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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=blue face=Georgia><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:blue'>Thanks for the update Brian.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>I would be interested in that Recon pods
capabilities, seeing as I am an old Recon guy myself.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=blue face=Georgia><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:blue'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=blue face=Georgia><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:blue'>John<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=blue face=Georgia><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:blue'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma'>-----Original Message-----<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>From:</span></b> Brian Sikkema
[mailto:hangr18@hotmail.com] <br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Thursday, June 03, 2004 7:17
AM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> simpits tech<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> [simpits-tech] OT -
Interesting Day</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Hey all,</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Just thought I'd relate the day I had yesterday. I found out
Tuesday night that my buddy, the F-16 crew chief in Iraq, was coming home
yesterday afternoon. We knew he was due back this week, but obviously the
details don't get released until the last possible minute.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>What an eye opener! We had all assumed when he was going
that he wouldn't be in much danger, being on an airbase and everything. He said
intel told them before they left that there were occasional rocket attacks, but
nothing ever came anywhere near the base. Well, so much for military
intelligence. They had over 100 rocket attacks at their base (Kirkuk) in the
month of March alone, and not miles away, either. He had one occasion where he
had to pull shrapnel from his aircraft, and several where he was pretty sure he
was going to die. He said their base was attacked more than the one in Baghdad.
But not too surprising when you realize the Bathe party headquarters are in
Kirkuk - he has pictures of the arena there where public executions took place.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>But, everyone made it back safe and sound, and they did an
oustanding job. They had a CAS and Recon mission, and were the most accurate
bombers of any of the units at their base - he said the navy unit there was so
bad they had to give them a week off! They also boast the first recon aircraft
to ever drop a bomb. Their unit has a new type of recon pod, I forget what it's
called, I think it started with a "T", but they are the ONLY unit
that has them. Before they got there we were working off photos from as late as
1998. Anywho, while they have the pod attached it's technically a recon
aircraft, and they had one get called in for CAS, hence the history making
mission.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>He also said that the Air Force demands that a unit meets
90% of their taskings. They met 112%. Far above and beyond what anyone else was
making. So even with some of the older aircraft, the 127th came through in
flying colors.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>He brought a bunch of stuff home, too. He gave me a flag
that had been flown on a combat mission, a peice of shrapnel from when the US
had attacked his base on earlier operations (we're not sure if it's from Iraqi
Freedom or Desert Storm, though), and an Iraqi bayonet. All very cool! :)</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>So there you have it, folks. A slightly secondhand but
nonetheless real look into Iraq.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Brian</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>The ultimate responsibility of the pilot is to fulfill the
dreams of the countless millions of earthbound ancestors who could only stare
skyward and wish.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><br>
---<br>
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.<br>
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (<a href="http://www.grisoft.com">http://www.grisoft.com</a>).<br>
Version: 6.0.693 / Virus Database: 454 - Release Date: 5/31/2004<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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