Viper Pilot: A Memoir of Air Combat (34 page)

F-16CJ Schematic

Map of Iraq

Index

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A-10 jets, in Iraq War, 217, 232, 279–80, 281, 291–92, 293

Advanced Survival Training, 40–42

Afghanistan War, 124, 304

AGNEW (Iraq War call sign), 289, 290, 292–300

air bases

functions of, 143

living facilities on, 143–44, 145

MWR areas on, 143–44

procedures for aircraft getting in and out of, 80

structure of, 143

See also
specific air base

Air Combat Command (ACC), 126–27

Air Combat Maneuvering (ACM), 135

Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation (ACMI), 138–39

Air Combat Tactics (ACT), 135–37

Air Corps, Army, 126

Air Education and Training Command, 35

Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI), 151–52

Air Force, U.S.

budget for, 126–27, 303–4

careerists in, 154

deployment in Iraq War of, 306

development of anti-SAM weapons by, 21–29

generation gap among pilots in, 47–48

Hampton’s views about, 307

importance of instructors in, 132–33

importance of Iraqi threat to, 142

Major Commands of, 126–27

maps in modern, 219

Marine criticisms of, 212

medals in, 304

mentality of officers in, 124

no alcohol order of, 143–45

Numbered Air Forces (NAF) of, 127

post–Iraq War mentality in, 304

quality of training in, 33

structure of, 126–32

as sustaining long-term heavy operations, 142

as taking care of its personnel, 143

warriors in, 306

washing out of, 37

Air Superiority Command, 126

air superiority/supremacy

Hampton’s views about, 137

in Iraq, 147, 257–58

Air-Tasking Order (ATO) “Frag,” 84

air-to-air missiles, 236

air-to-air radar

Iraq War and, 172, 186, 200, 201, 226, 248, 268, 271, 272–73

9/11 and, 162

sandstorm landing and, 200, 201

air-to-air tactics, categories of, 135

air-to-air training, 59, 136–37

air-to-ground missiles.
See
type
of missile

air-to-ground training, 59

Air Training Command (ATC), 39

Air War College, U.S., 212

Airborne Warning and Control System.
See
AWACS

AJ’s bar (Panama City, Florida), 157

AK-47 jets, 6, 267

Al-Jaber Air Base (Kuwait), 194, 209

al-Qaeda, 124, 151, 162

al-Udeid Air Base (Qatar), 179, 193

alcohol

prohibition on, 143–45

See also
Apfelkorn; beer; Jeremiah Weed

Ali al-Salem airfield (Kuwait)

Hampton at, 211–15

Iraq War and, 194–95, 198–215

Operations Group commander at,

211–13, 214–15

sandstorm landing and, 194–95, 198–211

welcoming colonel at, 208–10, 215

Alternate Gear Handle, 122

AM-RAAM missiles, 115

Anderson, Rudolph, 17–18, 20

anti-aircraft guns/fire (Triple-A)

briefings about, 58

in Desert Storm, 73, 83

history and development of, 15–29

in Iraq War, 168, 173, 174, 180, 212, 215, 218, 222–26, 231, 233–38, 240–41, 244, 246–48, 251, 253, 255–57, 262–68, 271, 272, 274, 277, 279, 284–88, 291, 292, 294, 297, 301

Iraqi defense measures and, 146

in Korean War, 286

Soviet development of, 54

UAVs and, 304

in Vietnam War, 245

anti-radiation missiles, 8, 24, 174.
See also
HARM missiles; HARM Targeting System

antiwar protests, in Spain, 165–66

Apfelkorn liqueur, 87, 131

Applied Technologies Corporation, 21

approach plate-book, 194

Arabs

Americans’ lack of knowledge about, 123–25

Hampton’s views about, 123–24

Aramco, 144

Arc Light air campaign, 18

Army, U.S.

in Germany, 46

importance of Iraqi threat to, 142

Iraq War and, 232, 241, 279

AROMA (Iraq War call sign), 280

Assistant Director of Operations (ADO), 130

Assistant Flight Commanders, 127

AT-38 aircraft, 39

Atlanta, Georgia, 9/11 and, 158–59, 163

AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System)

Desert Storm attack and, 67, 76, 77, 79

at Incirik officer’s club, 86, 88, 90

Iraq War and, 8, 12, 13, 190, 191, 192, 196, 216, 217, 219, 242, 280, 289–90, 292, 295

9/11 and, 158

no-fly zones and, 142

return from Nasiriyah attack and, 190, 191, 192, 196

Azores, Gamblers stopover in, 302, 305

B-1 bombers, 270

B-52 bombers, 28

Baghdad International Airport (Iraq), 231, 232, 257–58, 280

Baghdad (Iraq)

Arches of Victory in, 278–79

attacks over, 180–82, 215, 231–58

declared an open city, 285

fall of, 300

Hampton’s missions over, 231–58, 259–77, 278–80

Iraqi defense of, 145, 172–76

and opening days of Iraq War, 168–76

Baghdad Muthenna Airport (Baghdad), 278, 280

Bahrain

Dhahran assignments and, 148

terrorism in, 151

Balad Air Field (Iraq), 233, 282–85

Baqubah (Iraq), 235, 243, 274, 285–89

Bardenas Range (Spain), 63

BARNEY (call sign), 62

Base Key, 105

Basic Fighter Maneuvers (BFM), 134–35

Basic Surface Attack, 138

Basra (Iraq), 145, 179

Battle Damage Assessment, 83, 192, 227, 228, 257

Battlestar Galactica
(TV show), 43

beer, F-16 landings at Beni Suef and, 113, 116, 117, 118

Beni Suef Air Base (Egypt)

donkey incident at, 107–8, 119

“dual” training at, 120–23

F-16 landings at, 112–20

Hampton’s assignment at, 99–107, 110–20

Hampton’s functional F-16 test flight and, 103

Oasis at, 119–20

security at, 114

Beyond Visual Range (BVR) Air Combat Tactics, 135

bin Laden, Osama, 151, 153

Bitburg Air Base (Germany), 86

Bitching Betty warning system, 10, 105, 266

Blair, Tony, 165

Bofors, 16

bomb-dropping, 137–38

briefings/debriefings

in Egypt, 111

function and content of, 57–59

FWIC and, 136, 138–39

Mission Qual checks and, 129

after Mosul/Desert Storm attack, 82–85

about rejoin points, 176

return from Iraq War and, 305

of Weapons Officers, 133

British military

Iraq War and, 179, 183

in Middle East, 144

British Royal Air Force, 15, 47, 136, 281

British Royal Navy, 16

Brodeur, Dave “Klepto,” 243, 249, 251–52

BRUISER (call sign), 62

BUBBLES (call sign), 62

Buhayrat ath Tharthar (Iraq).
See
Tartar Lake

Bull’s eye

definition of, 67–68

empty gas tank problem and, 187, 188

Iraq War and, 226, 234, 235, 237, 239, 243, 246, 249, 252

Mosul attack (Desert Storm) and, 67–68

Bush (George) Airport (Iraq), 231

Bush, George H.W., Desert Storm and, 142

Bush, George W.

9/11 and, 158

Spanish antiwar protests and, 165

call signs, combat, 62, 85–86.
See also
specific call sign

Carlson, Major, Hampton’s confrontation with, 91–97

CBU-103 canisters.
See
cluster bombs

centrifuge training, 39–40

chaff-and-flare dispensers

as countermeasure to SAMs, 18

in Iraq War, 219, 222, 224, 227, 229, 234, 241, 250, 253, 255, 257, 260, 265, 266, 272, 273, 275, 276–77, 288, 296, 297

CHAINSAW (Desert Storm call sign), 67, 76, 77

Charlotte, North Carolina, 9/11 and, 161–63

check-flights, 129–30

chemical-weapons facility (Iraq War), U.S. attack on, 280

CHIEFTAIN (Iraq War call sign), 3, 4, 7, 8–9, 11, 12, 280

“Christmas tree,” 201

“Chucky” (Iraq War wingman), 283, 287, 289

CIA (Central Intelligence Agency)

Desert Storm and, 65

Dora Farms strike (Iraq War) and, 178, 179

Fobair Vietnam mission and, 20

Powers U-2 flight and, 17

Civil War, American, 15

civilian contractors, 111, 144

Clark, Wesley, 155

Clinton, Bill, 151, 155

Close Air-Support missions (CAS)

in Desert Storm, 2

development of, 16

Emergency, 1, 2–3, 261, 279–80

importance of, 304

Iraq War and, 1, 2–3, 212, 215, 228–29, 238, 257, 261, 279–80

Nasiriyah attack and, 1, 2–3, 212

purpose of, 2

cluster bombs

Fighter Weapons School instruction and, 137

Iraq War and, 220, 225, 226, 227, 236–41, 243, 248, 257, 262, 270, 271, 280, 286, 288, 300, 301

Coalition Forces Air Component Commander (CFACC), 212

Cold War, 41, 45, 46–47, 48, 59, 124, 159

colonel

Ali al-Salem airfield welcoming by, 208–10, 215

Hampton’s Incirik confrontation with, 93–97

combat

as the unknown, 307

veterans of, 305–6

Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR), 84

Combined Wing Staff, fighter pilots attached to, 83–84

commanders

9/11 and, 158

Hampton’s views about senior, 211

Iraqi, 146–47

See also
specific commander or
type of commander

CONAN (Desert Storm call sign), 68, 76, 77, 78

“continuously computed release point” (CCRP), 269, 270

Crud (game), 88, 89, 90, 91, 95

CRUSHER (call sign), 62

Cuba, Anderson U-2 mission over, 18, 20

Cujo (Incirik pilot), 90, 91, 93

Customs House (Iraq War location), 192, 197, 201, 202, 205

“Daddy Rabbit” (instructor pilot), 35–36

Data Transfer Cartridge (DTC) port, 116–17

DDONG (call sign), 62

death

Hampton’s close call with, 230

Hampton’s views about, 167

See also
Elephant, seeing the

decoys

in Iraq War, 221, 260, 269, 277, 294, 297

Little Buddy (AN/ALE-50), 221

Defense Department, U.S., history and development of SAMs and, 18

Defensive Air Combat Maneuvering, 135

Defensive Basic Fighter Maneuver, 134

DERBY.
See
ROMAN (Iraq War call sign): sandstorm landing and

Desert Shield, alcohol order during, 143–45

Desert Storm

activities north of Baghdad during, 290

Air Force officers mentality and, 124

beginning of, 65, 67

close-air-support in, 2

and debriefing and planning after Mosul attack, 80–85

Egypt and, 109

first day of, 66–97

goal of, 147, 149

Hampton’s feelings during, 166, 167

Hampton’s first combat mission and, 2, 66–80, 166

Hampton’s views about, 123

Iraq-U.S. relations and, 177

Iraq War compared with, 301

jamming and suppression focus of, 301

Kirkuk mission planning during, 83–85

loss of fixed-wing aircraft in, 245

military decorations for, 154

Mosul attack during, 66–80

propaganda leaflets for, 301

Taji railway station bombing during, 242

U.S. victory in, 142

veterans of, 155, 174

designated munition point of impact (DMPI), 245

Dethlefsen, Merlyn, 29

Detroit, Michigan, Saddam Hussein as honorary citizen of, 178

Dhahran Air Base (Saudi Arabia)

building of, 148–49

Desert Shield and, 147–67

Desert Storm and, 148–49

Hampton’s assignment at, 147–67

housing at, 148–49

Khobar Towers attack at, 149–53

sandstorm landing and, 193

20th Fighter Wing at, 147–48

Diego Garcia, 193–94, 199

Director of Operations (DO), 130

Display Management switch, 269

Dissimilar Air Combat Maneuvering, 135

Dissimilar Basic Fighter Maneuver, 134–35

diurnal crossover, 5

Divert card diagram, 194–95

dogfighting, viper pilots views about, 137

donkey incident, 107–8, 119

Donovan, Jack, 23–24, 25

Dora Farms strike (Iraq War), 178–80

“dual” training, 120–23

EF-111 jets, 68

Eglin Air Force Base (Florida), 23, 136

Egypt

alcohol in, 143–45

American culture and, 123–25

Desert Storm and, 109

donkey incident in, 107–8, 119

emergency landing in, 99–107

end of Hampton’s tour in, 125

functional F-16 test flights in, 99–107

Hampton’s exchange tour in, 99–125

Hampton’s views about, 107, 123–24

Iraqi-Israeli relations and, 180

Israeli relations with, 110–11

Nellis threat array and, 138

nursing home discussion and culture of, 123–24

PEACE VECTOR (PV) program in, 109–20

political events in, 109

Russian relations with, 101, 114, 122

SA-6s in, 54

U.S. aid to, 109

Egyptian Air Force

F-16 use by, 109

Hampton’s Beni Suef assignment and, 110–20

maintenance of aircraft by, 103

81st Tactical Fighter Squadron, 47

82nd Airborne Division, 162–63

Eisenhower, Dwight D., 155

electro-optical guidance missiles, 292

Electronic Countermeasures pod, 170

Electronic Warfare Officer (EWO)

as crewmember on Super Sabre jets, 22, 23–24

development of anti-SAM weapons and, 22, 23–24

functions of, 22, 23–24

Hampton’s interactions with, 48, 49, 50, 51–52

importance of, 52–53