bottle, and everyone followed suit. oeAnd drink up! You've got ten minutes until Twelve-Hour.

That was one order everyone was glad to obey. Ten minutes later, Doc Waters rang the bar bell. oeTwelve-Hour now in effect!

Those flying in the morning turned in their drinks and got something nonalcoholic.

oeSo, Boss, Sweaty asked her CO. oeWhat's on tap for the morning

oeNo idea, but day after tomorrow's the stand-down for weather, and I'll bet any amount of money that tomorrow's a maximum effort.

oeCAS Preacher asked. oeHad enough of that this afternoon.

oeYou never know, KT pointed out.

oeThat's the sorry truth, Goalie said. oeHow many times have we gone on a strike, come back, and find out we're doing a quick turnaround because the Army's hollering for CAS

Guru nodded. oeEnough, he said.

Things went on until 2100, when one of the Navy flight surgeons rang the bar bell. oeAircrew curfew now in effect!

Those flying in the morning headed off to Officer Country, for it wouldn't be long until 0430 and another day of flying beckoned.

**pmulcahy11b** · 03-01-2020, 09:46 AM

Just a possible flavoring bit should it come up:

American pilots and aviators have a slang, "Fox Four." This means you intend to ram the enemy aircraft. It's a joke more than anything else, but could also be deadly serious.

**Matt Wiser** · 03-01-2020, 09:17 PM

Having a girlfriend who's also a fighter pilot gives me more than a few insights...she flies for the CA ANG, and has also put me in touch with a few retired F-4 drivers who flew for the Guard in the '80s. They, too, have been helpful with how things go in the F-4.

Anyway, the Fox codes...

Attached Files

**cawest** · 03-05-2020, 03:38 PM

nice work. took me two days to catch up. looking forward to more.

**Matt Wiser** · 03-05-2020, 09:18 PM

FYI the only active radar missile in theater (or anywhere else, for that matter) is the AIM-54A/C Phoenix, on the F-14. There is a shore-based Navy squadron in Tenth Air Force, and they go on Foxbat hunts, and also have splashed a Mainstay.

**RN7** · 03-05-2020, 11:05 PM

Matt just remind me who is in this war as your write-up is now so vast it would take weeks to go back reading through it

Good Guys: USA, UK, Canada, South Korea.

I think Japan, China, Australia and Israel are also on the good side. Who else

Bad Guys: USSR, East Germany, Cuba, Libya, Nicaragua and Mexico

Other baddies I think are Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Vietnam, North Korea. Are they also in North America and who else is on the Soviet side

And what of the French

**swaghauler** · 03-06-2020, 07:38 PM

Originally posted by Matt Wiser View Post

FYI the only active radar missile in theater (or anywhere else, for that matter) is the AIM-54A/C Phoenix, on the F-14. There is a shore-based Navy squadron in Tenth Air Force, and they go on Foxbat hunts, and also have splashed a Mainstay.

What happened to all the AIM 7E and [solid state] AIM 7F Sparrows They are Actively Guided and were the most produced radar-guided missiles in the US inventory [excepting that the AIM 7F was introduced in the mid '70s, the production of which will be affected by your timeline]. I can see all the AIM 7Ms being gone since only a few hundred were made starting in 1982, but there should be at least a few AIM 7Es left. They were the standard radar-guided missile for the Air Force.

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