Semi-OT: Red Dawn fan fic

[Matt Wiser]

Part II: the reporter and cameraman get their "Check Ride":



Over the Texas Panhandle, 1420 Hours Central War Time:


The two F-4s that made up Corvette Flight were headed west as they entered the old Scud Box. Bounded by Childress, Tulia, Abernathy, and Paducah, this had been one of Ivan's favorite Scud launch areas during the interval between PRAIRIE FIRE I and II that summer, and the 335th had spent a lot of time and effort, along with at least one crew, hunting Scuds. They had done the job, not always successfully, the pilots told their backseat passengers. Lots of places to hide in the day, and the bad guys were doing the old oeShoot and scoot firing technique. Then there had been the air-to-air action, along with their usual strikes into the enemy rear.

oeWasn't this where you got your gun kill Trevor Scott, the cameraman, asked from 512's back seat.

oeWho told you Major Matt Wiser asked. oeYou guys weren't with us then.

oeSweaty and Hoser told us, Jana Wendt called from 520. oeThey gave us the lowdown on what you guys did out here.

In that bird's pilot seat, Captain Kara Thrace shook her head. oeFigures, she muttered. oeWell, yeah, we did some air-to-air.

oeAnd she made ace out here, Major Wiser replied. oeThough her post-ace celebration was...memorable.

oeGuru, don't you start that story, Kara shot back with mock indignation. oeWe're on an open channel here.

oeWhat happened Wendt asked. oeIf it's as naughty as you say, we can't air it.

Kara shook her head. Might as well tell my version. oeWell, I got a little drunk.

oeMore than a little, I'll say, Guru chimed in.

oeHey, this is MY story, okay Kara said. oeI took a few guys to the supply tent to celebrate, then they found me the next morning.

oeAs naked as the day she was born, Guru quipped. oeMore than slightly drunk, sitting in the front seat of an F-4, and having puked all over the cockpit of said airplane.

Wendt was surprised. oeNot yours, I hope

oeNo, and before you ask, not the CO's, either, Guru said. oeIt was that snotty Major we've all had problems with.

oeAnd his ground crew had to clean it up, Kara added.

oeThey did, Guru said. He checked his map, looked outside and below, then nodded. They were there. oeAll right, this is the Scud Box. Two, let's get down low, show our guests some of our old stomping grounds, then do some turnin' and burnin'.

Music to my ears, Kara thought. oeLet's do it. Hang on, Ms. Wendt, and you're about to have the most fun you'll ever have with your clothes on.

oeOh, shit, Jana Wendt muttered, then she pulled an airsickness bag from one of her flight suit pockets. The other female pilots and backseaters-GIBs they called themselves-Girls in Back-had told her to stuff her pockets with those bags. If she was going to fly with Kara, they had said, you'll need every last one you can find.

oeReady Mr. Scott Guru asked.

oeCamera's ready, Scott replied. oeLet's go.

Guru smiled beneath his oxygen mask. oeGlad to oblige. He then turned 512 into a hard diving left turn. oeFollow me, Two.

oeWith you, Kara replied. oeLike I said, hang on. Then Kara followed the CO's bird down.

oeOh, shit, Ms. Wendt said, holding onto the airsickness bag with one hand, and her camera with the other.

Guru and Kara went down low, down to 2500 Feet, then pulled up. After doing that, they went through some basic ACT maneuvering, then some barrel rolls, high and low yo-yos, even a couple of rolling scissors-one vertical, one horizontal.

oeHow do you like it, Mr. Scott Guru asked as they finished the horizontal scissors.

oeHaven't had to use one of these bags, the cameraman replied cheerfully. oeI'm having a ball.

oeGetting some good footage

oeYou'll like it, Scott said. oeJana, how's things over there

In 520's back seat, Ms. Wendt was groping for an empty airsickness bag. She had used several already. oeHanging in there, she said, trying to be as stoic as possible, despite the queasiness in her stomach . She knew these fighter pilots were still hoping that they'd be able to scare her back to reporting on the war from CBS in Los Angeles, and she wasn't going to give them that pleasure, the CO's previous remarks notwithstanding. oeYou guys do this every day.

oeAll the time, Kara replied. oeBoss, what's next

oeYou do the honors, Guru said. oeShow a SAM break. I'll call it.

oeReady.

oeRoger that, Guru said. He thought for a moment, then called. oeSAM, Five O'clock.

Without hesitating, Kara pulled sharply high and to the right, then she came around in a 180, before rolling back in. oeHow'd you like that

oeHow many Gs was that Ms. Wendt asked, trying not to throw up.

oeOh, only six, Kara said.

Only six It felt like six hundred, the reporter thought. oeI'll take your word for it. She reached for another bag-and saw she only had two left. Careful, now...

In 512, Guru grinned beneath his oxygen mask. If she's getting sick, good. Now they'll know what we do day in and day out. oeYour turn, Mr. Scott, he told the cameraman. oeReady

oeWhen you are, Major, Scott replied, getting ready to film.

oeKara, call it, Guru said.

oeRoger, Lead. Kara thought for a second or two, then she made the call. oeLead, SAM, Eight O'clock!

Guru pulled high and to the left, putting the F-4 into a turn that was high and tight, rolling inverted as he did. He rolled back, did a 180, then came in to join up on 520. oeHow was that, Mr. Scott

oeLoved it, Scott called back. Beneath his oxygen mask, he had a grin from ear to ear. oeThis is great!

oeNot so great when they're shooting at you, Guru reminded him-and Ms. Wendt as well. oeWatched a CO get killed on me, two weeks into the war, he said. oeCalled the SAM, and next thing I see is that his bird's a fireball. Nobody got out.

oeUgh, Scott said.

oeYeah. Happened twice in those days, losing the CO, and lost an XO, too-on Day One. Those early days were rough. Enough of that, the CO decided. oeTwo, let's get back down low. Show our guests some of our old targets. Then Guru took 512 back down low.

oeMy pleasure, Kara said. oeHang on again, Ms. Wendt, she said as she followed the CO.

oeOh, God, Wendt muttered as she reached for another bag as the maniac in the front seat-or so it seemed-took the fighter down.

They flew around for a few minutes, showing the reporters two of their old Scud targets, and a helo field that still had wrecked helicopters still sitting where they had been blasted. oeWhen we did a Scud Hunt out here Guru said. oeWe also had other targets, if we couldn't find what we were looking for.

oeYou mean that chopper field Scott asked.

oeNo, that was a preplanned strike, but there were plenty of opportunity targets, let's put it that way.

oeIf it was a military target out here, Kara added. oeMilitary traffic on the roads, a supply dump, truck park, and on and on. You name it, we hit it.

oeThat we did, Guru said. oeBefore that, we put the hurt on the bad guys retreating from Amarillo. They're still clearing wreckage from I-27 and U.S. 287. All right, now. Let's show these two an Immelmann, then stay high. Almost time to go home.

oeRight with you, Kara said, joining up on her Lead.

oeReady...Ready.....NOW! Guru pulled back on the stick and applied full military power. Kara did the same, and both F-4s pulled up. They went through the cloud deck, coming out at 19,000 Feet, then they split-Guru going right, and Kara going left. They leveled out just above the clouds.

oeIs that it Ms. Wendt asked, and everyone listening could hear how shaken she was.

oeIt is, Guru said. oeTwo, on me, and let's go home.

oeRoger that, Kara said. She did a 180, then joined up on Guru, who then turned east towards Sheppard.

oeThat was interesting, Scott said. He glanced around, then above, and something caught his eye. oeMajor, somebody's above us, and they're really high.

Guru looked up, and sure enough, so high one could barely make out an aircraft, but it was there. oeHe's smokin', the CO noted. The bogey-whoever he was, was going fast. oeToo fast for a U-2.

oeWho is it Ms.Wendt asked. She couldn't pick out the aircraft, but was taking the CO's word for it.

oeThat high Kara said. oeEither an SR-71 or a Foxbat recon bird. What they call a MiG-25R or RB.

oeCan you get him if you had to Scott wanted to know.

oeToo high, and too fast, Guru said. oeOnly way to nail a Foxbat in an F-4 is to jump him on takeoff-which is how I got my Foxbat kill. Or you get him on landing. Other than that You need an F-14 or F-15. Though a blue-suiter to the bone, he was enough of a professional to know that a Phoenix from an F-14 was the best Foxbat-killer out there. And he'd seen it happen more than once.

oeWell, this has been interesting, Scott said, looking around. All that was beneath them was clouds. oeAnd for Jana's benefit, how do you know when we're back

oeJust time and distance, since normally I'd have Goalie in the back seat working the nav system, but we're almost home. Guru then took 512 down into the clouds, then came out beneath, with Kara right behind him, and the Wichita Falls area was revealed. oeHere we are, he said. Then the CO called the Tower for landing instructions.

oeMajor, could you have Kara come in a minute or two behind us Scott asked. oeI should be behind the camera when she gets out.

oeNot a problem, Guru replied. oeTwo, wait a couple minutes, then call the Tower and come on in.

In 520, Kara grinned beneath her oxygen mask. oeMy pleasure.

oeOh, God, Ms. Wendt moaned. She was out of airsickness bags.

Guru heard that, and grinned himself. oeAll right, he told Mr. Scott after hearing from the Tower. oeWe're coming in. Guru then got into the pattern, waiting for the eastbound C-141 to land, then he made his approach and landing.

After touchdown, he taxied in, and popped his canopy. A good-sized crowd was watching: AF, Marines, Navy, and RAF. They saw him taxi into the squadron's dispersal area, then into 512's revetment. Before shutting down, he called the Tower and told them to go ahead and clear Corvette Two in.

Then he and Mr. Scott got out, and after a quick post-flight, shook hands with Sergeant Crowley, who, as usual, had a bottle of water for both. oeHow'd it go, sir And for you, Mr. Scott

oeNew experience for me, Scott replied. oeI've been in helicopters, but this was totally different. There, you're packed in with a dozen or more people, and you're low and slow enough anyone can shoot at you. And often did, he remembered from his Vietnam days, the last one a ride in a South Vietnamese CH-47 going back to Saigon from Xuan Loc two weeks before the end of that war.

oeLeave that to the rotorheads, Guru said, even though a good friend was such a driver, and had brought back two of his own after they had to bail out-a few days into being a squadron commander. Then Kara's F-4 made another flyby. oeKara's coming in. Get your camera ready.

Scott produced his 8-mm, and both he and Guru went to watch as Kara's F-4 came in and landed. The F-4 taxied in, front canopy popped and raised, before taxiing into the squadron's dispersal area, then finding its revetment. Only after shutting down did the crowd approach, and at the lead of that was Colonel Brady.

oeMajor, Mr. Scott, Brady said. oeHow'd it go

oeI'll defer to Mr. Scott, sir, Guru said.

oeIt was one hell of an experience, Colonel. Wouldn't mind doing it again, Scott said. He looked at 520 as the ground crew brought the crew ladder.

oeWant to do it with the Marines Brady asked. oeSay the word, and I'll arrange it.

oeLove to, but I don't now about Jana, the cameraman replied, nodding at 520.

oeThen we'd best go see, Brady said.

Both canopies were now open, and Kara had taken off her helmet, and both she and her Crew Chief were helping Ms. Wendt. The reporter shakily stood up, then climbed down from the Phantom. Then she got down on her hands and knees and promptly threw up! oeWhere's Doc Kara asked.

oeHe's comin', said Guru as a Dodge Crew-Cab pickup arrived, and the flight surgeon got out. oeYou have to arrive in style

The flight surgeon was cheerful. oeFirst semi-emergency call in a while, the sawbones replied. oeAnd she may need a ride back to Medical.

oeGot anything The CO asked as they went into the revetment.

oeDramamine's right here, Doc said, producing a bottle.

They went over as Ms. Wendt sat up, and Kara was standing over her. oeYou all right

oeLike shit, the reporter moaned. oeIs that all right for you

oeFor a first-timer, it sounds good enough. Doc's here, said Kara as the CO and the Flight Surgeon arrived.

Doc came up. oeWant something for your stomach

Ms. Wendt nodded. oePlease, she moaned. The sawbones gave her two pills, which she swallowed, and then guzzled some water. oeThanks....

oeWas it worth it, Ms. Wendt Guru asked as he got there, with Colonel Brady and quite a few others behind.

oeYou still trying to scare me out of here Wendt asked as she staggered to her feet. oeTold you guys I was staying. And I mean it, she added as she staggered towards Doc's truck.

Guru nodded as Mr. Scott kept filming. oeI know, but still...Had to ask.

oeYou're not getting rid of me that easy, the reporter said as Doc helped her into the right front seat of the truck. oeHow many Gs was that Five million

Guru looked at Kara, who shrugged. oeJust six, Kara said.

Goalie came up. oeShe pass

oeJust, Guru said. He turned to Kara's crew chief. oeSarge, how many bags did she leave

oeHow many did she have The Staff Sergeant wanted to know.

Mr. Scott got close. oeJana, how many bags did you take

She moaned. oeTwelve...

oeA dozen, Guru said to the Crew Chief.

The Staff Sergeant nodded with a look of disgust on his face. oeTwelve here, he said. oeGood thing she didn't puke all over the cockpit. At least he'd have the assistant CC clean them up.

oeYou guys aren't scaring me out of here that easy, Ms. Wendt said, staggering to her feet. oeBesides, I've still got stories to do.

Sweaty was standing next to Kara. oeTold you, she said.

Without a word, Kara opened a flight suit pocket and pulled out several $20 bills. She handed one to Sweaty, another to Goalie, and then Flossy, KT, the XO, Cosmo, Revlon, and a couple of others.

Then Guru, Goalie, Kara, Sweaty, Flossy, the XO, and Brainiac all got close to Ms. Wendt. oeWell, Ms. Wendt, you and Mr. Scott now know what we do day in and day out, said the CO. oeWith one difference.

oeWhat's that Mr. Scott asked.

oeSimple, Kara said. oeNobody was shooting at us, she nodded. oeNo SAMs, no Triple-A, no MiGs. Or seeing somebody in your flight-or another friendly-turn into a fireball or having to bail out.

Guru nodded. oeAnd we've all seen that too many times, he said.

oeSome more than others, Colonel Brady said. oeWell, Ms. Wendt You still want to fly with the Marines He was referring to a previous offer for a backseat F-4 ride with one of the two Marine F-4 squadrons in MAG-11.

oeOnce was enough for today, Wendt moaned, staggering around. oeI need to lie down.

oeWant to go to your quarters, or to Medical Doc asked.

oeWhichever's closer.

oeCome on, Doc said, taking her hand. oeWe'll get you to Medical, and I could give you an IV.

oeJust get me lying down, until the world stops lurching back and forth, Ms. Wendt said as she was helped into the truck.

After the truck drove off, and people thought that Doc, at the moment, couldn't be more happier. He finally had a semi-emergency case, and was back in his element. oeDoc looks like he's on Cloud Nine, Goalie observed.

oeCan you blame him Sweaty replied. oeAfter that last air strike, the most he's had to do was an appendectomy. To her, and the others, it seemed that the Doc was eager for something to happen, just to break the monotony.

oeNo, Guru said. oeDave, he turned to Squadron Leader Dave Gledhill. oeYou going to take her and Mr. Scott here up

oeI think my guys and girls can show them a thing or two, the RAF officer said. He, too, had a grin on his face.

oeAnytime, Scott grinned. oeEven if Jana doesn't want to, I'm game.

oeBe careful of what you wish for, Guru warned the cameraman. oeBecause you usually get it-and more, besides.

oeAll right, people! Colonel Brady said. oeStill got some time before we can knock off.

As the crowd broke up, Guru went to his PAO, Lieutenant Patti Brown. oePatti, you guys get your pictures

The PAO turned to the airman who was the squadron's photographer, and he had a camcorder in hand. The airman nodded, and gestured to one of the sergeants in the PAO shop, who had a 35-mm camera as well. oeGot all we need, Major, Brown said. oeWe'll share it with the newsies, and one of the guys wants to do an article for Airman.

oeGood, the CO nodded as Goalie came up. oeGet what you need

oeTwenty years from now, if we're all still alive, we'll have a field day with these, she grinned, having borrowed Kara's own camcorder.

The CO grinned, but then turned serious. oeFirst we have to get to the 'after the war', first, he pointed out. oeThat caveat is in force.

oeIsn't that the truth Goalie asked. oeAt least my IN box is empty. Though only a First Lieutenant, she was Senior WSO.

oeLucky you, Guru said. oeOkay, make sure it's empty. I need to check mine, get one of the newbies in as SDO as Digger should be cleared, and pair him up with another newbie.

oeStill pairing old hands with FNGs

oeYep, Guru replied. oeThat has a habit of keeping said FNG alive. When I can't pair old and new, we lose people.

oeSad, but true, Goalie admitted. oeYou still need to slay the armchair warriors She had developed a loathing for the AF bureaucracy, and she also knew that the CO had done the same.

oeUnfortunately, said Guru. oeI'll see you in the Club.


After Guru returned to his office, he found a few things in his IN box. Mostly memos about matters that might make sense-to someone flying a desk, but not to him-or anyone else flying combat. Shaking his head at one memo that was critical of oeexcessive expenditure of flares, either for IR deception or for night illumination, he couldn't shred them, but instead simply filed them. One of these days, when either General Tanner, or better yet, Sundown Cunningham, paid a visit, Guru vowed to show the offending paperwork to the generals, and hopefully, said paper-pushers would get a royal ass-kicking, preferably followed by a trip to the front lines or up north to shovel snow at someplace like Gander or K.I. Sawyer.

After finishing the papers, he got up and took a look outside his office. While combat ops had not yet resumed, the transports were busy-with the eastbound C-141 taking off, having unloaded its cargo, and a C-130 was coming in, along with what looked like a Special-Ops MC-130 getting ready to depart. The oeSnake-eaters were always busy, and whatever they were up to, no one outside their compound, which included the old SAC Molehole, had any oeneed to know. Whatever they did to put the hurt on the bad guys and make Ivan's life behind the lines miserable, all power to 'em, the CO thought. Then there was a knock on the door. oeYeah Come in and show yourself!

The XO opened the door. oeBoss, got a couple of things for you before we knock off.

oeWhat have you got for me Asked the CO.

oeFirst, all twenty-four birds are going to be up and ready in the morning.

Guru thought for a minute. oeWell, now. Last time we had that

oeYeah

oeYou, me, and Don were at Nellis. Day One.

oeThat is something, the XO admitted. oeAnd crews

oeI'm going to put Digger in with an FNG-and the same goes for Hacksaw when he's cleared. If we put vets with FNGs, the survival rate goes up, Guru said, reminding the XO of a bitter truth.

oeAnd if a crew is all newbies, they have, what, a fifty-fifty chance of not making it to ten missions, Ellis nodded. It wasn't a question.

The CO nodded back. oeAin't that the sorry truth All right, that's done. What else

oeWeather update. Not quite CAVU tomorrow, but close, the XO said as he handed Guru the weather report.

oeOkay...Partly to mostly sunny, highs in the mid-60s, Guru read the weather summary out loud. oeCloud base 12,000 to 15,000. Tops out at 20. The stand-down was fun while it lasted.

oeIt was, said Ellis. oeEastbound C-141 brought the newspapers, and everything on our supply list. Kev O'Donnell's pretty happy: two new ejection seats, radar parts, hydraulic fluid, brake fluid, engine oil, and the scroungers also came through.

oeAs in

oeTwo dozen new Paveway kits. Paveway meant laser-guided bombs. oeAll for GBU-10.

oeMore UNODIR, if necessary, Guru smiled. More laser bomb strikes-if they couldn't get any in the ATO, they would pull assigned ordnance and hit a point target with Paveways-Unless Otherwise Directed. oeGeneral Olds did give us the go-ahead for that.

oeHe did. One other thing: Ryan Blanchard's CSPs found somebody in a hideout northeast of the base. Found the guy in what was a bombed-out house about five hundred yards north of Runway 17L. They caught him trying to get into the storm cellar-and he shot it out.

Guru wasn't surprised at hearing the news. There was still an active Spetsnatz and PSD threat to the base, and though a PSD agent had been caught during General Olds' time on base-and later executed, the threat was still there. oeThey take him alive

oeNo. Ryan's people shot him full of holes.

oeThey saved the OSI and Army Counterintelligence people a couple weeks' worth of work, the CO observed dryly. oeFind anything

oeYeah, he had two AK rifles along with the one he tried to use, Ellis said. oePlus some explosives, timers, and so on. Plus a shortwave radio, one-time pad, a notepad, and a map of the base. Problem with the latter two The notes in the pad and on the map are in shorthand, and it'll take some work to figure out what kind.

oeToo bad, said Guru. oeBecause you can't interrogate a corpse. Anything else

oeAircraft status report, Ellis replied, handing the CO the form.

Guru signed it, then asked, oeThat it

oeThat it is.

oeOkay, Guru nodded. oeThoughts on this afternoon's excitement

The XO thought for a minute. oeNo way did we scare her back to Nellis or L.A.. If we did, she would've been telling her people to pack the minute she staggered to her feet.

oeI'll go along with that. She still wants to fly with the Marines, and maybe the RAF now, said Guru. oeShe's made of more sterner stuff than we thought. If that Su-24 strike didn't prove that, this did. The CO was recalling the last air strike, and Ms. Wendt had disdained the shelters, instead, going out and filming-as the strike came in. Her only regret, she had said to their temporary PAO, that they weren't on the air live.

oeLooks like it. We may have turned her into an adrenalin junkie. If she wasn't when she got here, she's one now, Ellis pointed out.

Guru winced, but knew the XO was right. oeShe told us she was staying back when General Olds was here. This was her way of proving it. The CO looked at the clock. It read 1702. oeAnything else

oeNot until morning, said Ellis.

oeGood, Guru said, standing up and grabbing his bush hat. oeThen let's hit the Club.

[Matt Wiser]

And the day comes to an end in the Club:



Officer's Club Tent, Sheppard AFB, TX: 1710 Hours Central War Time:


When the CO and XO arrived at the O-Club, the place was already buzzing. With Ms. Wendt's oeCheck Ride over and done, and with the stand-down coming to an end, everybody was in a good mood. Even though with the latter, and getting back into combat as a result, it was what the crews had signed up to do. The two got to the bar, and found Smitty, the barkeep, there as usual. oeSmitty, Major Wiser said. oeWhat have you got tonight

oeNo Sam Adams, Major, but I've got the usual suspects, the barkeep replied cheerfully. oeHeard you took the newsies up.

oeHad the cameraman, Guru replied. oeBud for me. He saw the XO nod. oeAnd one for the exec.

oeComin' up, Smitty said, then he produced the two beer bottles.

oeThanks, Smitty, the CO nodded. He paid the barkeep, took a drink, then said to the XO, oeThat was an interesting day.

Ellis nodded. oeIt sure was, Boss, he said. oeEven if we didn't scare that reporter back to Nellis or L.A..

oeWere you guys trying to do that Smitty asked. oeWord's gone around that's what you had in mind.

oeThere was that chance, Guru admitted. Just then, Ms. Wendt came in, with Goalie, Sweaty, KT, Flossy, Jang, and a couple other female aircrew. oeLooks like she's recovered, the CO observed.

oeLooks like it, Ellis said, noting the hand-waving going on, and the reporter nodding as if she understood. oeWe're stuck with her.

Guru took another pull on his beer. oeThat we are.

Colonel Brady came up, with the oeTwo Daves, Dave Golen and Dave Gledhill. oeMajor, the MAG-11 CO nodded. oeHow's our reporter

oeHave a look for yourself, sir, Guru said, gesturing in the reporter's direction. oeI'd say she's recovered somewhat.

oeGive her a few days, then I'll see about getting her a ride with the Marines, Brady said.

oeAnd us, Dave Gledhill replied. oeWhy'd she ride with you guys He asked Guru.

oeShe wanted to ride with me at first, Guru said. oeThen I told her if you're going up with us, you're riding with the best I have.

oeAnd Kara showed her, Gledhill finished.

oeShe did, said Guru. oeKara flew her bird like she had just stolen it, but then again, we all do.

Both Brady and Gledhill nodded. oeKeeps us alive, the MAG-11 CO noted.

oeIt does that, Gledhill agreed.


A few minutes later, people started to congregate at their usual tables, and when Guru got to his, he found Goalie, Kara, Braniac, Hoser, KT, Sweaty, and the others either there, or coming. oeWell Guru asked his wingmate. oeYou gave it your all.

oeI did, Kara admitted. oeNot only didn't I scare her onto the next westbound C-130 or -141, but she's now got rides coming with the Jarheads and the RAF.

oeAnd you had a pool, I noticed, the CO observed. He wasn't surprised at all.

oeShe did, Goalie said.

Kara nodded. oeAnd I paid up, she said.

Then Don Van Loan came over. oeBoss, here's the papers.

oeL.A. Times for me, and Orange County Register for Goalie, Guru said.

oeHere you are, and who wants USA Today or Stars and Stripes

oeI'll take USA, Sweaty said.

oeThen I'll settle for Stars and Stripes, Kara said. Though everyone did share, so when she got her copy, she passed the sports section to Hoser.

oeI'm not a California boy, Van Loan said, but I did get to like the L.A. Times while we were at Williams.

oeOkay, Don Guru said. oeA little business before you go. I'm going to pair up Digger with a new pilot. Flossy and Jang have clicked as a crew, and now that's happened...

oeYou don't want to break them up, the Ops Officer finished. oeWho does Digger pair up with

oeHaven't decided yet. We'll talk it over tomorrow, and the day after, they start flying.

oeFair enough, Van Loan said.

oeAll right, Don, thanks, said the CO.

oeAnytime, the Ops said, then he went to his table.

Sweaty looked at her CO and flight lead. oeWhen do you go to Nellis

Guru shrugged. oeHaven't had a call or message from General Tanner telling me to come to Nellis. When I do, I'm supposed to bring Goalie and all of the planning material. Such as it is.

oeWhen we flew that strike the day or two before PRAIRIE FIRE-the one we really can't talk about Goalie said, and she saw heads nod at that. They all had flown the mission. oeWe had everything we needed. Here, though, we've got diddly shit.

oeSo when you do go, Mark's in charge, not Frank Kara asked.

oeExactly, Guru replied. oeMark's the XO, he runs the show while I'm gone. Frank can bitch about it all he wants, but that's the way it is.

Then the restaurateurs who ran MAG-11's mess came in. oeFolks, we've got Tex-Mex style chicken, or Chicken-fried Steaks-they're Bison, though. Come and get it.

After people got what they wanted, the CBS Evening News came on AFN. oeGood evening from Los Angeles, Walter Cronkite began. The big news today comes from overseas, where a new Italian government, formed after the assassination of the Italian Prime Minister, has denounced the previous government's neutralist policy, and has vowed a crackdown on the Red Brigades terrorist group. The network's Rome correspondent came on, with images of protests both pro- and anti-neutralist, and several suspects in the murder of the Prime Minister being hauled into paddy wagons.

oeSources in Rome say that the new Prime Minister, Benito Craxi, is expected to visit Philadelphia in the coming weeks, and meet with President Bush. Though Italy is not expecting to join the war, this is one more nail in the European neutralists' coalition.

oeWell, now, Preacher said. oeAbout damned time.

oeWho's left Kerry Collins asked.

oeThe big one's West Germany, Sin Licon, the SIO, said. oeThat Bundeswehr exercise is still going, and chances are, it won't be long.

oeUntil the coup, Colonel Brady said.

oeYes, sir, Licon replied. oeUntil the coup.

oeThen the rest of those rats fall into line, Flossy spat.

oeIn West Germany, Cronkite continued, oecontinued protests against the Green Coalition's neutralist stance continue, with over 200,000 reported in Hamburg, 100,000 in Munich, and the same number in both Cologne and Frankfurt. Former Chancellors Willy Brandt and Helmut Schmidt both spoke in Hamburg, calling for the end of the neutralist government and an end to 'Soviet and Eastern manipulation of the government', a direct slap at the Soviets and East Germans.

oeThat's balls right there, Dave Golen noted. oeThat's what, the second time he's called for a coup

oeThink so, Hoser said.

Guru put down his fork and checked the L.A. Times again. oeThat Bundeswehr exercise is still going.

oeThey're getting ready, Jang said, and heads nodded at that.

oeThe only questions are when, and how bloody does it get, Dave Gledhill noted.

Sin Licon nodded agreement. oeThat's about the size of it, sir.

The broadcast continued, with a report from just north of the Alberta-Montana border, where the battle lines had remained stalemated since late 1985. oeGlad we're not up there Kara asked. oeKnow a few people who did go North.

oeDefinitely, the CO said.

Then a report from Ms. Wendt came. oeIn Texas, an Air Force squadron has an unusual member, Cronkite said to open the report. oeJana Wendt, from our sister network 9 News Australia, has the story.

oeHere, at a base in the liberated area of Texas, this Air Force squadron has an unusual officer. He has four legs, but a heart of gold, as pilots and crew go out and come back from missions. Then footage of Buddy, the Golden Lab who was the 335th's mascot, ran, as the dog went to meet crews coming back from a mission. And also footage of the dog in a mission brief (supplied by the PAO). oeThey say that if Buddy sleeps through a briefing, it's going to be an easy one. If he stays alert, they say Watch out. That was followed by the footage of Buddy's being given his honorary Captain's commission. oeHe's so beloved, this unit made him an honorary Captain. A little morale boost for men and women who fly and fight every day, and for those who keep the squadron's aircraft flying. Jana Wendt, CBS News, with the U.S. Air Force, somewhere in Texas. The report concluded with the dog in her lap, licking her all over.

oeNot bad, Colonel Brady said. oeYou did good, Ms. Wendt.

oeAs opposed to today She asked, her appetite seeming normal. oeWhen we shot that segment, the most I had to worry about was dog hair and being licked to death.

oeWhen are you doing your piece about your backseat ride Guru said in jest, then Buddy let out a bark.

oeIn a few days, Major, the reporter said. oeI still need to talk to the Day One people.

Guru, Mark Ellis, Don Van Loan, and several others knew what she meant. A piece on those who had flown on Day One was on order, and getting that story out-especially to her parent network down in Australia, was important. For Australians, Day One was just a horrible story they had seen on the news, but for ten of those in the 335th who were in the tent, that had been the first day of what was turning out to be a long war.

oeJust say when, Lieutenant Patti Brown, the PAO, said.

oeI'll let you know, Ms. Wendt replied.


After a story about a Trans-Pacific convoy, and a look at how Major League Baseball was preparing for the postwar world, whenever that time came, the broadcast wrapped. oeAnd that's the way it is, Cronkite finished. oeFor all of us at CBS News, good night.

oeSlow day, Dave Gledhill commented.

oeThere were days like this in World War II, Guru said. oeNot much happening either way.

Heads nodded, then Kerry Collins said, oeTomorrow's a new story.

oeIt is, Don Van Loan nodded.

With that, and AFN airing a rerun of a Detroit Lions-Chicago Bears game from 1984, Kara got up, got another beer, and went to hold court at the pool table. oeWon't be long until Twelve-hour kicks in, Preacher said.

oeYeah, the CO agreed. oeStill, time to eat, drink, and be merry....

oeFor tomorrow, they may not separate us from the rest of the airplane, KT finished.

oeAin't that the truth Guru asked. oeSince we're up to twenty-four birds, we're overdue for somebody's taking the big hit.

oeHeaven forbid, said Preacher. The ex-seminary student said a silent prayer, hoping that event wouldn't come for a few days.

Guru nodded. oeWell, Flossy and Jang are going to stay together.

oeDigger getting a new pilot Goalie asked. Being Senior WSO, that was something that concerned her. She saw Guru nod, then went on. oeWell, if it keeps you from writing a letter in the next few days...

oeOf course, the letter you don't want to write above all is to Frank's Dad, then finding out some Senate or Congressional staffer is coming to see what happened, Hoser said.

oeBoth can be graded as correct, said Guru.

Eyes turned to Kara, who was holding court at the pool table. She easily dispatched a Marine Hornet driver, then two of the Special-Ops MC-130 guys, then came Susan Napier. Both combatants laid down their money, then went at it. This time, the RAF pilot's skills were superior, and Kara smiled, nodded, paid the $50.00, then came over to the table. oeWell Sweaty asked.

Kara shook her head. oeWhere'd she learn to play like that

oeBermuda, Dave Gledhill answered. oeOne way to kill time sitting QRA was the pool table, only we didn't play for money.

oeFigures, Kara spat. She went to the bar, got another beer, then defeated the next three who challenged her-another RAF Rockape, and two Marines.

Guru smiled. oeGood to see she hasn't lost her touch.

oeCan't have that, Goalie said.

oeNo. Guru then went to get another beer, and found Doc at the bar. oeDoc.

oeBoss, Doc Waters replied. oeKeeping tabs on Frank, just like you suggested.

oeAnything leap out at you

oeNo, but I'm on the lookout. So far, all he's doing is whining about not being taken seriously.

Guru nodded. Nothing new here. oeWe stopped taking him seriously as a squadron when Colonel Rivers not only stripped Frank of his flight lead qualification, he made me Exec.

oeWhich is what he's talking about, Doc said. oeSo far, nothing that would have me violate doctor-patient privilege.

oeAll right, Guru said as Smitty handed him another beer. He paid the barkeep, then said, oeWatch him like a hawk, and keep me posted.

oeWill do, Boss.

Guru went back to the table, oeDoc's keeping an eye on Frank.

oeGood, KT said. oeHow long until Sundown Cunningham comes calling She, and just about everyone else on the base, was hoping that the Vice-Chief of Staff would come on a visit, and wind up kicking Frank's ass off base.

oeNo idea.

Colonel Brady then rang the bar bell. oeFifteen minutes until Twelve-Hour! People, we had a stand-down, but still had some flying. Major Wiser and Captain Thrace of the 335th took two of our guests from Down Under up, and showed them some fighter flying.

oeAt least I got her airsick, Kara said.

oeThat you did, Guru replied. oeAnd not surprised you had a pool going.

oeHey, I did pay up, Kara protested.

oeWhich you did.

oeWell, Ms. Wendt How'd you like your exposure to fighters Colonel Brady asked.

oeNow that the world's stopped lurching from side to side Ms. Wendt replied. oeI did get a little appreciation for what you people do every day.

Mark Ellis asked, oeEven with no one shooting at you

oeEven with that.

Colonel Brady then asked the cameraman. oeHow about you, Mr. Scott

oeWouldn't have missed it for the world, the cameraman grinned. oeMore excitement than in a chopper, I'll grant you.

oeAt least we can bail out, Don Van Loan said. oeIf you get it in a helo, you go down with the ship.

oeBeen there, did that, in Vietnam, Scott replied. oeTwice, actually. Once in '72 during the Easter Offensive, and again three weeks before Saigon fell.

Guru nodded. oeJust be glad we didn't have to bail out. Did that once, and spent five months with the Resistance.

oeHad my turn to skydive, Brady added. oeAnd spent five years in Hanoi. Brady looked at both newsies. oeWhen you two want to fly with the Marines Just say the word and I'll arrange it.

oeWe'll take you up on that, Colonel, Ms. Wendt said. oeAnd the RAF, too.

oeOh, joy, Karen McKay muttered. Flying a prissy reporter was not what she had in mind.

oeFair enough, Dave Gledhill said.

oeAll right! Ten minutes to Twelve-Hour, so drink up! Brady announced.

People finished their drinks, or tried to, before one of the Navy Flight Surgeons rang the bell. oeTwelve-Hour now in effect!

After turning in what hadn't been drunk, people switched to nonalcoholic. oeWell, even if it's iced tea, 'eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow they may not separate us from the rest of the airplane, Kara said. She was eyeballing a plate of nachos she had brought over.

oeIt is that, Goalie agreed. oeGame time again tomorrow.

oeYeah, Brainiac said. oeJust as long as CAS doesn't come on the schedule.

oeDown, boy, Guru said sharply. oeIf we get the call, we go. Simple as that. I don't like it any more than any of you, but if the Hogs and A-7s are busy...

oeOur turn again, Sweaty finished.

Time went on, then Doc Waters himself rang the bar bell at 2100. oeAircrew curfew now in effect!

Hearing that, Ryan Blanchard and Kerry Collins got up, with Ryan slinging her M-16. It was clear what they had in mind. Goalie saw that, and nodded at Guru. oeWell

oeLet's go, Guru said. He knew what she wanted-and he was in the mood. oeSee you all in the morning. Bright and early, Zero-six hundred. For another day closer to the Rio Grande.

oeNight, Boss, Kara said. She could tell what both had in mind.

Guru and Goalie went into Officer Country and found the CO's tent. Guru opened his ice chest, pulling out a bottle of 7-Up. oeNightcap

oeLater, Goalie said. She got out of her flight suit, and as before on such occasions, there was nothing underneath. oeReady

Guru got out of his. oeLet's go. Then they went after each other.


The next morning, the alarm clock buzzed. Guru woke up-slowly, and saw the time. 0415. Wonderful. Little under three hours to game time. He turned, and saw Goalie's bare back facing him. How many times again did we do it Oh, well, it was fun while it lasted. oeHey, sleepyhead. Time to get up and be human again.

She came awake, and sat up in bed, the covers coming off her bare chest. oeAnd good morning to you. What time is it

Guru nodded. oeAlmost Zero-Dark-Thirty.

Goalie got up and began to dress. oeNo rest for the weary or the wicked. Want to bet Kara's just now kicking out her latest one-night stand

oeNo bet, Guru said as he got up. oeGame day again.

oeYeah, she sighed. oeWhen we get to Nellis for that briefing At least we'll have a night in a real bed.
These camp beds are okay, but...Goalie thought.

oeThere is one small reward for briefing the brass, Guru agreed.

oeAll right, see you in the chow line.

oeI'll be there, Guru said.

After she left, he got ready to head for the shower. Though still dark outside, it wouldn't be long until breakfast at 0600, then the first mission brief, before going out on that first one of the day. And how many more until the Rio Grande Guru thought. Too many, he knew, and not everyone would be there at the end. Time to get on with it, he said to himself as he left for the shower.

[Matt Wiser]

Guys, what would you like to see next I have some more stories, set before this one, some fact files about ships, aircraft, armor, small arms and heavy weapons. (the T2K Small Arms Guide and Heavy Weapons Guide were very useful in prepping the latter one)

One of the stories deals with Kara making ace-and another deals with some of her wartime antics coming back in a manner that she didn't think of. Kelly Ray's POW experience is in three-one about repatriation, and two deal with a war-crimes trial and subsequent hanging of said war criminal. Another one deals with Guru's coming out of the Colorado Mountains to return to the cockpit-along with a dozen other evadees. Let me know what you want to see and I'll post 'em.

[cawest]

ahhh All. just what ever you want to post, we will read and enjoy.

[Matt Wiser]

Okay, here goes: The first day of Operation PRAIRIE FIRE from the 335th's angle. PRAIRIE FIRE is the American counteroffensive after the Battle of Wichita that tore apart the Soviet front line in the Midwest and in the Southwest. Wichita was a failed Soviet offensive aimed at erasing a bulge in the Soviet line a la the Kursk one. The problem was that the Soviets delayed, and some intelligence work-along with Schwartzkopf's suspicions-"It's where I would attack, if I was in Marshal Kribov's shoes", as he said in his memoirs-laid the groundwork for a trap. Premier formations such as 1st Guards Tank Army, 3rd Shock Army, and 4th Guards Tank Army, were gutted as a result. The day after the Soviets called off the attack, Schwartzkopf's U.S. Fifth Army, Fourth Army in Wyoming and Colorado, and Sixth Army in New Mexico all went over to the attack.....

Note; the USAF expects to go to war and be billeted in a five-star hotel-or so the saying goes. The 335th is billeted at the Mesa Sheraton Resort, so...

[Matt Wiser]

Light the (Prairie) Fire


Williams AFB, AZ, 14 May, 1987; 1725 Hours Mountain War Time:


Captain Matt oeGuru Wiser of the 335th Tactical Fighter Squadron taxied his F-4E Phantom into its dispersal area. He and his flight had flown four missions that day, including one up to the Denver Siege Perimeter. Though there would be light enough for another forty-five minutes or so, this was the last flight of the day. After shutting down, he and his WSO, First Lieutenant Lisa Eichhorn, climbed down from the aircraft, bone tired and ready to get something to eat, and maybe have a beer in the Officer's Club, before going to their billet at the Mesa Sheraton, getting some sleep, and then going out the next morning and doing it all over again. His crew chief, Staff Sergeant Mike Crowley, was waiting for him. oeSergeant.

oeSir, Crowley said. oeWord from Colonel Rivers, all aircrew meeting in the main briefing room. Now, Sir.

The members of his flight looked at each other. His wingmate, Captain Kara oeStarbuck Thrace and her back-seater, Captain Judd Brewster, just rolled their eyes. Then the second element came over; First Lieutenant Valerie oeSweaty Blanchard and her back-seater Second Lieutenant Bryan Simmonds, along with First Lieutenant Nathan West and his back-seater Second Lieutenant Kathryn Thompson. oeWhat's going on Sweaty asked.

oeYour guess is as good as mine, Guru said. oeLet's go.

The four crews headed on over to the squadron building, which had housed a T-37 training squadron prewar, and they went right to the main briefing room, not even bothering to get out of their G-Suits and harnesses. When they got there, they discovered the room was packed, and the CO, Lt. Col. Dean Rivers had a scowl on his face. Guru nodded to Maj. David Golen, who was an Israeli AF observer visiting the squadron. oeEver seen anything like this

oeOnce. The Yom Kippur War, on the first day, and then the day we crossed the Canal, Golen said. He'd been a brand-new Second Lieutenant in 1973, and had nailed three MiGs during that war, and had a couple more in F-16s during the Bekaa Valley Turkey Shoot in 1982.

oeWell, now that everyone's here, Colonel Rivers said. oeEspecially the Exec, nodding in Guru's direction. oeGot some bad news for all of you: the twelve-hour rule is in effect, as of now. Curfew for you guys is at 2000. Wake-up is at 0300, and first wheels up tomorrow morning is at 0430.

oeWhat Starbuck said, and Guru echoed her. In fact, almost everyone was. The buzz in the room was palpable.

oeDon't bother eating breakfast at billeting, because you'll eat here in the morning. The maintenance and ordnance folks will be up all night, getting your birds tweaked, and then armed, Rivers continued. oeI can't tell you guys any more than that, and this comes from Tenth Air Force. Any questions

oeColonel, Guru's hand shot up. oeWhat's this all about Wasn't like this in the early days.

oeCan't tell you, XO, Rivers said. Captain Wiser was the Executive Officer of the 335th. oeAny other questions Rivers asked. He surveyed the room, then nodded. oeAll right. Get on over to the Sheraton, have a good dinner, get a good night's sleep, and see you in the morning. 0330.

oeGuru, what's going on Lieutenant Eichhorn, call sign Goalie, asked. oeSomething's up.

oeYeah, Guru said. oeGo on ahead and get the debrief going. I'm going to see what this is all about.
He then went down to see Colonel Rivers. oeSir. Can we talk

oeMy office, Rivers said. And the two officers went to the CO's office. oeClose the door, XO.

After Guru did so, he asked oePermission to speak freely, Sir

oeAlways, Guru, Rivers said. oeSay whatever's on your mind.

oeSir, I'm your Exec. If something's going on, I need to know about it. Especially if something happens to you, Guru told his CO.

oeI know, Guru, I know, replied the CO. oeI don't like it any more than you do, but this came from the top. Tenth Air Force. And General Tanner didn't like this either.

And when General Tanner didn't like something, Guru knew, it had to be important. oeSir, does this have anything to do with Wichita Or that conference you went to last week

oeMaybe. That's all I can tell you. If anything happens to me, I'm putting together a packet with everything you need. Ross will give it to you, the CO said. Master Sergeant Michael Ross was the squadron's senior NCO. And no one was more highly respected in the squadron than he was. The man was old enough to be the father of nearly everybody in the unit, and the enlisted airmen looked up to him as a father figure.

Guru nodded. oeYes, Sir.

oeAnything else Rivers asked.

oeNo, Sir.

oeAll right; get debriefed, get something to eat, and have a good night's sleep. It'll be a busy day tomorrow.

oeYes, Sir, Guru said.

oeDismissed, Rivers nodded, and Guru saluted and headed out of the office. He then headed over to the locker room, got out of his harness and G-Suit, then went to the old classroom that his flight used for briefings and debriefings.

oeWell Goalie asked as he entered.

oeNo joy, Guru told his flight. oeWhatever's going on, we won't know until after the first sortie.

oeWhat Kara and Sweaty asked at once.

oeThey're holding this close to the chest. This might have something to do with Wichita, but Rivers wouldn't tell me any more than that.

Sweaty looked at her flight lead. oeGuru, you're the XO. Shouldn't you know what's going on

oeThat's what I told him, Guru replied. oeHe told me this comes from the top, and that's higher than General Tanner. Whatever this is, security's super-tight.

Heads nodded at that. Something was up. And whatever it was, it was important. oeSo when do we know Kara asked.

oeWhen we come back from the first sortie. Guru said. oeLet's get the debrief done, something to eat, then get back to the Sheraton. Won't be long until 0300.


Sheraton Mesa Resort: 0300 Mountain War Time, 15 May 1987:

The phone rang in between the two beds. Each bed's occupant reached for the phone, but only one grabbed the handle. oeYeah

oeThis is your 3:00 AM wake-up call, the voice on the other end said.

oeThank you, Guru said as he hung up. He quickly got out of bed, and quickly got dressed. Captain Don Van Loan, his roommate, got up as well. oeWon't be long until we know what this is all about.

'Yeah, Van Loan, the assistant Ops Officer, said.

Both quickly shaved and brushed their teeth, then headed on out, and the hall was filled with 335th and Marine aircrews who were all headed to the base. When they left the lobby of the hotel, the buses were there, waiting. The crews got onto the buses, then were bused to the base. When they got off, they noticed there was a large amount of activity, as promised, to get the first birds off by 0430. And everyone noticed the various squadron commanders there, waiting for their people. Guru noticed Colonel Rivers. oeBoss.

oeGuru, the CO said. oeYou guys all have fifteen minutes to eat. Then get dressed to fly, hit your briefs, then man your aircraft. First wheels up at 0430.

oeYou heard him, Guru told the 335th crews. Then they all filed into a Marine operated mess tent. He turned to Goalie. oeWhen's the last time you ate in a chow line

oeBeen a while. The Academy, I think, Goalie said.

Nodding, Guru picked up a tray and silverware. He looked at the young Marine cooks. oeAll right, what have you guys got here

oeHere you go, Sir, a Marine PFC replied, taking lids off of food trays.

oeLovely, Guru said. oeSteak and scrambled eggs. He took a steak, some scrambled eggs, fried potatoes, toast, and coffee.

oeThe condemned got fed a hearty meal, Goalie quipped as she got her meal, then sat down with her pilot.

oeClear the way! Dead people walking coming through, Kara said, and the 335th people had a good laugh at that. But they couldn't linger, for they had to be in their briefing rooms shortly. The aircrew ate quickly, then all of them, Air Force and Marine, headed to their respective squadrons to be briefed.

When the 335th's officers arrived, they were told to get ready to fly, and report to their flight briefing rooms. And when Guru and the members of his flight arrived, they found two Marine officers, both aviators, waiting. oeYou guys flying with us Guru asked.

oeThat's right, the senior one, Capt. Jerry Singleton, said, introducing his wingmate, First Lt. Cory Abbott. oeWe're your SAM and flak suppressors.

After introductions, Guru opened the briefing packet. oeGreat.

oeWhat Kara asked.

oeMoriarty, along I-40. Target is just south of the town. A mix of command vehicles and dugouts.

oeWhat about 'em Sweaty asked.

Guru looked at everyone. oeHQ, Soviet 13th Army.

The room was silent for a minute. oeWhat the hell Kara asked. oeSomeone's gone nuts.

oeTell me about it, Guru said. oeSA-2 and SA-3 nearby, plus at least one 57-mm battery, and watch for ZU-23s as well. They have a guard battalion around the HQ, so MANPADS will be there as well.

oeSo how do we do this Goalie asked. oeWe don't have any Pave Tack pods, so what are we carrying

oeLead element has a dozen Mark-82s, each airplane, Guru replied. oeSecond element has Mark-20 Rockeyes to rip them up afterwards. We go in, low and fast, make a turn and do our run from West to East. Pop-up at thirty seconds to target, drop our ordnance, and get gone. One pass and haul ass.

oeSounds good to me, Sweaty said. oeUsual air-to-air load

oeYep, Guru replied. oeFour AIM-9s-and we get Ps now, by the way, and two AIM-7Es. Usual ALQ-101 in a forwards Sparrow well and a full load of 20-mm. He looked around. oeOkay, SAM-supporession, he said, turning to the two Marines. oeI want the SA-3 site hit with HARM, and the 57 site hit as well. Then CBU what's left.

oeGot it, Captain Singleton replied.

oeBailout areas are anyplace where there isn't a road. Stay with a cripple as long as you can. If you can hit the river, best of all Guru said, and everyone nodded. Then there was a knock on the door. oeCome on in and show yourself!

In came First Lieutenant Darren Licon, the Squadron Intelligence Officer. oeGuru, got something from the Boss.

oeWhat is it

oeStay away from the Alberquerque area is what he's telling everyone. Licon said. oeAnd before you ask, he told me to tell you that you'll see why when sunrise comes.

The aircrews looked at each other. oeLovely, Nathan West said.

oeThanks, Darren, Guru said. He turned to the aircrews. oeAnything else Heads shook no. oeLet's hit it.

[Matt Wiser]

The first two missions of the day:



Over occupied New Mexico, 0525 Hours Mountain War Time, 15 May 1987:


The six-ship flight was headed due east, and as they did so, the crews could see the first rays of dawn beginning to break. They were going in a little higher than usual, since the F-4s normally didn't fly night strikes, and when they had left Williams it was still pitch dark. In the lead F-4, Guru was concentrating on flying the aircraft while Goalie handled the navigation. oeApproaching Highway 285, Guru. Turn point in one minute.

oeCopy, Guru said. oeCrystal Palace, Corvette Two-One, he said. oeAny threats

oeCorvette Two-One, Crystal Palace, the AWACS controller called back. oeNegative.

oeRoger, Guru said.

oeTurn point.... Now! Goalie called.

Guru turned the F-4 due north. Their next turn point would be I-40. Ivan was using the Interstate as a Main Supply Route, and they'd flown strikes against supply dumps and truck parks along the freeway more than once. But they had been directed not to hit any bridges on the freeway. None at all. oeHow long to turn

oeOne minute, Goalie replied.

oeCopy.

oeAnd turn.

Guru put the aircraft into a left turn, and in the predawn twilight, picked up the twin ribbons of interstate highway. So far, it looked like I-40 was quiet. Not for long, he thought. You guys are getting a big wake-up call this morning....Pop up

oeOne minute.

oeCorvette Flight, Lead. Switches on, radars on. Time to go to work.

oeWe're hot, Goalie called. oeStand by... and now! Pop up!

Guru pulled up to 1500 feet AGL and he saw the town. And just to the south, there it was. All the revetments built to shelter vehicles made the target stick out like a sore thumb. He then called the two Marines. oeRattlers, go to work.

oeRoger that! Captain Singleton called.

Both Hornets climbed further, and picked out the SA-3 site. Singleton put his HARM missile on it, and the SA-3, which had just gone from search to fire-control mode, suddenly went off the air as the HARM exploded the radar. Then the Marine element lead rolled in, and put his two Rockeye CBUs onto the SAM site, putting it out of action.

Just as the Hornet lead went in, Lieutenant Abbott rolled in on the 57-mm site. Their radar was not up, so he simply dropped his CBUs on the flak battery, ripping it apart. Then it was time for the F-4s to go in.

oeLead's in hot! Guru called. He picked up the center of the HQ area, where a number of command vehicles were all clustered together, and all of them had antennae very prominently displayed. He lined one of them in his pipper, then hit the pickle button. oeHACK! And a dozen Mark-82 five-hundred pound bombs came off his aircraft. oeLead off safe.

His bombs landed in the middle of the target area, and several command vehicles exploded, or were tipped over by near-misses. A number of Soviet soldiers whose vehicles had not been hit tried to start their engines, but it was too late...

oeTwo in hot! Kara called. She laid down her bombs just to the south of where Guru had put his, One of her bombs happened to hit the HQ's portable generator, while another bomb landed on top of a bunker where several of the Army's staff officers were sleeping. The bunkers were built to protect against insurgent rocket or mortar attacks. Not a five-hundred pound bomb landing right on top of it....Two's off safe.

oeThree in hot! Sweaty yelled. She and West had a dozen CBUs, and she decided to put hers right where Guru had laid his bombs. A dozen Rockeyes came off her bird, and each CBU had 247 bomblets, ideal for ripping up armored vehicles or anything else they touched. A number of vehicles that had survived Guru's bombs were hit by the bomblets, and they fireballed. oeThree's off safe.

oeFour in hot! West said. He laid down his CBUs on where Kara had laid her bombs, and as he dropped, he noticed some flak, probably 23-mm, coming up. It was too little, too late. And like his element lead, several vehicles were hit by his CBUs, and they fireballed as well, and also caught a number of personnel out in the open, killing and wounding many. He easily outran the flak, and called, oeFour off safe.

oeCopy that. Form on me, music on, and let's get the hell out of here, Guru called. That call told everyone to turn on their jamming pods, and the four F-4s did so. The two Hornets formed up on the Phantoms, and everyone headed to the southwest. The strike birds picked up their safe-passage lane, so that the Army pukes who handled the HAWK and Patriot SAM batteries wouldn't shoot them out of the sky.

As they headed out, they all noticed something as they approached the Rio Grande. Flashes all along and behind the river. Artillery fire. And to the north, at Alberquerque's southern outskirts, it looked like something from Apocalypse Now, as the sky was full of Huey and Chinook helicopters. oeWhat the Kara called over the radio.

oeWouldn't want to be there right now, Sweaty replied. oeThat sky's full of choppers. And above the choppers, it's full of shells.

oeRoger that! Guru said. oeCrossing the fence. That meant the Rio Grande. And as they did, the crews saw Army vehicles crossing the river. oeGo Army...

oeThis is big, Guru! Goalie said over the intercom. oeThink this is it

He nodded. oeMaybe. Then it was time to call the AWACS. oeCrystal Palace, Corvette Flight across the fence.

oeCopy, the controller replied. oeDo you need a vector to the tankers

oeRoger that, Guru replied.

The AWACS controller vectored them to the tanker track over the Continental Divide, and to the fighter crews, it was crowded airspace. Lots of tankers orbiting, whether KC-135s, KC-10s, or Marine KC-130s. And it seemed that there were fighters or attack birds all over, either pulling away from the tankers and headed in, or, like they were, coming out. And as usual, battle-damaged aircraft went to the head of the line, but this morning, there were only a couple. The Hornets drank from a KC-130, while the F-4s went to a KC-10 to refuel. Then they headed back to Williams. They came into the pattern and then landed, and as they taxied to their respective dispersal areas, the crews noticed a second wave was getting ready to go. It was 0615.

Guru taxied to his revetment and shut down. After he popped his canopy, he asked Goalie. oeNow we'll find out what's going on.

oeYeah, Goalie said as the ground crew put the crew ladders in place.

Guru and Goalie climbed down from 512, then did a quick postflight inspection. Then he turned to Sergeant Crowley. oePull the strike camera film and send it off. As he said that, he noticed the ordnance crews bringing CBUs to 512, and the other three birds in the flight. oeWhat the

oeGuru, Goalie tapped him on the shoulder. oeColonel Rivers and Licon coming.

The CO and the SIO came over. oeHow'd it go Rivers asked. oeThis debrief will be out here. Because as soon as you're all turned around, you're going back out.

oeWhat Kara asked. oeSir, if you don't mind my saying this, but what's going on

oeNow that the first wave is back, I can finally tell you guys. This is it. Operation PRAIRIE FIRE. Ivan impaled himself at Wichita, thanks to Schwartzkopf, and now, we're going to push them back. You guys probably saw the Army crossing the Rio Grande. When he saw them nod, Rivers continued. oeAnd they're not stopping until the Texas line at least.

oeAbout time, Guru said. oeSo, the mission

oeHow'd it go Licon asked.

oeNo SAMs. Guru said.

oeFlak

oeOnly as I was coming in, Nathan said. oeThe Marines did their job. No heavy flak, and no SAMs.

oeBDA Licon wanted to know.

oeWe hit the target area, and there were a few secondaries, Kara said. oeI saw some from Guru's bombs.

oeAnd some from yours, Sweaty added. oeYou'll probably need the strike footage.

oeI'll have it developed ASAP, Rivers said. oeThat strike was a high-priority one.

oeYes, Sir, Guru agreed. oeNow what

oeGet yourselves something to drink, hit the latrine, because in twenty minutes, you're going back out.

oeSir Guru asked. Nothing like this had happened much since the early days.

oeYou're on-call CAS. Check in with III Corps' ALO, and they'll direct you to a FAC. We'll be doing this all morning, and likely all day as well, Rivers said. oeGood luck. He then headed off with Licon to debrief another arriving flight.

oeLike the early days Kara asked. oeI've heard horror stories about those.

oeYeah, Guru said. oeFive missions a day for the first four days. Total confusion, just find armor headed north and strike. He shook his head at the memory. And he'd seen photos of I-19 north of Nogales, where the 335th, along with the A-10s from Davis-Monthan, had turned the interstate into a junkyard of Mexican and Cuban armor, shattered soft-skinned vehicles, and dead and maimed men.

oeBetter do what the Boss said, Sweaty nodded.

Heads nodded in agreement, and they all went to do their business and get something to drink. When they came back, the crews noticed the ordnance guys hard at work. And there were numerous AF and Marine aircraft coming in and taking off. Then, fifteen minutes later, Sergeant Crowley came over to Guru. oeSir, you're ready to rock.

oeHere we go, Kara said, getting off a parked Hummer.

Guru nodded. One thing he had noticed: no one had gotten out of their G-Suits. oeOkay, this'll be short. Go by call sign, not mission code on the radio, unless you're with a FAC or an AWACS. He saw his flight nod. oeAnything else

oeHow about applying for frequent-flier miles Sweaty joked. And the others laughed.

oeI'll take it up with the CO, Guru laughed. oeAnything else Heads shook no. He grabbed his flight helmet. oeTime to go. Let's hit it.

Five minutes later, the flight was taxiing to the runway, and then they launched. And this was the second mission of the day, and it was only 0705.......



Over Western New Mexico, 0815 Hours:


The flight of four F-4s was orbiting about twenty miles west of Los Lunas, on the Rio Grande. They had checked in with the Air Force Air Liaison Officer with III Corps, and had been told to wait. Guru had told the man, oeWe ain't got the gas to stay up here all day, fella. But they had been told to wait. Then a call came for them.

oeCorvette Two-One, Bulldog Zero-One. Contact Nail 36 for tasking, the ALO called.

oeCopy that, Guru replied. oeNail Three-Six, Corvette Two-One, how copy

oeCorvette Two-One, Nail Three-Six. Come on in. Tasking near Edgewood on I-40.

oeRoger that, Guru called. oeFlight, Lead. Let's go to work. And the four Phantoms headed northeast. To everyone's surprise, their RWRs were not showing any enemy SAM or fighter radars. Something was going right, though down below, the crews could see the ground forces-in this area it was the 5th Marine Division, pushing east. As the flight cleared the Sandias, Guru noticed an A-7 orbiting. Only this one was a two-seat A-7K, now being used as a FAC platform. oeNail Three-Six, Corvette Two-One. Coming in from southwest.

oeRoger, Corvette and I see you, the FAC called. With those smoky J-79 engines, one could see an F-4 approaching before one actually had eyeballs on the airplane.

oeRoger, Guru replied. oeWhat's the target

oeArmor headed south on Route 344, north of the Interstate. Tanks and Bravo-Tango-Romeos. Time to make these go away, son. the FAC replied.

oeBy the sound of his voice, Goalie said from the rear cockpit. oeHe's a Vietnam vet.

oeNot to mention calling me 'son', Guru quipped. oeCopy, Nail. Want to make the run northeast to southwest.

oeYour call, Corvette.

Guru nodded. oeFlight, Lead. Follow me in. Northeast to Southwest. One pass only. If you have hung ordnance, don't go around for another try.

oeCopy, Lead, Starbuck called.

oeRoger. Sweaty.

oeCopy that, oeHoser West.

Guru led the F-4s on their maneuver, and he watched as Nail made a run and fired a couple of rockets. The WP that resulted from the rocket impact clearly showed the target.

oeAnything north of the Willie Pete is yours, Corvette. Nail replied.

oeCopy. Say threat.

oeCorvette, negative radar SAMs, but Sierra Alpha-Nines, and Shilkas. And to prove his point, the A-7 dodged a hail of 23-mm fire coming from below.

oeCopy, Guru replied. oeSet it up. Everything in one pass.

oeGot it, Goalie said. oeYou're hot.

oeFlight, follow me in. Lead's in hot. And with that, Guru rolled in on the armor, still in road march.


Down below, the Soviet battalion commander was shouting at his company commanders on the radio in his command BTR. First, there had been this no-notice order to form up and join the rest of the regiment, which was somewhere south of what the locals called 'I-40'. Second, as the battalion moved south, there had been some sniping, and some RPGs shot at their vehicles, knocking out a couple of BTR-70s and blowing the tread off a T-72. And now, this solo aircraft, which had been lurking, out of SAM range, and even daring his antiaircraft vehicles to shoot at it. Then his political officer tapped him on the shoulder. oeWhat is it, Comrade...

oeAIRCRAFT! The Zampolit shouted, pointing to the northeast.

oeMother of... the Soviet Major muttered, as the lead F-4 came in and cluster bombs came off the racks.

oeGotcha! Guru yelled as he laid his Rockeyes just north of the WP smoke. oeLead off target.

oeTwo's in hot! Kara called, seeing Guru's CBUs find targets and explode several. She picked out the trailing vehicles and selected them. Again, Rockeyes came off an F-4, and she pulled out. oeTwo off target.

oeThree's in hot! Sweaty called as Kara pulled off. She decided on the middle of the column, and saw several vehicles explode as Kara's CBUs went off, and there were burning vehicles where Guru had dropped his. Steady, steady, she told herself. oeHACK! A dozen Mark-20 Rockeyes came off her aircraft.

oeDisperse! Get off the road! The battalion commander was shouting. The road ahead was blocked with burning vehicles after the first two aircraft had made their runs, Then he heard another aircraft coming in, and he was cursing his driver. oeMove it, you gutless... Then his BTR took hits, exploding around him.

oeThree's off target, Sweaty called.

oeFour's in hot, Hoser said. He simply made his run in between where Guru and Sweaty had dropped theirs, Again, CBUs came off an F-4, and he pulled up after release. oeFour's off target.

oeNail, Corvette, Guru called. oeHow'd we do

oeCorvette, Nail Three-Six. I give you one-hundred percent bombs on target. Grade Point Average Four decimal Zero. Have a nice day.

oeRoger that and thank you, Guru replied. oeFlight, let's get out of here.

oeCopy, Lead, Kara calmly replied. Then she shouted. oeLEAD! BREAK RIGHT!

Guru broke hard right, then he saw a MiG-23 overshoot him. Then he heard Kara shouting.

oeFOX TWO! And an AIM-9P came off her Phantom, streaking like a spear into the MiG's tailpipe. The missile exploded, then the MiG became a fireball. There was no chute. oeSplash!

oeGood kill, Two!' Sweaty shouted.

Guru frowned underneath his oxygen mask. Where had that MiG come from If Kara hadn't been on the ball...Nice shootin', Starbuck, He called. Then he called the AWACS. oeCrystal Palace, Corvette Two-One.

oeCorvette Two-One, Crystal Palace, go. the controller responded.

oeCrystal Palace, we just had a Flogger jump us. Where the hell did he come from

oeCorvette, We had him about ten seconds before someone called 'Splash.'

oeThanks a lot, buddy. He almost splashed one of us. Guru replied, not bothering to tell the AWACS knothead he'd been the one who'd almost become someone's scalp.

oeRoger, Corvette. Do you need a vector to the tanker track

oeCopy.

The controller vectored the flight to the tankers, and just like the previous mission, the tanker circuit was busy. After refueling, they headed back to Williams. When they landed, the flight taxied back to their dispersal area, and just like the morning, someone was waiting for them. Only this time, it was just Licon. After Guru popped his canopy, he and Goalie shook hands, glad to be alive. If Kara hadn't been on the ball...

oeHow'd it go, Sir Licon asked as Guru and Goalie got out of the aircraft.

oeAir to ground was fine, Guru said. oeTurned a battalion into a company on Highway 344.

oeFAC directed Licon asked as the other crews arrived.

oeYeah. Nail Three-Six was his call sign. Guru said. oeHe gave us a four-point-zero.

Nodding, Licon said, oeGood, Sir. Anything else

oeYeah, Kara got a MiG-23 that nearly got me. Where did he come from

oeHe was hugging the mountains, saw you, and rolled in behind you, Kara said. oeHe was too close, though, to try an Aphid shot,. Looked like he was trying to line you up for guns.

oeGood shooting, though, Goalie said. oeOtherwise, it was skydiving time.

oeThat's two for Kara, now Guru asked.

oeIt is, Sir, Licon said. oeHow many eyeballs on the kill

oeThree pairs, not couting Kara and Brainaic, Guru said.

Licon looked at Sweaty and Hoser, and all four crew members nodded. oeAnd you, Sir

oeI broke right, rolled out, and saw the missile fly up the MiG's tailpipe.

oeThank you, Sir, Licon said. oeI'll write that up as a confirmed kill, and note the location. Maybe we can find a wreck later on.

oeThanks, Darren, Guru said. oeWhere's the CO

oeHe went out about a half-hour ago with a four-ship. Carson's with him.

oeGood. That asshole's not around, and where the boss can keep an eye on him, Kara said.

oeSeconded, Sweaty chimed in.

Then the crews saw the ordnance people bringing five-hundred and seven hundred and fifty-pound bombs to their aircraft, along with Capt. Mark Ellis, the Ops Officer. oeThis one comes for the Marines. Mountainair Municipal Airport, just north of U.S. 60. The Cubans have helos based there, either Hips or Hinds.

oeLet me guess; they want them gone, Goalie said.

oeRight on that, Ellis replied. oeSo we got the mission, because Marine air is busy with CAS for the jarheads.


oeSince we don't have a choice, we'll take it, Guru said. oeHow long

oeAs soon as you're turned around, Ellis said. oeSandwiches and drinks in the Hummer, hit the latrine, and get ready to go ASAP, Ellis said. oeHave a good run. He then headed off to see the next returning flight.

Nodding, the crews went to the Hummer while the ground crew and the ordnance guys went to work. oeWhat's the sandwiches Sweaty asked.

Hoser checked the box. oeChicken, Ham, Turkey, Club, and something brown that just sits there.

Goalie checked the ice chest. oeSodas, bottled water, tea, and Gatorade.

oeCoffee in a gallon thermos, Guru said. He helped himself to a cup. He was still full from breakfast, and didn't want to chance himself on what some called oeRoadkill sandwiches from the Marines' mess tent.

oeI'd like to know, Kara said, in between bites of a chicken sandwich, oeWho wasn't on the ball with that MiG

oeThat's the sixty-four thousand-dollar question, Goalie nodded. oeHe must've come up from down south.

Sweaty nodded as well. oeWant to bet his GCI got taken out, and he was just looking for a target

oeSince he didn't bail out, Brainac said, oewe'll never know.

Sergeant Crowley then came over. oeCaptain, he said to Guru. oeYour birds are ready to go.

oeThanks, Sergeant, Guru said. He went over to a portable latrine-of which a number had been placed on the ramp area, and did his business there. Then he gathered his flight around the Hummer, and checked the materials Ellis had left for them. oeAll right....we'll come in south of Manzano Peak, pick up Route 55, and come in on the target. One run only, people! North to South. Go past the town, pick up the Chupaedra Mesa again, then turn west for the Rio Grande and I-25.

oeThreat Kara asked.

oeSays here the only defenses are guns. ZU-23s and the quad ZPUs, Guru said. oeBut everybody there likely has access to SA-7s, so watch it. No flak or SAM suppressors on this one: we're it. Guru told his flight. oeAny other questions

oeNo questions, a voice said. oeJust wishing you good luck.

Guru turned and there was Dave Golen, their IDF observer. oeDave, this all bringing back memories

oeYes, Golen said. oeFirst day of the Yom Kippur War. But with one difference.

oeWhat's that Sweaty asked as she grabbed her helmet.

oeYou're winning. Golen said. He put out his hand, and everyone shook it. oeI wish I could join you.

oeTalk to Rivers when he gets back, Guru said. oeWe had an IDF exchange officer go home a couple months ago: he had fifty-seven missions and a couple of MiGs on his belt when he left.

oeI will, Golen said. oeGood luck.

oeThanks, Dave, Guru said. oeAny other questions He asked his flight. Heads shook no. oeAll right, time to hit it.

The crews went to their birds, and after a quick walkaround, they strapped themselves into their mounts. Their flight instructors would have been apoplectic at how rushed the preflight routine was, but on a day like today, no choice. They started engines, let them warm up, then they taxied to the runway, and after the tower showed them the green light, the four F-4s rolled down the runway and into the air.

[Matt Wiser]

And the morning goes on, two more missions before lunch:


Over New Mexico: 0950 Hours:


Corvette Flight headed into enemy territory, and as they crossed the Sandias south of Manzano Peak, their RWR receivers were clear. Either the EW effort was working, or so many radars had been knocked out, and gaps torn in the ComBloc air defense net. oeHow long to Route 55 Guru called.

oeOne minute, Goalie replied. oeStand by to turn.

oeRoger that. Guru then called the AWACS. oeCrystal Palace, Corvette Two-One. Say threat

oeCorvette Two-One, Negative threat.

oeCopy.

oeStand by....and turn! Goalie called.

Guru put the F-4 into a turn, and the rest of the flight followed. oeOne minute thirty to pop-up

oeRoger that, Goalie said.

oeFlight, Lead. Pick up your visual scanning. Don't want to be caught like last time,

oeCopy, Lead, Sweaty called.

oeStand by... Goalie said. oeNow!

Guru put the F-4 into a climb, and as he did, he could see the Mountainair Municipal Airport off to his right. oeTarget in sight. Lead is in hot. He banked right, and began to roll in on the target.

oeSwitches set, Goalie said. oeWe're hot.


Down below, the Cuban Air Force's 261st Helicopter Squadron was trying to get their Mi-25 Hinds and Mi-8 Hips airborne. Several of each had already been shot down, and despite the skies being full of American aircraft, the ground forces needed their support. So far, the field hadn't been bombed yet, but the base commander knew his time would come. Apart from the armorers and maintenance personnel, the base commander had every available man digging slit trenches and foxholes, or improving already existing facilities, because sooner or later, the Americans would strike his field. He was distracted by a rumble off to the west. This time of day, he knew it wasn't desert thunder-he'd been exposed to enough of that the last year and a half. No, it was artillery fire. And it was coming closer.

oeSteady, steady... Guru called. He could see several helos and a couple An-2 transports on what passed for a parking area on this dirt field. Nice try, Fidel....and....HACK! He hit the pickle button, and six five-hundred pound and six seven-hundred and fifty pound bombs came off the aircraft. oeLead off target.

There had been no warning. The first indication the Cubans had that their field was under attack was Guru's Phantom flying past, and then that Phantom laid a dozen bombs across the runway and the improvised parking area. Two Hips, a Hind, and one of the An-2s fireballed as bombs exploded on and around them.

oeMadre Dios..., the base commander said as one of his officers pulled him into a trench.

oeTwo's in hot! Kara called. She rolled in on the western side of the field, and saw an An-2 trying to take off. She didn't have time to arm her 20-mm gun, but instead focused on the bomb run. oeHACK! She called, and walked her bombs across the runway, blasting holes in it, and also landing a bomb on a ZPU gun emplacement, whose gunners died not even knowing they were under attack. oeTwo off target.

oeThree's in hot, Sweaty called. She selected the center of the runway, and saw two Hips siting next to it, still intact. She came in and smoothly walked her bombs across the center of the dirt runway, and exploded both Hips, as a five-hundred pound bomb landed between the two helos. oeThree's off safe, she called as Two-Three pulled away from the target, and right over the town of Mountainair.

oeFour in hot, Hoser called. He saw that the field had been smacked by the first three, but saw one area that hadn't been affected: a parking area south of the field for fuel trucks. Since there was no fuel storage here, even before the war, all fuel for the helicopters-and the occasional visiting An-2 or An-26, had to be delivered by fuel trucks. So Hoser made a turn before rolling in, coming in from due east, and walking his bombs along the south side of the runway. Several fuel trucks exploded, and a couple bombs landed in a tent area south of the runway. As he pulled out, he saw an An-2, to his surprise, take off and pull away to the east. You are one lucky SOB, he thought as he called. oeFour off target.

oeRoger that, Guru said. oeForm on me, music on, and let's get the hell out of here.

All four F-4s joined up and they headed right for the Rio Grande. As they headed west, all of the crews noticed Marine F-4s and A-4s overhead in abundance, providing CAS to the Marines on the ground. They even heard a Marine FAC simply stack aircraft up from 5,000 up to 25,000 feet, and telling newly arriving aircraft, oeGet in line at 25,000 and wait your turn.

oeGuru, Sweaty. Glad that ain't us Sweaty called her flight leader.

oeRoger that! Guru replied. oeCrossing the fence.

oeCorvette Two-One, Crystal Palace. We show you across the fence. Do you need a vector to the tankers

oeNegative, Crystal Palace, Guru replied. oeNot this time.

oeRoger, Corvette. Maintain Two-Seven-Zero until state line.

oeCopy, Guru replied.

Once they reached the Arizona-New Mexico state line, they were then able to head to Williams. After coming into the pattern, they had to wait as several flights of both AF and Marine aircraft took off, then the flight was able to land. After taxiing to their dispersal area, the crews got out, relieved that this one had gone off almost like a training mission. oeGood one, Guru, Goalie said.

oeIf they were all like that... Guru said. oeTake 'em while we can.

oeHey, did anyone see an An-2 on the runway Kara asked as they walked back to the Hummer.

oeYeah, Hoser said. oeHe took off just as I was pulling away. He's lucky.

Sweaty nodded. oeThose things can land anywhere. He probably found a strip someplace to the east.

Guru nodded as Sergeant Crowely came up. oeSergeant.

oeSir. Anything we need to know He was asking about maintenance issues.

oeNo, not yet. Pull the strike camera footage, and.. Guru stopped. He saw the ordnance crews coming with a mixed CBU and dumb bomb load. oeWell....I know what we're carrying.

oeYes, sir. Be ready in thirty minutes, Crowley said.

oeOkay, Sergeant, Guru said. Then he noticed Colonel Rivers and the SIO waiting. oeSir.

oeHow'd things go, XO Rivers asked.

oeThis one was as close to a milk run as we'll probably get. No Triple-A, no SAMs, no nothing.

oeBDAThe SIO, Licon, asked.

oeI'm claiming a couple of helos on the ground, Guru said. oePut a few holes in the runway and the parking area. Calling that an airport is an overstatement, though.

oeSame here, Sweaty added. oeYou'll have to check our strike camera footage, though.

oeRoger that, said Kara. oePut mine on the runway, and maybe a bomb or two on a flak site.

oeHoser Licon asked.

oeFuel dump, West replied. oeMade that go away.

oeThanks, all of you, Licon said. oeBDA should be available later today. Recon's been active all morning, and don't be surprised if you see a high flier.

oeU-2s Goalie asked.

oeMaybe, Licon said. oeThanks again, and then the SIO went off to receive another incoming flight.

oeLet me guess, said Sweaty. oeSR-71s

oeMaybe, Rivers said. oeDon't be surprised if they did show.

Guru nodded. He noticed the maintenance folks and the ordnance people working. Many of the men were either wearing sleeveless T-Shirts or were going bare-chested, while the women in those crews were in the same sleeveless T-Shirts or were in sports bras. oeIf Carson saw those, he'd go ballistic.

oeNo kidding, Rivers said. oeSo far, nothing yet.

oeGive him time, Kara nodded.

Guru nodded, then he saw the object of their discussion coming towards the group. oeUh-oh... Speak of the devil.

Major Frank Carson came over. He was easily the most despised officer in the squadron, and that opinion was shared by everyone else in the unit, both officers and enlisted. An Academy grad, he was notorious for blindly enforcing every rule and regulation, even when those made no sense. Throw in his distaste for officers who were not Academy grads, or Academy grads who were oeone of the boys after hours, female aircrew, and just about how the 335th was run, and it added up to trouble. oeColonel, he said, giving a perfect Academy salute. oeAre you going to do anything about the airmen who are out of uniform on the ramp

oeNo, Rivers said. oeOther than telling the NCOs to have plenty of sunscreen handy. It's a hot day, in case you haven't noticed.

oeSir! Carson wailed.

oeIn case you haven't noticed, Major, Rivers said. oeWe're at war. And right now, I don't give a damn how the ramp crews are dressed. If it keeps them comfortable while they're doing their jobs I could care less.

oeSir....You don't understand!

oeNo, Major, you don't. Unlike you, I know what parts of the book to keep and what to throw away. Now get ready to go out again in fifteen. You're my number three again.

oeYes, Sir...., grumbled the Major.

oeAnd Major If you write anyone up for a uniform violation who's working on the ramp, I'll put it right where it belongs, Rivers nodded.

oeVery good, Sir!

oeIn the office shredder, Rivers said, seeing Carson's face deflate. oeNow get ready to go out.

oeYes, Sir., Carson saluted and headed to his own aircraft in a fit of the sulks.

oeNow that's out of the way, Rivers said. oeHere's where you guys are headed. He pulled out a TPC chart of Central New Mexico. oeRight here... Rivers pointed to a town called White Lakes, north of I-40 on U.S. 285.

oeWhat's the target, Sir Guru asked.

oeSupply dump and truck park. Right now their whole front in this part of New Mexico is coming apart, and III Corps is going forward a lot faster than they thought, Rivers said. oeKeep up the pressure, and don't give 'em time to regroup.

oeAnd if we don't find the dump It could be empty by the time we get there.

oeLook for any military traffic on either 285 or State Highway 41. Stay away from I-40. The Army wants it intact, Rivers said.

oeUnderstood, Guru said. oeSir, what's the threat

oeThreat is mainly MANPADS and light flak-mainly ZU-23s. The SA-3 site at Clines Corners is down-the Weasels got there this morning, The CO said.

oeGood to hear, Boss, Guru said. oeOh, Dave Golen's probably looking for you. I think he wants some stick time.

oeGeneral Tanner sent something in case he wanted some, Rivers said. oeID, dog tags, insignia, all of it. If he gets shot down, as far as everyone's concerned, he's one of us.

'Yes, Sir. Guru said.

oeOkay, get something to eat, hit the latrine, because you're headed out as soon as you're turned around, Rivers said.And one other thing: good luck.

oeThanks, Boss, Guru said.

Colonel Rivers nodded as he headed off to get ready for his next flight.

Kara nodded as she got a Gatorade from the cooler. oeWhy hasn't he kicked Carson out

oeLike it or not, he's qualified, Guru said. oeWe still need warm bodies, even if he did barely qualify.

oeIn the air, he could get somebody killed-or himself, Sweaty pointed out. oeWho qualified him

oeNot sure, Guru admitted. oeI'll check his file. As squadron Exec, he could do that. He went to the cooler and got a bottle of water. oeWhat's the temperature

oeAir or ramp Goalie asked. She had gotten out of the top half of her flight suit, as had Kara, Sweaty, and oeKT Thornton, and everyone else, for that matter. All had their T-Shirts and sports bras on, of course, but the sweat made sure that didn't help hide things. Much.

oeEither one, he said as he downed some water.

oeHow does 92 degrees sound Or here on the ramp, it's probably 105.

oeUgh, Kara said as she picked at another sandwich. oeStay away from the brown stuff.

oeWhy Sweaty's WSO, Preacher Simmonds, asked.

oeOne of those just moved.

oeDon't be surprised if somebody got a BLT from those jarheads and the tomato looked back at you. Goalie said as she chomped down on a turkey sandwich, and the crews laughed.

Guru had just finished his water and a turkey sandwich when Sergeant Crowley came over. oeSir, all four birds are ready to go.

oeThanks, Sergeant, Guru said. He turned to his flight. oeTake care of any business at the latrine, then we'll brief and launch.

After everyone had come back from the latrine, and back into their flight suits and G-Suits, Guru gave his brief. oeI'll keep this short. We're looking for a supply dump and truck park, north of I-40 on 285. The local SA-3 site is down, so we're good on that score. If the dump and park are empty, we look for military traffic on either 285 or Highway 41. Stay away from I-40, like the Boss said.

oeThey want a Cannonball Run to the Texas State Line, and the freeway's the best way to do it, Kara nodded.

oeRight on that, Guru said. oeAny other questions There were none. oeAll right; let's go. He picked up his helmet and went to his mount, 512, with Goalie right behind him. After a quick walkaround, they mounted their aircraft and ran through the preflight, and ran up their J-79 engines. After receiving permission to taxi, they taxied to the end of the runway, where the armorers pulled off the weapon safety pins. Once that was done, the F-4s taxied onto the runway, where the tower flashed a green light, and all four rumbled down the runway and into the air.


Over East-Central New Mexico; 1130 Hours:


Corvette Flight was once again over familiar territory, having flown numerous strikes into this part of New Mexico. Only this time, they were at 10,000 feet, and not having to worry about SAM activity, for both the EW and SEAD effort had paid off, and the ComBloc's air defense network in this area had been taken apart. Now the aircrews were looking for the truck park and supply dump that they had been tasked to hit. oeAnything Guru asked Goalie, who was scanning the ground below with binoculars.

oeNothing yet. This might be a wild-goose chase, she replied.

oeWouldn't surprise me if these guys just pulled up and left, Guru said.

oeGuru, Sweaty, was the call over his radio. oeWe've got something.

oeWhere Guru asked.

oeEleven Oclock low, came the reply. oeLook for the truck tracks.

oeGot it! Goalie said.

oeI see it, replied Guru. oeOne pass: CBUs only. See if we can find the supply dump.

oeCopy, Sweaty replied.

oeTwo, on me, Guru called, and he saw Starbuck coming into formation in a right echelon. oeOne pass, east to west.

oeRoger that, Kara replied.

oeCopy, two, said Guru. oeSet us up: wing stations have the CBUs.

oeGot it, Goalie replied, stowing the binoculars. She worked the armament switches. oeYou're set.

oeTime to go, Guru said. oeLead's in hot! He turned and rolled down the chute, lining up on the truck tracks below.


Below, the truck drivers and their MVD escorts were deciding what to do. Some of the truck drivers' destinations were now rumored to be in enemy hands, and the last thing the drivers-most of whom had been in the military twenty or twenty-five years earlier-wanted to do was keep going and run into the Americans. Others, including their MVD escorts, wanted to keep going, and at least find someone in authority to get further instructions from. They were still arguing with each other when an MVD lieutenant pointed skyward.

oeSteady, steady, Guru called, oeHACK! He hit the pickle button and six Rockeye CBUs came off the wing stations. He pulled up and leveled off, glad to have no return fire. oeLead off target.

Six Rockeye CBUs have 1,482 bomblets. Guru's run effectively covered most of the truck park with the bomblets, and some of the trucks had fuel or ammunition as cargo....

oeTwo in hot! Kara called. She saw the secondary explosions on the ground, as well as Guru's plane as it pulled up and away, rolling off to the right. oeHACK! She called, placing her CBUs to the right of her lead's, and careful to keep any of the bomblets away from the road. Even though they hadn't been told to avoid hitting 285, the chances were pretty good that friendlies might be coming down this road soon, and so....Two's off target.

oeThree's in! Sweaty called. She rolled in and laid her CBUs between Guru's and Kara's, and she noted that Kara's had also caused some secondary explosions. oeThree's off target, she said as she pulled up and away.

oeFour in hot! Hoser said. He wanted to lay his Rockeyes just to the south of where Guru had put his, and as he went in, he noticed some tracers coming up. Someone down there was shooting back. Mentally, he changed his mission from oeattack to oepost-strike flak suppression. Hoser centered his pipper on the tracers and released, calling, oeFour off target.

Down below, some of the MVD troops were firing back at the attacking aircraft. Though most of them had AKMs, they also had a BTR-152 and a DshK machine gun, and two of the MVD were manning the gun. Then Hoser's F-4 flew over them, and they saw the CBUs open, then hell came down on them as the bomblets detonated, killing and wounding many, and exploding the BTR as well (it being an open-topped vehicle, several bomblets landed inside the track....).


oeGood work, Four, Guru called. oeYou got secondaries.

oeThanks, Lead, Hoser replied.

oeGuru, Starbuck. You want to go back and use the '82s Kara called her flight leader.

oeNegative, Guru replied. oeLet's check out Highway 41. Maybe we can find something there. He didn't want to go back to 285, because all they had found was the truck park, and no sign of the supply dump.

Back at the remains of the truck park, the survivors picked themselves up, and were deciding what to do. The highway known as oeInterstate 40 was only a few kilometers away, and there was a traffic-control point there, one that many had passed through. Maybe they could get some help, or maybe a ride back to their units. Some were hesitant, but exploding trucks and delayed-action bomblets going off as well convinced them that staying around wasn't a good idea.


Up above, the four Phantoms regrouped and headed west. The crews knew the next major north-south road was State Route 41, and with this push on, that road was likely to be jammed with enemy traffic, either reinforcements headed to the front, or those trying to get away. Guru decided to call the AWACS and see if there was not only any threat in the area, but if a FAC or two were working nearby. oeCrystal Palace, Corvette Two-One.

oeCorvette Two-One, Crystal Palace. Go ahead, the controller replied.

oeCrystal Palace, say bogey dope.

oeCorvette Two-One, Crystal Palace, negative bogeys.

oeCopy that. Any Nails working the area Guru asked. Nail was the usual FAC call sign.

oeStand by, the controller said. After a few seconds, the controller returned. oeCorvette, contact either Nail Three-One or Nail Three-Seven.

oeRoger that, Guru replied. oeSay closest

oeCorvette, Crystal Palace, Nail Three-Seven is closest your posit.

oeCopy, Guru replied. oeNail Three-Seven, Corvette Two-One with four Foxtrot Fours, inbound from the east.

oeRoger, Corvette, say type of ordnance The FAC called.

oeNail, Corvette. Six Mark-eight-twos and full guns each airplane.

oeCopy that. Route Four-One is full. Anything moving there is a target. Free strike, the FAC replied.

Guru looked ahead and saw an A-7 orbiting. oeRoger, Nail. Say ground threat

oeCorvette, triple-A is the only threat, apart from MANPADS. No heavy stuff.

Hearing that, Goalie called her pilot on the intercom. oeSomebody must've took out the SA-2 south of here.

oeNot complaining about that, Guru said. oeRoger, Nail.

Corvette Flight came in, and they could see the road was full of traffic. What looked like rear-echelon types headed south, and some armor headed north, towards U.S. 285. oeLead, Sweaty. How do you want it

oeOne pass, northeast to southwest, Guru said. oeFollow me in.

oeCopy, Sweaty replied.

oeStarbuck, Lead. On me.

oeRight with you, Lead, Kara replied.

oeFlight, Lead, Let's go to work. Guru called over the radio. Then he told Goalie, oeSwitches set.

oeCopy, she said. oeCenterline set. You're hot.

oeRoger, Guru said. oeFlight, Lead's in hot! He then rolled in on the attack run.

Below, on Highway 41, it was a traffic jam. The Soviet traffic regulators were trying to sort out the rear-services vehicles, who had been ordered to head for Interstate 40 and proceed east from the reinforcements headed in both directions. Tanks and APCs from one division were headed north to block the Americans coming from that direction, while an independent Motor-Rifle Regiment was headed south, to try and shore up the Cubans, who were being torn apart by the U.S. Marines. No one seemed to be paying attention to the sky, and that would prove to be a big mistake.

oeSteady, steady, Guru said to himself as he lined the pipper up on a crossroads. It looked like a small county road was intersecting with the state highway. Oh, well...your bad day, Ivan. oeHACK! He pushed the pickle button, and six Mark-82s came off the centerline rack. oeLead off target.

Guru's bombs landed right on a traffic control point, and the bombs tore apart several trucks and flipped a BTR-70 over, as well as killing and wounding a number of the truck drivers and traffic regulators. No one even heard the F-4 come in. Then a trucker pointed east. A second plane was coming in...

oeTwo's in! Was the call from Starbuck. She put her bombs just to the south of Guru's, and as she pulled away and rolled, she and Brainac saw secondary explosions. Somebody had something that went boom....Two off target.

Kara's bombs had landed on several supply trucks belonging to the motor-rifle regiment, and in particular, the artillery battalion. Her Mark-82s set off 122-mm artillery ammo, and there were several large secondaries as a result.

Now it was Sweaty's turn. oeThree rolling in hot! She called as she rolled in. Sweaty saw the explosions down below, and she put her bombs to the north of that. Her bombs landed on some armor headed north, and flipped a T-62 and tore apart several BMPs. But this time, as she pulled out, she saw an SA-7 or -14 coming up. oeThree off, with a SAM at Seven O'clock.

Just north of where Sweaty had dropped her bombs, several BMPs had pulled off the highway, and their infantry had deployed. One of them had an Strela-3 (SA-14) launcher, and he locked up the F-4 and fired.

oePreacher, dump some flares, Sweaty said as she pulled into a tight turn.

oeGotcha, he replied, pumping out a number of flares, and trying to see the missile.

oeSweaty, Starbuck, Kara called. oeSAM just hit a flare.

oeCopy, Sweaty said.

oeFour's in hot! Hoser called. He had seen where the SAM had been launched from, and decided that nobody shoots at his element leader and gets away with it. He rolled in, and saw the dissipating smoke trail, and lined it up in his pipper. oeHACK! He called as he dropped his bombs.

Hoser's bombs landed in the middle of the BMPs, tossing several like toys, and killing or wounding most of the infantrymen around the vehicles. Unlike his element leader, he drew no fire as he pulled out.

oeFour's off target, Hoser called.

oeRoger that, Guru called. oeForm on me. One pass is all we get.

oeStill got guns, Kara reminded her flight leader.

oeNot with those Grails around, Guru said. Grails meant MANPADS to any aircrew.

oeCopy, Kara replied.

oeNail, Corvette, we are Winchester and headed out, Guru called the FAC.

oeCopy, Corvette, the FAC replied. oeGood bombs on target.

Corvette Flight reformed and headed west. As they cleared the Sandia Mountains north of Albuquerque, they saw the sky over the city full of helicopters, and to their north, I-25 was full of American armor. Both sights were deeply satisfying to the aircrews. As they crossed the Rio Grande, Guru called the AWACS. oeCrystal Palace, Corvette Two-One crossing the fence.

oeCopy, Corvette, the controller replied. oeDo you need a vector to the tankers

oeRoger, Crystal Palace.

The controller gave the flight a vector to the tanker track over the Continental Divide. This time, they hooked up with a KC-135, and the tankers were just as busy as they had been in the early morning. After refueling, they headed back to Williams, and after waiting a few minutes for outbound traffic to leave, they came in and landed. As they taxied in, the crews saw several Marine A-6s preparing to go out, and they were loaded with laser-guided bombs. There was a term going around those who used LGBs, and that was oetank plinking. oeLooks like the Jarheads are going to plink some tanks, Goalie commented.

oeWish we could do that more often, Guru said. Their squadron only had two Pave Spike Pods, and two Pave Tack pods, though several crews were qualified to use both types of pods. Both Guru and Goalie could count on one hand the number of times they'd flown a laser bomb mission.

The flight taxied in to their dispersal area, and shut down. Guru popped his canopy, and let out a big sigh. He checked his watch. oeFour missions and it's already 1230.

oeHow many more Goalie asked as she popped her canopy.

oeHowever many they tell us, Guru said as the ground crew brought the crew ladders. oeThanks, guys.

oeHow'd it go, Sir Sergeant Crowley asked as both Guru and Goalie climbed down.

oeRipped up a truck park, and ripped up some armor, Guru replied. oeWhat's up next

Crowley nodded at his pilot. oeOrdnance guys will be here in fifteen minutes, Sir. They need a break.

oeThey, you guys, and everybody else, Goalie said.

oeYes, Ma'am, Crowley said.

oeNothing wrong with the bird, Sergeant, Guru said as they did a postflight walk around. oeNo holes that we can see.

oeThanks, Sir, Crowley said. oeThey brought some more stuff for the cooler and more coffee.

oeAll right, Sergeant, Guru said. He headed to the Hummer, and found Mark Ellis and Darren Licion waiting. oeGuys.

Ellis put out his hand. oeHow'd it go, Guru

oeNot bad, Guru replied as the rest of the flight came over. oeTore up the truck park, but there was no sign of the supply depot.

oeWhat Licon asked, clearly surprised. oeIt was on the photos, clear as day.

oeProbably a dummy, Sweaty chimed in. oeNot the first time somebody got fooled that way.

oeI'll go along with that, Kara added. oeBut the truck park....lots of secondaries there.

oeI'll check the strike footage, Licon said. oeWhat else

oeWe hit traffic on Route 41, Guru added. oeLots of armor and trucks. Tanks, APCs, supply vehicles, that sort of thing.

oeFAC directed Licon wanted to know.

oeYou got it. Nail Three-Seven was his call sign.

oeOkay, I'll find out from him, and look at the strike footage, Licon said. oeAny threats

oeSweaty had a SA-7 shot at her, Hoser said. oeI put my stuff down on those guys.

oeClose call Mark Ellis asked.

oeNo, it went after a flare, Kara said. oeI don't think Sweaty even saw it.

oeWe didn't, Sweaty confirmed. oeBut the flares did their job.

oeOkay, I'll check with the FAC, and go over your strike footage, Licon said. oeThanks, guys. He then went off to debrief another returning flight.

oeWhat's next, Mark Guru asked.

oeOn-call CAS again, but not until 1400. You guys deserve a break, Ellis said. oeRivers said so.

oeHe here Guru asked, reaching for the cooler and a bottle of water.

oeNo, he went out ten minutes ago, Ellis said. oeAnd Dave Golen was flying with him.

oeCarson with the Boss

oeYep, Ellis said. oeWith Golen as element lead. Carson's number two to Dave.

oeLet's hope Frank learns something from him, Guru said. oeThough I doubt it.

oeRight on that, Ellis said. oeOh, don't go into the squadron's building. The power's out, and thus the A/C.

oeWhat happened Sweaty asked. oeSabotage

Ellis shook his head. oeStill checking. Power company says a transformer blew, but the FBI and OSI are out, making sure.

oeWith this push on, Kara said, oesome sleeper agent must've decided to go active.

oeProbably, Ellis admitted. oeThey still don't know yet.

oeOkay, Mark, Guru said. oeIf anyone needs to see me, send 'em over this way.

oeGotcha, said Ellis.

While they were waiting for their birds to be turned around, the crews helped themselves to some more cool drinks, and the Marine mess people came around with some hot meals for lunch. oeCaptain, want something hot A Marine Mess Sergeant asked. oeHot steak and cheese sandwiches, burgers and fries, or fried chicken

The crews had lunch while sitting under a tarp that someone had strung up from the Hummer to a tie-down position. And to Guru's relief, no one asked about squadron business, only what they'd seen and done. So a lot of swapping stories, and comparing notes went on, and while that was going on, the turnaround process began. So far, the 335th had not lost any aircraft or crews, but since they had half a day to go, that could easily change. About halfway through the break, Colonel Rivers' flight landed. After he debriefed, Rivers and Dave Golen came over. oeGuru, Rivers said.

oeBoss, Guru replied. oeHow's it going

oeWell, First Cav is in Santa Fe, and they're headed for Highways 285, and 84 if they can. They want to get to I-40 and pocket what's left of Albuquerque's defenders.

oeThen who's in Albuquerque Kara asked.

oeThat's 23rd ID and the 11th Airborne. Fifth Marine Division to the south, and the rest of Sixth Army. The Rio Grande line just collapsed, and the ComBloc is headed east. And we're right behind 'em, Rivers said.

oeGood to hear, Sir, Goalie said. oeWhat's going on to the north

oeDenver's relieved, and the whole ComBloc line in Colorado's starting to come apart. Not as fast as here, but... Rivers said.

oeYeah, Guru said. oeBoss, we still got half a day to go.

oeRight on that, Rivers nodded. He noticed the ordnance crews bringing ordnance to Guru's flight. oeAnd you guys are going first.

Guru and his flight noticed the ordnance. Napalm tanks and Mark-82s with fuze extenders. The old Vietnam oeShake and bake load. oeBarbeque time, he observed.

oeYep, Rivers said. He turned to Dave Golen. oeLook familiar

oeLike the Yom Kippur War, as I said to the Captain, but with a difference, Golen remarked.

oeWhat's that

oeYou're winning.

oeCan't argue with that, Kara quipped.

Master Sergeant Michael Ross, the squadron's senior NCO, came over. oeColonel, he said to Rivers. oeThe power's back on. Along with the A/C.

oeThanks, Sergeant, Rivers said. oeNow to see if Carson left anything on my desk.

oeIf he did, Boss, may I suggest making good on that promise Guru asked. He was barely concealing his loathing for the overzealous Major.

oeYou may, Guru, Rivers said. oeAnd I'll make good on it. He shook Guru's hand. oeGood luck on the next one.

oeThanks, Boss.

Rivers then shook hands with the rest of the flight, and headed back to the squadron offices with Ross. Golen stayed, since he had his one mission for the day, and watched as the ordnance crews finished. oeYour people are starting to slow down, he observed.

oeThey were working when we got here, Goalie said. oeNo wonder.

Sergeant Crowley came over. oeCaptain Wiser, the birds are locked and cocked. Ready to go.

Guru nodded. oeThanks. He finished a bottle of water, then turned to the flight. oeHit the latrines, then come back here.

Everyone headed off, did their business at the portable latrines, then came back to the Hummer. oeWhat's next Sweaty asked.

oeOn-call CAS, Guru replied. oeCall AWACS, and they tell us which FAC to go to.

oeGreat, Hoser said. oeNo way to know where

oeNope, Guru replied. oeNorth or south, wherever the controller sends us.

oeLovely, Kara spat.

oeI'd rather go and bust up an airfield-like Cannon or Holloman, but not our call, Guru reminded everyone. oeAnything else Heads shook no. He picked up his helmet. oeLet's hit it.

The crews headed to their aircraft, and though the walkaround was normal, the preflight in the cockpit was one that their flight instructors would have had fits over. After engine start, the tower cleared them to taxi, then the flight taxied to the runway. There, the armorers removed the safety pins on the weapons. After taxiing onto the runway, the tower flashed a green light, and the F-4s rumbled down the runway and into the air.

[Matt Wiser]

The day goes on.....


Over Central New Mexico, 1340 Hours:


Corvette Flight was orbiting just west of the Rio Grande, southwest of Albuquerque. With nervous Army air-defense units down below with HAWK and Patriot SAM batteries, everyone made sure their IFF was on, and that when they entered or left enemy territory, the safe-passage lanes were being used.
Then there was the sight down below, as the Army's 11th Airborne Division kept up the effort by helicopter, grounding down the defenders, who were half Soviet and half Nicaraguan. The latter had folded up pretty quick, but the Soviets had dug themselves into the northeastern part of the city, and had to be blasted out. It also meant that both Kirtland AFB and Albuquerque IAP were still not open for fixed-wing operations, let alone helicopters, because there were still shells landing near the runways, and the AF needed the RED HORSE teams to get in, assess the condition of the runways and ramp, before it could be opened, and the Army had to drive the Russians out of artillery range at least before that could happen.

Guru was looking down from 17,000 feet. oeMan, that part of town's getting torn up.

oeSeen worse, Goalie reminded her pilot. oeDenver.

oeYeah, Guru said. oeBut a siege is different. Nobody going forward on either side. Today...

Goalie smiled under her oxygen mask. oeLot different. Those guys down there don't want to give up.

oeNowhere to go, and penned up against the Mountains, Guru noted.

oeCorvette Two-One, Aladdin, the voice over the radio said. Aladdin was the call sign for an EC-130E Airborne Command Post (ABCCC). oeWe have tasking for you.

oeAladdin, Corvette, oe Guru replied. oeGo.

oeCorvette, we have a ground FAC along Highway 41, requesting CAS. Contact Covey Two-Six.

oeCopy, Aladdin. Covey Two-Six, Guru replied. oeCovey Two-Six, Corvette Two-One.

oeCorvette, Covey Two-Six. Replied the FAC. oeSay aircraft and type of ordnance

oeCovey, we have four Foxtrot-Fours with a shake'n bake load. Guru told the FAC.

oeRoger, Corvette. Hostiles along the highway. Infantry and APCs. We are taking mortar fire. The sound of an explosion came over the radio, clearly describing the FAC's situation.

oeCopy that, Guru replied. oeSay surface-to-air threat.

oeCorvette, unknown Sierra Alpha threat, the FAC responded.

oeRoger that, Covey. Corvette Flight inbound. Guru said. oeFlight, lead. Follow me and let's go. Folks on the ground need some help.

oeRoger, Lead, Sweaty called. And the flight of four Phantoms went in again into enemy territory. Though if things kept going the way they were, it wouldn't for long.

oeCovey Two-Six, Corvette Lead. Say your posit. Guru called, asking for the FAC's position.

oeCorvette, Covey replied. oeTwo miles north of Stanley on 41. We are on the east side. Bad guys to the west and along the road.

oeCopy, Guru said. oeCan you mark the target

oeThat's affirm, Covey replied. oeWill mark with Willie Pete.

Down below, three puffs of White Phosphorous marked the target. And the F-4 crews could see them from their new altitude of 7,000 feet. oeHave visual on Willie Pete, Guru said. oeHow do you want it' Shake first, or bake

oeCorvette, Shake'em up first. Bad guys are Alpha Lima Alpha, Covey replied. That meant ALA.

oeRoger that, Guru said. He did the switches himself. Centerline first. oeGoalie, get set.

oeReady back here, Goalie replied. oeLet's teach those scumbags a lesson.

oeLet's do it, Guru agreed. oeFlight, Lead. Follow me in. South to North. Then he rolled in on the bomb run. oeLead in hot!

oeLead, Two, right behind you, Kara called.


Guru went down the chute, and lined up on the WP smoke. He pulled level at 700 feet AGL and released as he went over the WP smoke. oeLead's off target.

Below, the ALA's 122nd Security Battalion was engaging what their commander called oebandits and counterrevolutionaries. They had a KGB company with them, and not just to offer advice, but to oestiffen their resolve. They had no air-defense weapons other than machine guns and a few Strela-2 (SA-7) missiles. And Guru's run had taken them by surprise as his F-4 flew over, then five-hundred pound bombs came off the aircraft, and exploded among the ALA troopers.

oeCorvette, Covey, the FAC called. oeGood hits!

oeCopy, Covey, Guru replied.

oeTwo's in hot! Kara called, rolling in on her run. She had heard the target description, and these ALA scum fully deserved whatever came to them. Kara lined up on the northern WP smoke, releasing as she passed over. oeTwo off target.

The ALA troopers had been caught by surprise, and a few of them saw Kara's F-4 rolling in. They took cover in a roadside ditch, but many of their comrade did not, or would not. The Mark-82s killed or wounded a number of ALA troopers, and flipped an old BTR-40 APC over.

oeThree's in hot! Sweaty called. She put her bombs to the west of the highway, and unknown to her, her aimpoint was where the mortar positions were. Sweaty saw the trucks as she leveled out, then released her bombs. oeThree's off target.

oeCorvette, Covey called. oeGreat hits! You got the mortars, fella.

oeYou're welcome, buddy, Sweaty replied.

oeFour's in hot! Hoser said. He came down onto the southern WP smoke, and the FAC-and the SF team he was with- watched as Hoser's bombs ripped into several of the ALA's vehicles, and tossed troopers' bodies like rags. oeFour's off target.

oeCovey, Corvette Lead, Guru called the FAC. oeYou want some barbeque time That meant napalm.

oeRoger that, the FAC replied. oeSame target area.

oeCopy, Guru replied. He came around for his second run. oeFlight, Lead. Follow me and drop in trail. Then he called Goalie. oeSet us up.

oeRoger, Lead, Sweaty replied.

:You're set, Goalie told her pilot. oeWing pylons armed.

oeThen let's fry these bastards, Guru said with deadly seriousness. oeLead's in.

Corvette Flight then came in trail, with Guru, Kara, Sweaty, and Hoser all in line. Each F-4 came over and released four BLU-27 napalm bombs, and many of the ALA (and some KGB) who had survived the first pass were incinerated by the second. And the strike took the fight out of the survivors, who began trickling away in both directions.

oeCorvette, Covey, the FAC called. oeGood hits on target. Thanks, fellas.

oeGlad to be of help, Guru called. And we gave those scum a taste of hell that's waiting for 'em, he thought. oeFlight, form on me, and let's get out of here.

Corvette Flight reformed and headed west, over the Sandias. They gave Albuquerque a wide berth, because not only were there helicopters in abundance, but also artillery shells, and a 155 shell in flight didn't care whether or not you were a friendly. The flight headed to the tanker track, and as they were waiting to refuel, heard something ominous over the radio. oeDodge Three-Two is down.

oeOh, shit!' Guru said.

oeCory Hatcher and Bob Hall, Goalie said. She knew Hall, he'd been in her WSO class at the RTU. Hatcher, though, was a new guy, and per squadron policy, had been teamed up with an experienced WSO.

oeDodge Three-Three, Crystal Palace, the AWACS called. oeAny chutes

oeNegative, Three-One replied. oeSierra Alpha one-one. That meant the SA-11 Gadfly, and was usually bad news.

oeCopy, the AWACS controller said.

The tanker hookup was subdued, and there was hardly any banter as the flight returned to Williams. Two of their friends were gone, but there was nothing they could do about it. Fight now, mourn later, was the mantra, and there would be time later, if not that day, for them to mourn their lost friends.

After landing, their mood went from exuberant to quiet seriousness. Word had spread that a squadron plane was down, and that the crew hadn't gotten out. oeSir, Sergeant Crowley said. oeHow'd it go

oeGave some ALA a shake'n bake, Guru said as he got down from his aircraft. oeNothing wrong with the airplane, though.

oeThat's good, Sir, Crowley said. oeColonel's waiting by the Hummer.

Nodding, Guru led the members of his flight to the Hummer they had been using in between flights as a rest area. oeColonel, Guru said.

oeI heard, Colonel Rivers said. oeMike Engle and Joe Putnam called it in. They were near Las Vegas on I-25. First Cav found the crash site.

oeOnly good thing about it, Guru said. oeThey're not MIA.

oeYeah. Doesn't make the letter-writing any easier, XO, Rivers reminded him. oeIt's worse when both crew don't get out.

oeWas it like that for you when Tony Carpenter and I went down Guru asked.

oeIt was. Rivers said. oeJust hope this war gets over and done before you have to write any.

oeTo be hoped for, Guru said. oeAnyway, this one went fine. Ground FAC wanted some ALA to go to hell and gone, and we sent them there.

oeGround FAC Rivers asked, getting back into mission mode.

Guru and the other pilots nodded. oeThat deep, had to be SF, Kara said.

Sweaty chimed in. oeI'll go along with that.

oeCall sign Rivers asked. oeI'll pass it along to Intel.

oeCovey Two-Six, Guru said. oeHad to be an ETAC. That meant an Enlisted Tactical Air Controller.

oeDon't forget about those STS guys, Kara said. She was referring to the 24th Special Tactics Squadron, who were highly trained AF personnel who went in with SF teams to act as FACs if the mission called for it.

oeSnake-eaters, Hoser quipped.

oeBe careful, Guru reminded him. oeThose 'snake-eaters' have brought quite a few guys out, so keep that in mind.

oeXO's right, Rivers said. oeOkay, ordnance will be here in a half-hour, and you guys go out as soon as they're done.

oeWhere to this time Guru asked. oeUh...Sir Right now, he didn't care if he appeared to be insubordinate, because he was tired.

oeDon't blame you at all, XO, if you're getting tired, Rivers said. oeYou're headed to Estancia, south of Moriarty. Their Municipal Airport has some Soviet Hinds and Hips, and maybe even Su-25s, and we can't have that. The briefing packet has everything you need, Rivers handed a packet of material to Guru. oeGet something to eat, get some rest, because you're out again in an hour.

oeGot it, Guru said.

oeAnd good luck, Rivers said as he went off to get ready for his next mission.

oeYou heard him, Guru said.

And with that, the crews helped themselves to sandwiches and cold drinks. There was the usual griping about the oesuggestion of meat in some of them, but everyone had a good laugh about that. oeAt least it's not like one episode of M*A*S*H, KT quipped.

oeWhat do you mean Kara asked.

oePotter tells a friend, 'I had a hamburger last night that whinnied.', or something like that.

oeRemember the one where Hawkeye ordered ribs from Chicago Guru said. oeThe only thing Colonel Blake was upset with was that Hawk forgot to order the Cole Slaw.

Goalie nodded. oeYeah, and there was another one where Hawkeye told a nurse how bad the food was: 'I wonder how the cook got off at Nuremberg.' Or the time when the whole camp came down with food poisoning

oeYeah, that was a good one, oe Guru said. oeWinchester's doing laundry-which he thinks is beneath his stature, Hawkeye and BJ are lost, and a North Korean's trying to surrender to them, and follows them back to camp, and the only other staff members not sick are either Hot Lips or Father Mulchahy.

Brainac laughed. oeOne of my favorites When Frank Burns took a tank for a ride.

oeThat's a hoot! Kara said. oePotter puts his jeep out of its misery after Frank runs over it. He also took out the Swamp and the Nurses' Shower.

Prewar memories, several of them knew. oeWonder if someone will do a show like that for this war
Hoser asked.

oeSomebody in Hollyweird's probably got story ideas, Guru said. oeWhen this is over, it won't take long.

Goalie nodded, then she pointed. oeSpeaking of Frank Burns...here comes Carson.

The despised Major came over, and he didn't like what he was seeing. Ground crew clearly out of uniform, and aircrews going around with their flight suits half off. Some of the male crews had taken off their T-Shirts, while the women had done the same, leaving their sports bras on. oeAren't you going to do anything Carson asked Guru.

oeAbout what, Frank Guru replied.

oeThe airmen out of uniform!

oeSo what Guru shot back. oeIf you're expecting me to side with you on this, forget it. Anything to keep cool and comfortable on a day like this. In case you're in a dream world, it's 115 here on the ramp. And to punctuate that, he poured a bottle of water over Goalie's head. She grinned, and smiled her thanks.

oeI'm taking this to a higher authority, Carson grumbled.

oeCan't be Tanner, or the Chief of Staff, Kara grinned.

oeHe'll probably call his Mom or Dad again, said Sweaty, and everybody laughed, including some nearby ground crew, who overheard the conversation.

oeOh, phoney baloney, Carson grumbled as he sulked off.

oeDon't know if I've said this before, Kara said. oeBut he's as bad as Tigh.

oeColonel Tigh up at Kingsley Field Guru asked. oeI saw him once, the day I requalified after coming back from the E&E. Grumpy, coarse, and an all-around asshole.

oeThat's him, Kara smiled. oeAnd Carson would fit right in with him.

oeTigh didn't have anything to do with WSOs, Goalie nodded. oeIf you didn't have pilot's wings, he didn't want much to do with you.

oeI'll go along with that, KT said. oeNavs, he hardly had much to say. Other than when you passed, 'Congratulations.'

Nodding, Guru opened the briefing packet, as he saw the ordnance people arrive with their munitions. Six 750-pound M-117 bombs and six Mark-82s again. oeOkay, he said as he laid out the materials on the hood of the Hummer. oeHere we go.

oeSame drill as that other field this morning Sweaty asked.

oeYep, Guru said. oeWe go east along the Chupadera Mesa, pick up State Route 42. Once we do that, turn north to U.S. 60. One minute after passing U.S. 60, turn west, and that will take us to Estancia.

oeOne pass, as usual Kara asked.

oeCorrect, Guru nodded. oeOnce we're clear, head for the mountains due west. Clear those, then head right for the Rio Grande. Make sure your IFF is on once you clear the mountains.

oeYou know those Army SAM guys: 'shoot 'em down and let God sort them out.' Hoser said.

oeNo shock there, Guru said. oeNow, the threat is a mix of guns, either ZU-23s or 37-mm, plus MANPADS. Though watch out; with their lines breaking, anything's possible. Including SA-6, -8, or -11.

oeNo flak or SAM suppressors Kara wanted to know.

oeRight on that. They're all busy, so we have to use speed, surprise, and our ECM pods, Guru told everyone.

oeSo, Sweaty commented. oeOne pass, get out due west, clear the mountains, and head for the river

oeThat's it, Guru said.

Then Sergeant Crowley came over. oeSir, your birds are locked and cocked.

oeThanks, Sergeant, Guru said. oeHit the latrines, and get ready to fly.

After htting the latrines, and getting ready, Guru called them around. oeAny last-minute questions

oeYeah, Kara asked. oeHow many more today

oeWho knows Two, maybe three, Guru said. oeAny others There were none. oeOkay, let's hit it.

The crews did their preflight walkarounds, then after mounting their aircraft, ran through their cockpit preflights. Then came engine start, and clearance to taxi. They held short of the runway to allow the armorers to pull the weapon safeties, then the F-4s taxied to the runway itself. The tower flashed a green light, giving the Crews clearance to take off. Then Corvette Flight rumbled down the runway in pairs, and lifted into the air.



Over Central New Mexico: 1520 Hours:



Corvette Flight's four F-4s were headed east over the Chupadra Mesa, and to everyone's surprise, the only radars so far coming up were friendly. oeWhere is Ivan Guru asked his GIB. (Guy-or in this case, Girl, In Back) oeNo MiGs since this morning.

oeDamned if I know, Goalie said. oeI'm not complaining, though.

oeMe neither, Guru said. oeHow long to turn

oeOne minute,

oeRoger that, Guru replied. He was swiveling his head left to right, keeping an eye out for any threats. That had been drummed into his head at the RTU before the war, and no one got complacent in a fighter cockpit if one expected to come back from a mission. oeCrystal Palace, Corvette Two-One. Any bogey dope

oeCorvette, Crystal Palace, the controller replied. oeNegative bogeys.

oeCopy, Guru replied.

oeStand by, Goalie said. oeAnd turn.

Guru turned the F-4 to the northeast, headed for U.S. 60, and the others in the flight kept formation with him. oeTime to the next turn point

oeOne minute thirty, Goalie replied.

oeRoger that, Guru said. The four F-4s headed on, and as they approached U.S. 60, the crews noticed enemy traffic headed east, with some armor and APCs headed west. They blew over the road, and down below, the Cubans and Nicaraguans fleeing east were relieved that the four aircraft didn't attack them.

oeAnd turn. Goalie called as they reached the highway.

oeTurning, Guru said. They were now navigating by time and distance, classic dead reckoning, for there was no real landmark in this part of New Mexico, apart from a dry lakebed east of the target area.

oeOne minute, mark.

oeMark, one minute, Guru said. oeFlight, lead. One minute to IP.

oeTwo, Kara.

oeThree, Sweaty.

oeFour, Hoser.

oeSwitches on, and set 'em up! Guru called.

oeYou're set, Goalie said. oeThirty seconds.

oeCopy, Guru said. oeGet ready.

oeNow! Goalie called. oeIP and turn.

oeFlight, Lead, Guru said. oePull, and turn. One minute to target.

Corvette flight turned on its attack run, pulling up to 2000 feet AGL.

oeSo far, so good, Goalie said. oeThirty seconds.

oeCopy, Guru said. Then he saw it. oeFlight, Lead. Target in sight. Lead is in hot. He then rolled in on his attack run.


At Estancia Municipal, the commander of the 45th Independent Helicopter Regiment was having a fit. His unit had been established a year prior to the war, and two years of combat had taken its toll. His unit nominally had three squadrons, two of Mi-24V (NATO designation Hind-E) gunships, and one of Mi-8MT transport helicopters. But now, due to enemy action and accidents, he was down to one squadron of Mi-24s and a half-dozen Mi-8s, and two of those were down for battle-damage repair. Furthermore, four Su-25s had landed at the field, due to their own base having had its runways bombed, and one of those planes had run off the runway. A maintenance section and a recovery vehicle were now trying to get the aircraft out, so that it could be repaired. As for defenses.....all he had at the base was a battery of ZU-23s that were Cuban-manned, along with the Strela missiles that his ground staff had been trained to use. Then he noticed someone pointing to the northeast. Smoke in the air, coming closer. He knew right away what it was. oeAir Raid warning! He shouted, then he jumped into a slit trench.

Guru lined up on where two Su-25s were parked, along with a pair of Hinds. oeSteady, steady, he said, almost to himself. oeHACK! And six each of retarded Mark-82s and M-117s came off his Phantom. Then he turned west, and called, oeLead off target, doing a low-level flyover of the town of Estancia as he did so.

Guru's bombs landed amongst the two Su-25s and the two Mi-8s, and all four were blown apart. A couple of the Mark-82s landed among some supply trucks, adding to the general destruction, and one bomb wrecked the communications tent.

oeTwo in hot! Starbuck called. Kara saw where Lead's bombs had landed, and decided to walk hers to the left. She picked out where four Mi-24s were parked, and lined them up in the pipper. oeHACK! Was the call as her bombs came off her aircraft, and she turned west, following Lead over the town. oeTwo off target.

Kara's bombs ripped apart two of the Hinds, and wrecked the other two. Her bombs also took out several fuel trucks, exploding them in fireballs, and two of her bombs also holed the runway, which meant that the Mi-24s could not use rolling takeoffs, as well as grounding any remaining Su-25s.

oeThree's in hot! Called Sweaty. She laid down her bombs to the right of where Guru's had landed, and she saw another pair of Su-25s, surrounded by vehicles, as well as a Hip helicopter. Lining them up, she called oeHACK!, and released her bombs. As she pulled away, she noticed tracer fire coming up; 23-mm by the looks of it, but it was falling behind her aircraft. oeThree off safe.

Sweaty's load blew the Su-25s and the servicing vehicles apart, and one of the bombs landed right on top of the Hip, obliterating it. Several of her Mark-82s landed in the tent area where the base personnel lived, blasting the tents apart, while two bombs landed in the motor pool, turning it into a junkyard.

oeFour in hot! Hoser called. He saw the fireballs erupting from Sweaty's run, and decided to put his bombs on the runway. So he made his pass from due east to west, and laid down a perfect pattern, putting multiple holes in the runway, and drawing some fire from the 23-mm guns on the way out. Unknown to him, one of his Mark-82s landed at the west end of the runway, where the last Su-25 sat, with the retrieval crew trying to pull the aircraft from its tail-high position. Hoser's bomb solved their problem, blasting both the recovery vehicle and the aircraft. oeFour off safe, he called as he buzzed the town.

oeCopy, Hoser, Guru replied. oeFlight, on me, and let's get the hell out of here.

All four Phantoms joined up and headed west. They got over the mountains between Bosque Peak to the north and Capilla Peak to the south. When they got into the Rio Grande Valley, Guru called. oeCrystal Palace, Corvette Two-One, Corvette Flight across the fence.

oeRoger, Corvette Two-One, the controller replied. oeDo you need a vector to tankers

oeNegative, Guru replied. oeWe can make home plate.

oeCopy, said the controller.

Once they cleared the valley, the F-4s climbed back to 12,000 feet, and headed for Williams. On the return flight, Goalie asked, oeWhere's the Soviet Air Force Or the Cuban AF

oeThat, Guru said. oeIs a very good question.




Alamogordo Regional Airport, New Mexico; 1550 Hours:


The SAF Colonel was practically in tears. Earlier that morning, his Regiment, the 190th Fighter Aviation Regiment (IAP), had three squadrons of MiG-23MF fighters. Now, he had at most, eight aircraft left in the whole regiment, and three of those were undergoing repair. He surveyed the wreckage around him, and thought, was it like this on the first day of the war against the Fascisti in 1941 He had good reason to think that.

That morning, at 0430, his men had been awakened by the sound of the alert siren going off, then explosions, as low-flying aircraft had bombed the runway. F-111s, he thought, but wasn't sure. His deputy commander had gotten the repair crews out, and they had started work on filling the bomb craters, when A-6s came over at 0600, laying down cluster munitions all around the ramp and the dispersal area, turning MiG-23s into burning wrecks as their fuel and ordnance exploded with the aircraft.

Finally, around midmorning, he had led a dozen surviving MiGs into the air, only to run into F-16s. Four of the MiG-23s were shot down, and two more damaged. After he landed, two more MiGs took off, but only one returned, as the flight had been jumped by F-5s, and though the wingman had returned with several 20-mm holes in his aircraft, he had not seen what happened to his flight leader, who had gone north, along the east side of the Sandias.

Then, that afternoon, several more A-6s had come in, again dropping cluster bombs, and adding to the misery of the repair crews. Now the runway was closed while explosives experts went around, marking the bomblets that hadn't gone off, and then a sharpshooter would go out with a rifle and shoot them until they detonated. Then his intelligence officer arrived.

oeComrade Colonel

oeYou told me this wouldn't happen! That most of their aircraft in this theater were sent to Kansas and Missouri! Now look at what they have done!

oeComrade Colonel, the intelligence man replied. oeI was only passing what I received from higher.

oeI know, Comrade Major, the colonel said. oeStill, I have to blame someone. Any other news

oeNothing definite, but both Holloman and the Alamo Midway Airport have also been attacked and neutralized. Rumors are going around that American Rangers have seized the White Sands Space Harbor.

oeIt won't be long until we get orders to leave, the colonel replied. oeSoon,the front will be in Texas.

oeI'm afraid so, Comrade Colonel, replied the intelligence officer.

Several bomblets exploded off in the distance. Then a harried air force engineering officer came to the Colonel. oeComrade Colonel, the political officer-

oeWhat about our dear Party Comrade The Colonel asked.

oeHe's dead. The Zampolit was berating me and my men for not being energetic enough in clearing the area of munitions and debris, when a delayed-action bomblet exploded next to him.

oeNo great loss, the Colonel said. oePeople like him are what got us into this mess anyway. Get the runway operational as soon as possible.

oeComrade Colonel.


Near Williams AFB, AZ; 1600 Hours:

Corvette Flight was approaching the base, and Guru called for landing instructions. This time, the pattern was clear, and the flight was cleared for landing. After they landed, the flight taxied over to their dispersal area, and shut down. As he climbed down from the cockpit, Guru told Goalie, oeGood one.

oeI'll take it, she replied. oeWhat happened to those SAMs the brief told us about

oeMaybe the Weasels got there ahead of us Kara said as she came over. oeOr they got jammed off the air

Guru nodded. oeWhatever happened, I'm happy with it. Then they walked over to the Hummer, where Colonel Rivers and Lieutenant Licon were waiting. oeBoss.

oeHow'd it go Colonel Rivers asked.

oeHardly any flak, and no SAM activity, Guru said.

oeHow about the bombing

Just as Rivers asked that, Sweaty and Preacher came over, with Hoser and KT not far behind, though Hoser was limping, favoring his right ankle. oeSir.

oeWhat happened to you Rivers asked.

oeTwisted my ankle getting down from the crew ladder, Hoser said. oeI'm fine.

oeNot until Doc Waters has a look. Consider yourself grounded for the rest of the day, siad Rivers. oeNow, how was the strike

oeTore that place up pretty good, Guru said. oeIntel was right about Su-25s; they had several there.

oeChoppers Licon asked. oeIntel said Hips and Hinds.

oeThey were there, Sweaty said. oeWe took out most of them.

oeI'll check the strike footage and see what we get. BDA from other sources should be available tomorrow, Licon said. oeAny surface-to-air activity

oeExcept for light flak Kara asked, seeing the intel officer nod. oeI didn't see any.

oeMe neither, Guru said, and Goalie nodded. oeThen again, we were first in and out.

oeNo MANPADS that I could see, Hoser said.

KT nodded. oeI'll confirm that.

oeOkay, Licon said. oeI'll pass that all up the line. Thanks, everybody. Then the intel headed on to debrief another flight.

oeGood run, Rivers said to everyone. oeNow, he said, pointing to Hoser. oeAs for you.... He pulled from a flight suit pocket a walkie-talkie. oeDoc, come over to 512's dispersal.

oeOn the way, a voice responded.

oeColonel... Hoser said. oeI can manage.

oeNot if you have to eject, Rivers said firmly. oeNo flying until Doc has a look and clears you. Understood

oeYes, Sir, Hoser replied, though none too happily.

A Dodge Crew-Cab pickup came over to the Hummer, and both Doc Waters and one of his medics came over. oeYou asked for me, Colonel Doc asked.

oeHoser twisted his ankle getting out of his plane, Rivers said. oeTake him and check him out.

oeCome on, Lieutenant, Doc said. oeNo more flying today, and maybe tomorrow as well.

oeOkay, Doc. Hoser said. He walked to the truck, but he was clearly favoring his right ankle.

Watching that, KT said, oeThat leaves me without a pilot.

Rivers nodded. oeAny suggestions, XO He asked Guru.

oeHaven't seen him in the air, Guru said. oeBut this might be a good time to find out. How about Dave Golen

oeDone. I'll send him over here, Rivers said. oeAnything you want to know about him

oeOnly one thing, Guru said. oeAny problems flying with KT, or flying as Sweaty's wingman The IDF doesn't allow female aircrew..

oeI don't think he'll have any, Rivers said. oeI'll get him over here. You're going out again in forty-five minutes. This will be your last one of the day.

oeWhat's the mission

oeCAS. On-call again, said Rivers. oeYou know the drill. I'll get Dave over here, and you guys can hash it out.

oeRoger that, Boss, Guru said.

oeGood luck, Rivers nodded, then he headed off to the squadron offices.

After Rivers left, the crews grabbed some more food from the cooler, and found that more drinks had been added to the ice chest. Bottled water and iced tea were preferred, as no one wanted to have gas from a Coke or Pepsi while in the air. While they ate and drank, Dave Golen came over in a USAF flight suit, and with helmet and G-Suit. oeGuru, he said.

oeDave, Guru said, remembering the Israeli habit of calling officers by their first names. oeYou know everybody

oeI do, and nice to be flying with you, Golen said. He shook hands with KT, and said, oeA pleasure to be flying with you.

oeThanks, Major, KT replied. oeHope you don't mind a girl in back, instead of a guy.

oeNot at all, Golen replied.

Guru nodded. oeGood, Dave, because you're flying as Sweaty's wingman.

oeExperience leads, Golen nodded. oeJust as we do it.

oeActually, Goalie said. oeJust as Robin Olds did it in Southeast Asia.

oeI see...the legendary Robin Olds has a continuing legacy.

Both Guru and Kara nodded. oeHe does, Kara replied with an evil-looking grin.

Golen nodded himself. oeSo, then. What's the mission

oeCAS, on call, Guru said. oeWe check in with AWACS and they pass us on to a C-130 ABCCC, then they hand us off to a FAC.

oeUnderstood. Anything else I should know

oeOnly this: unless the FAC asks for it, one pass only. Guru said. oeWe learned that the hard way.

Golen nodded. It was the same thing in the Israeli AF. oeOrdnance

oeTo be determined, Goalie said. oeThey bring us whatever's available.

The crews were talking and trying to stay cool when the ordnance crew arrived. This time, the crews noticed the load before the arming process began. All CBUs, and they were Rockeyes. oeLooks like we may be going after armor, Sweaty observed.

oeWe'll know, only when we get there, Guru said.

It took twenty minutes to arm the flight. Then Sergeant Crowley came over to the Hummer. oeCaptain, he said to Guru. oeBirds are locked and cocked.

oeAll right, Guru said. oeHit the latrine, and then get ready to fly.

After the crews did their business there, they gathered at the Hummer again. oeWhere to this time Kara asked.

oeAWACS or ABCCC tells us, Guru said. He turned to Golen. oeAny special questions

Golen shook his head. oeNone.

oeGood, Dave. Just follow Sweaty's lead, and you'll be fine. Guru said. He turned to the rest of the flight. oeAny other questions

oeThis our last one, right Sweaty asked.

oeIt should be, Guru nodded. oeAnything else There wasn't. He grabbed his helmet. oeLet's hit it.

The crews went to their aircraft, and did a quick walk-around, then got into their planes. The cockpit preflights were rushed once again, and then it came time for engine start. After run-up, it was time to taxi. As usual, once they got to the runway, the armorers pulled off the arming pins, then the flight was cleared to taxi onto the runway. The tower again flashed a green light, and the flight took off by elements, rumbling down the runway and into the air.

[Matt Wiser]

The last mission of the day:



Over Central New Mexico: 1705 Hours:


Corvette Flight had come in just north of Albuquerque, and after checking in with AWACS, had been told to wait. They were high enough that, as they orbited, could see the Northeastern part of Albuquerque rapidly turning into a mini-Stalingrad, as the Soviet defenders made their last stand. Penned up against the Sandia Mountains, with no way out now that I-40 was under American control, and so they were fighting it out, with the 11th Airborne and parts of the 23rd ID having a real fight on their hands, while two brigades from the 23rd were pushing east along I-40. With all the artillery in the air, fixed-wing aircraft were staying clear, and even the Army helicopters from both divisions were keeping south of I-40 and west of I-25.

oeOne thing, Guru said to Goalie on the intercom. oeWhen the Russians run out of ammo...

oeThey surrender, she replied. oeThey're not the Japanese from World War II, or the North Koreans up in Canada.

oeYeah, Guru said. Then the C-130 ABCCC came on the line.

oeCorvette Flight, Hillsboro, the controller called. oeProceed heading Zero-nine-zero, then contact Nail 41.

oeRoger, Hillsboro, Guru called. He led the flight due east, giving the battle area a wide berth. He then contacted Nail 41. oeNail Four-One, Corvette Two-One.

oeCorvette, Nail, the FAC replied. oeSay type of aircraft and ordnance.

oeNail, four Foxtrot-Fours with one dozen Rockeye CBUs and full load twenty mike-mike, replied Guru.

oeRoger, Corvette. I see you, the FAC responded.

As they came in, the flight could see yet another A-7K orbiting. oeNail, Corvette, what have you got for us

oeCorvette, we have troops in contact, Highway 285 south of the Highway 41 intersection. Enemy armor and APCs headed their way. Can you make those go away

oeNail, Corvette, Guru replied. oeRoger that. Say Sierra-Alpha threat

oeCorvette, Nail. Expect regimental air defense threat, the FAC said. That meant SA-9s or -13s, and ZSU-23s, plus whatever MANPADS that the infantrymen were carrying.

oeCopy, Guru replied. oeCan you mark the target

oeStand by, Corvette, the FAC responded. oeSteer One-Five-Zero.

oeRoger that, Guru replied. oeFlight, Lead. Stick with me.

All four F-4s made the turn, and they were headed southeast, parallel to U.S. 285, and they could see the road below. The WSOs were scanning with binoculars, and they could see the elements of the First Cavalry Division spreading out on both sides of the highway. And about two miles south of them, White Phosphorous exploded along the breadth of the road. oeThere's your target area,

Guru nodded in his cockpit. oeFlight, Lead. One pass, south to north. Come around, and follow me in.

oeRoger, Lead, Sweaty called.

oeNail, Corvette, Guru said. oeOne pass is all we can give you. Can you ask the ground pounders to take out any air defense assets

oeWait one, Corvette. the FAC said. Then he came back. oeCorvette, Nail. That's affirm.

Down below, several vehicles exploded in fireballs. That should make things a little easier, Guru thought. oeNail, Corvette, we're headed in. Flight, Lead. Time to go to work.

oeRight with you, Lead, Sweaty replied.

Guru brought his F-4 around, and started his run in. oeGoalie,set things up. Everything in one pass.

oeGotcha, she said. oeYou're set.

Guru took a last look at his EW repeater. Still clear. He switched on his ECM pod. oeMusic's on. Lead in hot. He rolled in on his bomb run. As he lost altitude, he could see T-72 tanks down below, and BTR type APCs. Your bad day, Ivan,.....HACK! Guru called as he pushed the pickle button.

Down below, the 363rd Independent Motor-Rifle Regiment was moving north on Route 285. The Regimental Commander had received orders from what was left of the 13th Army HQ to stabilize the Army's right flank. With no other information, the Colonel moved his regiment north, past the wreckage of American air attacks, and to his surprise, his regiment had not been hit by American aircraft. Then, all of a sudden, white phosphorous burst around his regiment, and he ordered his battalions to deploy and move north along the road. He was caught totally by surprise as several of his vehicles took American fire and exploded, and clearly, the Americans were closer than Army thought. The howl of an aircraft came over him, and he saw an F-4 moving north at low level. Then CBU bomblets began to explode, and then his BTR-60 command vehicle exploded around him....

oeLead's off target, Guru called.

oeTwo's in, Kara said. She went in to the left of the road, picking out what looked like a battalion's worth of APCs. She hit the pickle button. oeHACK!, she called, and a dozen Rockeye CBUs came off her aircraft, exploding a number of BTR-70s, and she egressed north. oeTwo's off target.

oeThree's in hot! Sweaty called. She decided to hit the right of the road, and she, too, picked up some BTRs. As she rolled in, Sweaty noticed some tracers going up after Kara's F-4, but the tracers fell away No SAMs, Sweaty was pleased to see. She lined up the BTRs in the pipper....HACK! And a dozen more CBUs came off her Phantom, and a number of BTRs exploded. oeThree's off target.

oeFour on target, Dave Golen called. He'd done this quite a few times in Sinai in '73, and to him, it was like old home week. As he came in, he could see the Soviet artillery battalion deploying, and to him, that was a worthy target. He picked out a battery, and lined them up. oeNow! He called to KT, and again, Rockeye CBUs exploded on target, knocking out several of the 2S1 artillery pieces, and also exploding several ammo trucks. Golen buzzed the regiment on the way out, and as he came out, there was tracer fire coming up not only after his element leader, but around his aircraft. But the plane wasn't hit, and as he pulled up, KT in the back seat dumped some flares to confuse any MANPADS. Then he banked hard and headed west. oeFour off target.

oeCopy, Four, Guru said. oeNail, Corvette Two-One. How'd we do

oeCorvette, Nail. Good bombs on target. Watch for Warthogs coming in from the west, the FAC said. oeThe Army says thanks.

oeTell 'em 'You're welcome,' Guru replied. oeFlight, Lead. Form on me and let's head home.

The other three Phantoms formed on Guru's bird, and all four headed west. They managed to get to the tanker track without any help from the AWACS, and after refueling, headed back to Williams. As it turned out, they were the last flight to return, period, for the last Marine F-4 or Hornet flight had returned a good ten minutes earlier. The sun was beginning to go low on the horizon when Corvette Flight came in and landed. After they taxied to their dispersal and shut down, Guru said to Goalie. oeThat's a record. Seven missions in one day. For us, anyway.

oeWant to bet those Hog drivers had more She replied. oeLet's get this debriefed, then get something to eat.

oeAlways listen to your WSO's advice, my RTU instructor once said. Guru replied. oeSeems like a lifetime ago.

oeYeah, she said as the ground crew brought the crew ladders and the crew popped their canopies. Then they got out of the aircraft, dead tired.

oeHow'd it go, Sir Sergeant Crowley asked.

oeNo holes, Guru said. oeMade a bunch of tanks and APCs go up.

oeAll right! Uh, Sir, Crowley said. oeCO and Lieutenant Licon by the Hummer.

Guru nodded, and led his crews back to the Hummer. oeBoss, he said, sketching a salute.

oeWelcome back, said Colonel Rivers. oeHow'd Dave do

oeDid all right, Guru said. oeIsn't that right, KT

oeHe did, KT replied. oeI'd have him in the cockpit again anytime.

oeIf you want him, you got him, Rivers said. oeHoser's grounded for at least another day.

oeThen we'll take him, Guru said. oeHow's that sound

oeSounds good to me, Golen replied.

oeWhat was the target Licon wanted to know.

oeRegimental-sized force on 285, Guru replied. oeTanks and APCs.

oeAny SAMs

oeNone that we could see, Sweaty said. oeThere was some tracer fire coming up, though.

oeNo heavy stuff, not even MANPADS, Kara nodded. oeThe Army did take some of that out, though.

oeMajor Licon asked Dave Golen. oeDid you see any

oeNone at all, Golen replied. oeJust some tracer fire, and that was all.

oeWhat did the FAC say Rivers asked.

oeHe said we had good bombs on target, Guru replied. oeSome A-10s were coming in as we left, and that was all.

oeI'll check your strike camera footage, Licon nodded.

oeLots of secondaries on a couple runs, Sweaty noted. oeGuru and Starbuck had some.

oeAnd so did you, Golen said.

oeAll right, Licon said. oeThanks, everybody. He then went off to the intel office.

oeOkay, Rivers said. oeDave, you fly with these guys tomorrow. He saw Golen nod. oeGet something to eat, and get over to the Sheraton. Wake up is at 0400, with first wheels up at 0600.

oeBoss, Guru said. oeAlmost like today

oeNot as much, Rivers told the flight. oeIf the ComBloc hadn't collapsed as much as they did, yeah, but..

oeBut this whole part of the front's coming apart, Goalie noted.

oeThat's right, Rivers admitted. oeGet out of your gear, get some food, then over to billeting. Curfew is at 2100.

oeAnd the twelve-hour rule's already in effect, Kara noted sourly.

oeIt is, Rivers said. oeSorry, Captain.

oeAll right, people, Guru said. oeYou heard the CO. Get something to eat, and get to the Sheraton.

As the flight broke up, Goalie noted that her pilot was hanging back with Colonel Rivers. oeYou're coming, right

Guru nodded. oeIn a minute. He turned to Colonel Rivers. oeGlad I didn't have to use that packet.

oeSo am I, Rivers said. oeBut keep in mind, it's still going to be a long war. You might need something like that later on.

oeLet's talk about that later, Boss, Guru said. oeI need some food, and then some shut-eye.

oeYou're not the only one, XO, Rivers nodded. oeCome on and eat. He pointed to the Marines' mess tent.

After eating, the aircrews headed back to the Sheraton, and they found their beds. Because it wouldn't be long until 0400, and they would do it again on the second day of PRAIRIE FIRE......

[Matt Wiser]

A couple of notes:

1) This is Dave Golen's first appearance. He has been in the squadron for two weeks, and has been taking his role as an observer seriously. His orders, though, let him fly at his discretion, and this day is his first mission with the squadron. He wears a USAF flight suit, has a USAF ID, and so on, so that if he's shot down and captured, for all intents and purposes, he's an American.

2) The ALA (American Liberation Army) is the Collaborationist Government's own army. They are raised from people who are literally press-ganged into service, those who join to get more food for their families, criminals looking for reduced sentences and a lot of power, and the true-believers, of course. After the war, the first two groups are pitied, and given amnesty. The last two are viewed with nothing but contempt, and many are still in prison for collaboration, Treason, and war crimes convictions.

[Matt Wiser]

Questions or comments before the next one

[pmulcahy11b]

Well, being a former infantryman, I'd like to see more of what's going on on the ground.

[cawest]

have you thought about a POV of the SR-71 or U2 Pilots. also maybe from the POV of a US sub off cuba

[Matt Wiser]

Here's one for Paul: not quite a grunt's point of view, but more T2K in style. Downed aircrew getting back to friendly lines with some help from guerillas. And a cameo from a character from the original movie....read and enjoy!


Out of the Mountains



1420 Hours Mountain Time: 8 May 1986; The San Isabel National Forest, Northwest of Walsenberg, Colorado:


It wasn't much to look at, but to the camp's occupants, it was home. Sort of, anyway. Several parachutes had been converted into tents, and others had made shelters out of pine boughs and branches, just like what the survival school instructors had taught. For the camp's military and guerrilla occupants, it had been enough, though higher up in altitude was a camp that was more secure. At that camp were wounded guerillas, families who had fled the Soviet-bloc invasion, and even some hikers who'd been up in the high country, and had been shocked to find that the worst had happened, and the Russians had come.

To the military personnel there, though they had helped the guerillas the best they could, all were anxious to get to the other side of the Rockies as soon as the weather and melting snow permitted. Of the camp's fourteen military personnel, a dozen were downed aircrew members from all four services, and the other two were escaped POWs. The rumor mill had said that there were Army troops somewhere to the northwest, along U.S. Highway 50, and all were hoping to get there, find friendly troops, and somehow, get back to their squadrons and back in the air.

For Air Force Lieutenants Matt Wiser and Tony Carpenter, five months with the Resistance was more than enough. They had been shot down in their F-4 near Walsenberg, to the southeast, back in January, and had been lucky enough to find a rural church, where the preacher was willing to hide them in a tornado shelter. Then they'd been passed along to the Sheppard Ranch, west of Walsenberg proper, where the family had sheltered them for a few days, until their eldest daughter Lori could take them into the mountains. They had been in the mountains all of two days when Lori came back, tears running down her face. After they'd left, the Soviets had come to the ranch. Someone, somewhere, had either been caught and broken, or the escape line had been betrayed. Lori had ridden down from the Mountains to find the ranch house and barn burned to the ground, the animals taken away, and in the driveway, the bodies of her parents, younger brother, and younger sister. All had been shot in the back of the head, and both her mother and sister had been.....used, so to speak, by the Russians before they had been killed. She had buried her family, and ridden back into the hills, and bringing with her a desire for revenge.

Over the past few months, the guerillas had made themselves known to the Russians and their Cuban and Nicaraguan lackeys, ambushing convoys, raiding outposts, cutting phone lines, and so on. Not only had they lived off the land, but also off of the enemy, taking whatever they could find, whether it was food, weapons, ammo, medical supplies, or whatever. But now, with the spring melt, Lori knew that she needed to do two things: first, get the downed pilots over the Rockies to friendly lines, and second, see if the rumors were true, and that there were Special Forces teams helping guerrilla bands with supplies, advisors, and so much else. For up in the high country there was a family camp, with refugees who'd fled into the hills, some family members of guerrillas, some escapees from labor or oere-education camps, people who really needed to be on the other side.

Lori gathered the downed pilots around a campfire. All were dirty, grubby, and showed the effects of living in the wilderness. But all had taken part in raids against the invaders, even if the two Marines and the single Army aviator had any kind of infantry training. They had gotten to be good at it, the hard way. oeOK, good news. Mike Jensen just rode down from the Family Camp. They say the snow melt's made a trip over the pass a lot easier. So we're leaving today.

oeAbout time, Lori, Major Mark Adams said. He was one of the two Marines there: an A-6 driver who'd gone down the same time as the two F-4 crewers. He'd been in unofficial command, though he deferred to Lori, as she was the leader of the band. But he was the senior ranking military officer there.
He, like the other military evadees, had his flight suit, but worn over that was a Soviet airborne camo outfit, and then on top of that was a Soviet winter camo suit. And given how cold it got at night this high up, everyone was glad to have the multiple layers of clothing.

oeI'll second that, Capt. Bill Andrews quipped. A former member of the Thunderbirds, he had been shot down the previous December, and had escaped from the Cubans after a week in their custody. Given what he saw during his brief captivity, he had no qualms about killing Russians or Cubans, period.

oeHow far to friendlies Lieutenant Wiser asked.

oeGood question, Adams said. oeBest guess it that it'll take a week or so. On foot the whole way.

oeLovely, Tony Carpenter said. oeAt least we'll get out of here and back to our units. If I wanted to be SF, I would've joined the Army.

Adams nodded. He knew the feeling. Even though he'd been trained as an infantry officer before going to flight school, being a grunt was the last thing he expected. oeAny other questions There weren't any. oeThat's it, then. Grab your weapons, get your gear, and we're gone.

The two AF Lieutenants went to their tent. Though they had buried their chutes after bailout, they had found chutes belonging to downed pilots who hadn't survived: a parachute landing in the forest was a dicey proposition, and several airmen had died in their landings. The two gathered up their tent, and picked up their rifles. Both had AKMs, but Wiser also had an AK-74 that he'd picked up off a dead Soviet recon trooper, and wanted to keep it as a souvenir. Tony Carpenter also had a war trophy he wanted to keep: an SVD sniper rifle that he'd killed a Cuban to get. Like the others, they had made homemade packs from parachute harnesses, just like they'd been taught in SERE.

The party made their last-minute checks. For food, they had home-made deer or elk jerky, and some civilian canned goods that they had found when cleaning up a supply convoy they had ambushed. However much they had, it would have to last a week.

It wouldn't just be the evadees going out: Lori was coming with them. Not only as a guide, but she wanted to find out for herself if the rumors were true, and there were SF operating in the area. Not only did she want an SF Team to come into the area, with weapons, ammo, food, and above all, medical supplies, but to evacuate the family camp. That place had been an old logging camp in the 1920s, and though the civilians and others hiding there had food and shelter, they really needed to be evacuated. Not to mention that their doctor, who prewar had been a dermatologist from Denver, was really in over his head for the most part. He'd been on a hiking trip when the invasion happened, and the only medical supplies he had were what had been oeacquired after an ambush. If a helicopter pickup to get the civilians out could be arranged, she was all for it, and was eager to get going. She not only had an AKMS rifle, but she also had a Winchester Model 70, and that .270 slug could take down just about anything: and they had seen just how good a shot Lori was. Not only had she shot some deer or elk, but in raids, she used that rifle as a sniper rifle, and Lori had killed her fair share of Russians and Cubans with the weapon.

The evadees and a few guerrillas who'd be coming along were all set to go, and a few minutes later, Lori and Major Adams came up. oeEverybody set Lori asked. Though Adams was the senior military officer, she ran the guerrillas, and was in charge. oeOK, let's go.


Somewhere in the Rockies: 10 May 1986: 0730 Mountain Time:

The first day and night had passed quietly for the most part, though most of the evadees were too keyed up to sleep. The prospect of freedom, and being able to climb back into a cockpit, meant that hardly anyone got more than four hours' sleep. As for breakfast, some Elk jerky and a raw pop tart, along with a canteen of water, had to do.

oeAnother week of this, Tony Carpenter grumbled. oeAnd I'm an outdoors type.

Lieutenant Wiser looked at his WSO. oeWhere

oeOregon. Some little town between Salem and the Cascades. Got an appointment to the Academy, which kept me from being a logger, and look where I am now.

oeLet me guess: a lot of hunting and fishing Wiser asked.

oeYep. Never thought all of that would come back. Carpenter said.

oeYou must've breezed through the field portion of SERE.

oeI did. And the instructors didn't like that at all.

Major Adams came up. oeAll right, people, fill your canteens from the spring, and let's get going. If anyone gets winded, call out. We're getting into higher elevation today.

There was the usual grumbling, but everyone got ready, and moved out. Lori wanted to bypass the family camp, and Adams had agreed wholeheartedly. If anyone was following them, best to stay away.

Five hours later, there was a break. As they got higher up, there was still snow on the ground, though it was patchy. Some places still had several inches of snow on the ground, while others, more exposed to the sun, had spring plants in full bloom. But there was one thing everyone was noticing: the lack of forest sounds. It was quiet. Lori, for all her time in the woods prewar, had never experienced anything like this, and neither had Tony Carpenter, or the other guerrillas. oeI don't like this, Major, she said.

oeNeither do I. Adams agreed. He motioned to Army WO Kyle Lewis. oeDrop back about a hundred yards, and bring up the rear. See if anyone's following us. Take one of the guerrillas with you.

oeGotcha, Major, the UH-1 pilot said. He'd been an enlisted solider for five years before going to Fort Rucker and getting his wings as a Warrant Officer. Not to mention that he was Ranger qualified, and that experience had come in very handy, not just in teaching ground tactics to the guerrillas and most of the airmen, but in combat.
Adams then turned to his B/N, First Lieutenant Neal Brandon. oeNeil, take point.

He nodded, and headed on out. After he'd gone about fifty yards, the rest of the group followed.

A couple hours later, Lori called a halt. Neal had found nothing up ahead, but he couldn't shake a feeling that they were being watched. Major Adams felt the same way, along with Lori, and for that matter, everyone else. Someone was watching them, but who If it was Spetsnatz, they might be following them until they made camp, then attack. oeTwo hours of daylight left. Adams said. oeWe'd better find a spot to make camp.

After a half-hour of searching, the party found a nice campsite, only a hundred yards or so from a small lake. After getting a fire going, and boiling some drinking water, everyone sat down to eat. The canned goods that the ComBloc had looted came in handy, for canned beef stew, pork and beans, or raviolis had to make do. But as the party ate, everyone still had the sinking feeling that someone was watching them.

oeMajor, I think we'd better have a patrol-just to look around, Lori said to Major Adams.

oeI think you're right, Adams agreed. oeGuru, Neal, Tony.

Wiser's head shot up. Guru was his call sign. oeMajor

oeYou three, have a look around. No further than a thousand yards. Check around the lake, and down the trail. If you find anyone, fire a few shots into the air, and try and hold 'em. We'll be there ASAP.

oeWill do, Major, Guru said. Brandon was the Marine, so he led the little patrol. They checked out the lake, and went back down the trail. They found nothing, but still.....the hair stood up on the backs of all three. Something was in the forest, off the trail somewhere, and watching them. They saw nothing, and returned to camp just as twilight was coming.

oeWhat'd you find Lori asked. Major Adams was with her.

oeNothing, Neal Brandon said. oeWe checked around the lake, no tracks, other than animals. They were old, by the way. He went on, oeAnd we went down the trail a ways. Didn't see anything, but....

oeBut what, Lieutenant Adams asked.

oeBut, Major, Guru said. oeSomething's there, because we all felt like we were being watched. And my hair stood up on the back of my neck. And the other two nodded affirmatively.

oeMountain Lion, maybe Adams wondered aloud.

oeCould be, and the other animals know there's a predator around, so that's why they're quiet, Lori commented. oeMajor,if there is a big cat nearby, we'd better have two or three on watch, instead of one.

oeAgreed. Two on watch at all times. I'll take the first, with Neal.


That night, everyone went to sleep-or tried to, anyway. The possibility of a mountain lion or a bobcat coming into camp had everyone nervous. Spetsnatz or other Soviets, they could deal with. But a big cat coming in and trying to drag one of them off That was something else entirely. Even if one was sleeping in a parachute tent or just spread the chute on the ground, no one went to sleep without weapons close at hand. There being a full moon didn't help one's nerves any, for a shadow in the moonlight could be an enemy-or a big cat looking for a meal.

Guru had taken the 10-to-12 watch, along with Tony, and they had turned things over to Capt. Mark Bailey, an AF F-16 pilot from the 388th at Hill, and Joel Wambach, one of the guerrillas. The two F-4 crewmen then went into their tent, and after checking for snakes, went to sleep.

It was just after 0300 when it happened. The two on watch, one of the ex-POWs and a guerrilla, were sitting by the fire, trying to stay warm in the cold night air, when one of them heard something. They were footsteps-big ones. The two decided not to wake anyone, and simply waited by the fire for the intruder-whoever or whatever it was, to go away.

In their tent, Guru and Tony were sleeping when Tony suddenly woke up. He shook his pilot awake. oeGuru, wake up! Carpenter hissed.

oeHuh, What Guru said, oeTony, what the...

oeSomething's out there, he said. oeSmell that

oeI don't...wait. Now I do. Rotten-egg smell

oeYeah.

Then the two felt footsteps on the ground. Big ones. oeWhat the hell... Guru said. He poked his head out the tent, and saw the two on watch huddled around the fire, looking very afraid. Then they got up and slipped behind the tent Major Andrews and Neal Brandon shared. Then he-and Tony-saw it.

In the moonlight, and the firelight, a large shape came walking into the camp. In the moonlight, they couldn't see much, but the creature, whatever it was, was at least eight feet tall. It strode into camp, and started looking around. It found Lori's tent-a prewar dome-style camping tent, and seemed to be looking inside. Then a tent flap opened, and two of their fellow airmen looked out. And Guru heard safeties being clicked off. oeOh, shit!' He whispered to Tony, reaching for his own AKM.

Before anyone could shoot, Lori woke up and saw the huge shadow looming over her tent. She didn't make a sound, but reached for the first weapon she could-her Winchester rifle, and took the safety off. Then all hell broke loose as Neal Brandon came out of his tent and saw the creature looming over Lori's tent. oeThe hell is that Then the shooting started.

Nobody remembered who started firing, but once someone started to fire, everyone did. The creature turned and ran off towards the lake, waving its arms as if to repel a swarm of bees, as shots flew all around it. Even after the creature was out of sight, there was still shooting. oeCEASE FIRE! CEASE FIRE! Adams yelled.

oeWhat the hell was that Several people asked at once.

Tony Carpenter knew, or thought he did. oeIf we were in the Pacific Northwest, I'd say that was a Bigfoot.

oeWell, we aren't in the Pacific Northwest, Lori Sheppard quipped. oeAnd that sure as hell looked like a Bigfoot.

Mike Jensen, one of the guerrillas, nodded. oeThey call it the Snowbeast. At least that's what I heard before the war. He's our Bigfoot. And he's a lot bigger and meaner than the one in the Northwest.

oeSnowbeast or Bigfoot, or whatever that...thing was, Adams said, oeSoon as we can after first light, we're getting the hell out of here. No telling who heard all that shooting.

The party had passed a sleepless rest of the night. As dawn broke, two of them went to the lake with a couple of buckets to get water to boil to fill their canteens with, while everyone else was busy breaking camp. The two returned with the water, but were shaken. They had found tracks by the shoreline-big ones. Eighteen inches long, they thought, and very deep. oeI'll take your word for it, Andrews said. oeLet's get that water boiled, and eat. Then we're getting out of here.