[simpits-tech] OT - Interesting Day

[John Miguez]

Thanks for the update Brian.  I would be interested in that Recon pods
capabilities, seeing as I am an old Recon guy myself.
 
John
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Brian Sikkema [mailto:hangr18 at hotmail.com] 
Sent: Thursday, June 03, 2004 7:17 AM
To: simpits tech
Subject: [simpits-tech] OT - Interesting Day
 
Hey all,
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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! :)
 
So there you have it, folks. A slightly secondhand but nonetheless real
look into Iraq.
 
Brian
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.
 

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