Download or read book Combat Search and Rescue in Desert Storm written by Darrel D. Whitcomb and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Budgetary, political, and organizational changes left the USAF unprepared for the combat search and rescue (CSAR) mission going into Desert Storm. Colonel Whitcomb relates his and others2 experiences from CSAR in Southeast Asia and examines the organization that was established to provide CSAR services in the Iraq-Kuwait theater of operations. He traces each incident from beginning to end along with the tactical and sometimes strategic implications. Scores of interviews, e-mails, and published works provide a compendium of lessons learned and recommendations gleaned from those who flew the missions and made the decisions in Iraq.

Download or read book Leave No Man Behind written by George Galdorisi and published by Zenith Press. This book was released on 2008 with total page 672 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The history of a near-century of combat search and rescue, with an account of how the discipline was created and how it is administered—or neglected—today.

Download or read book Combat Search and Rescue in Desert Storm written by Retired, Darrel D. Whitcomb,, Darrel DWhitcomb , USAFR, Retired and published by . This book was released on 2011-08-01 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As a third-class cadet at the US Air Force Academy in July of 1970, I saw the war in Vietnam as a major determinant of my future. I just did not know then what part I might play in the conflict and felt a youthful, impatient need to decide on my Air Force career so I could see myself in what looked like the war of my generation. I found my calling on a beautiful California afternoon when 22 of us cadets were treated to a ride in an HH- 53C Super Jolly Green Giant of the Air Rescue and Recovery Service, a part of the Military Airlift Command. I enjoyed the ride. I sat beside a pararescueman, or "PJ," looking out at the treetops as we skimmed along. Turns were exciting, with the crew windows open up front and the wind flowing through the cabin. Unlike the rides I had taken in fighters and bombers, I was not breathing through a rubber mask, and I felt like I was in touch with the world below-a participant instead of a spectator. Afterwards, TSgt Stu Stanaland, the PJ, explained that the pilot, Maj Marty Donohue, was one of the best in the rescue business. Months later back in school, we were all captivated by news of the attempt to rescue US prisoners of war (POW) at Son Tay in North Vietnam. When I learned that the raid had been conducted using rescue helicopters, I read all I could find about the mission. President Nixon later decorated the mission leaders, saying they had performed flawlessly and fought courageously without losing a man; and the mission had not succeeded only because of bad intelligence-the POWs had been moved from the Son Tay camp. As I watched the presentation on television, I spotted Major Donohue among the honorees. Now I was hooked. I made a career decision to fly helicopters, get into rescue, and join those guys for life. That resolution held up through my senior year when the commandant of cadets told all us prospective helicopter pilots we were making a mistake that would deny us a rewarding career. "If you become helicopter pilots, you will not be in my Air Force," he said. Still, it was what I wanted most to do and what I did. While in HH-53 transition, the most respected instructor pilot-an Air Force Cross recipient named Ben Orrell-told me rescue was a job to be proud of and that it would be sufficient in itself to make a career rewarding. Soon after, and still a second lieutenant, I flew my first combat mission-the Mayaguez recovery in 1975. We flew as wingman to another HH-53, which included Sergeant Stanaland among its crew members. I had joined those rescue guys. The years between then and now have seen many changes but almost nothing new. The rescue men-and now also women- are called to enter dangerous territory, flying low and slow, going where a usually faster, less-vulnerable aircraft has recently been shot down. Instead of having a couple of days' time to prepare and entering the mission into the air tasking order (ATO) several days prior to execution, the rescue folks go there from a "cold start" launch from alert status. They could enhance their preparation by reading the ATO and plotting where the danger areas for shoot-downs might be, but a large, complex air campaign may cover an entire country. As you may deduce from this book, a major lesson learned from Desert Storm is that making the command and control arrangements murky and time-consuming further complicates the task of air rescue. Also, they may not be adequately equipped for the mission, yet the demand for immediate, must-succeed operations remains. During the first Gulf War of 1991, air rescue was in a state of transition and largely performed by aircraft and crews assigned to special operations units.

Download or read book Gulf War Air Power Survey written by Thomas A. Keaney and published by . This book was released on 1993 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book DANGER CLOSE The Rescue of ODA 525 written by Rhys Thomas and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2016-12-21 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: February 24th, 1991: It's the first day of the ground war in Operation Desert Storm. To support the massive attack, an eight man US Army Special Forces team is inserted 150 miles inside Iraq to covertly reconnoiter a key highway connecting Baghdad and Kuwait. The members of the team--designated "Operational Detachment Alpha-525"-are known among their peers as "The Sharkmen." This is their first combat mission in Desert Storm. If this had been a perfect mission no one would have known they were there. They would have dropped in, done their job for a week, then exited under cover and returned to base. But this isn't a perfect mission. Within hours it will all go to hell. This is the true story of the improbable rescue of ODA-525, told in the words of the men who were there, on the ground and in the air.

Download or read book Rescuing Downed Aircrews written by Christopher A. Mouton and published by Rand Corporation. This book was released on 2015 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report describes research to quantify the "rescuability window" of downed aircrews to assist the U.S. Air Force's reassessment of its personnel recovery force structure.

Download or read book So Many So Much So Far So Fast written by James K. Matthews and published by . This book was released on 1996 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Praetorian STARShip the untold story of the Combat Talon written by and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on 2001 with total page 507 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jerry Thigpen's study on the history of the Combat Talon is the first effort to tell the story of this wonderfully capable machine. This weapons system has performed virtually every imaginable tactical event in the spectrum of conflict and by any measure is the most versatile C-130 derivative ever produced. First modified and sent to Southeast Asia (SEA) in 1966 to replace theater unconventional warfare (UW) assets that were limited in both lift capability and speed the Talon I quickly adapted to theater UW tasking including infiltration and resupply and psychological warfare operations into North Vietnam. After spending four years in SEA and maturing into a highly respected UW weapons system the Joint Chief of Staff (JCS) chose the Combat Talon to lead the night low-level raid on the North Vietnamese prison camp at Son Tay. Despite the outcome of the operation the Talon I cemented its reputation as the weapons system of choice for long-range clandestine operations. In the period following the Vietnam War United States Air Force (USAF) special operations gradually lost its political and financial support which was graphically demonstrated in the failed Desert One mission into Iran. Thanks to congressional supporters like Earl Hutto of Florida and Dan Daniel of Virginia funds for aircraft upgrades and military construction projects materialized to meet the ever-increasing threat to our nation. Under the leadership of such committed hard-driven officers as Brenci Uttaro Ferkes Meller and Thigpen the crew force became the most disciplined in our Air Force. It was capable of penetrating hostile airspace at night in a low-level mountainous environment covertly to execute any number of unconventional warfare missions.

Download or read book Five Nickels written by Jim “Boots” Demarest and published by Permuted Press. This book was released on 2022-02-15 with total page 221 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On February 15, 1991, Captain Steve Phillis was leading his wingman, Lieutenant Rob Sweet, on their thirtieth combat mission of Desert Storm flying the A-10 Warthog. They were tasked with attacking Iraq’s vaunted Medina Division of the Republican Guards—by far their most dangerous mission of the war. Near the end of their attacks, Rob was forced to eject from his aircraft and began a five-minute parachute ride down to the troops he and Steve had just finished bombing. Steve, an experienced combat search and rescue pilot and distinguished graduate of the Air Force Fighter Weapons School, immediately sprang into action to save the life of his wingman. After spending three minutes and forty-five seconds circling Sweet, Steve’s A-10 was hit by an enemy surface-to-air missile. Five Nickels: True Story of the Desert Storm Heroics and Sacrifice of Air Force Captain Steve Phillis, is a love story. Steve loved his family, fiancée, fellow fighter pilots, country, wingman, and life. Yet he was willing to risk them all to fight—and if necessary, die—for what he believed in. Steve’s story—from Rock Island, Illinois to the Air Force Academy, to his life as an A-10 fighter pilot—is the stuff of heroes. As Steve’s Academy classmate and boxing partner, fellow fighter pilot and “Top Gun” graduate, Jim “Boots” Demarest is uniquely qualified to tell Steve’s story. A gifted storyteller, Boots shares his experience with Steve from the Academy Boxing Team to paint a complete picture of the man who had so much to live for, yet was willing to risk it all to do the right thing. Five Nickels is filled with the details of Steve’s life and loves that will capture, enchant, and pull readers in. His story of combat heroics in the face of incredible danger will captivate and inspire all who read it.

Download or read book Cheating Death written by George J. Marrett and published by Smithsonian Institution. This book was released on 2016-12-06 with total page 301 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: They flew low and slow, at treetop level, at night, in monsoons, and in point-blank range of enemy guns and missiles. They were missions no one else wanted, but the ones all other pilots prayed for when shot down. Flying the World War II-vintage Douglas A-1 Skyraider, a single-engine, propeller-driven relic in a war of “fast-movers,” these intrepid US Air Force pilots, call sign Sandy, risked their lives with every mission to rescue thousands of downed Navy and Air Force pilots. With a flashback memory and a style all his own, George J. Marrett depicts some of the most dangerous aerial combat of any war. The thrilling rescue of “Streetcar 304” and William Jones's selfless act of heroism that earned him the Medal of Honor are but two of the compelling tales he recounts. Here too are the courages Jolly Green Giant helicopter crews, parajumpers, and forward air controllers who worked with the Sandys over heavily defended jungles and mountains well behind enemy lines. Passionate, mordantly witty, and filled with heart-pounding adrenaline, Cheating Death reads like the finest combat fiction, but it is the real deal: its heroes, cowards, jokers, and casualties all have names and faces readers will find difficult to forget.

Download or read book Desert Storm at Sea written by Marvin Pokrant and published by Praeger. This book was released on 1999-07-30 with total page 360 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Desert Storm was the largest naval operation since World War II. Although naval forces did not play the central role, they fulfilled an important function throughout the operation, facing many formidable challenges and considerable risk. This book provides a close examination of the problems encountered by the Navy, both in the military situation and in dealing with the other services, and the decisions made to address these issues. While interservice rivalries sometimes intruded at higher levels, jointness at the tactical level often led to effective combined-arms operations. Despite the information revolution and improvements in technology, the Fog of War still obscured the battlefield and affected nearly all decisions. This study offers page-turning action, such as SEAL activity and combat search and rescue missions, as well as the exciting and dangerous surface operations that gained sea control of the northern Persian Gulf. Using primary sources such as interviews and many documents cleared only recently for public release, the author covers the relations between General Schwarzkopf and Vice Admirals Mauz and Arthur; the major contribution of Tomahawk cruise missiles to the first wave of attacks on Baghdad; the controversial use of aircraft carriers in the Gulf; as well as the Navy's possible role in the event of an amphibious assault into Kuwait. Those preparing to fight in future naval actions will learn much from this detailed analysis.

Download or read book Storm Over Iraq written by Richard Hallion and published by Smithsonian Institution. This book was released on 2015-05-26 with total page 485 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An incisive account of the Persian Gulf War, Storm Over Iraq shows how the success of Operation Desert Storm was the product of two decades of profound changes in the American approach to defense, military doctrine, and combat operations. The first detailed analysis of why the Gulf War could be fought the way it was, the book examines the planning and preparation for war. Richard P. Hallion argues that the ascendancy of precision air power in warfare—which fulfilled the promise that air power had held for more than seventy-five years—reflects the revolutionary adaptation of a war strategy that targets things rather than people, allowing one to control an opposing nation without destroying it.

Download or read book From Desert Storm to Iraqi Freedom written by Erick W. Nason and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 251 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is designed to provide every investor with invaluable information before investing any money into a mutual fund or annuity. Where mutual funds are far more familiar to investors, annuities are the hidden gems of the insurance industry. They provide insurance companies with huge profit margins and annual sales now exceeding $300 billion per year. The sales efforts behind them are extremely aggressive, and after reading this book, you'll have the fundamental knowledge needed to combat these aggressive, and often times questionable sales pitches. Investing in these products can be one of the most important decisions you'll ever make, and this book can help you reach your goals by preparing you to make the most suitable investment for your needs.

Download or read book Airpower against an Army Challenge and Response in CENTAF s Duel with the Republican Guard written by William F. Andrews and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on with total page 143 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For nearly two decades the United States Air Force (USAF) oriented the bulk of its thinking, acquisition, planning, and training on the threat of a Soviet blitzkrieg across the inter German border. The Air Force fielded a powerful conventional arm well rehearsed in the tactics required to operate over a central European battlefield. Then, in a matter of days, the 1990 invasion of Kuwait altered key assumptions that had been developed over the previous decade and a half. The USAF faced a different foe employing a different military doctrine in an unexpected environment. Instead of disrupting a fast paced land offensive, the combat wings of the United States Central Command Air Forces (CENTAF) were ordered to attack a large, well fortified, and dispersed Iraqi ground force. The heart of that ground force was the Republican Guard Forces Command (RGFC). CENTAF's mission dictated the need to develop an unfamiliar repertoire of tactics and procedures to meet theater objectives. How effectively did CENTAF adjust air operations against the Republican Guard to the changing realities of combat? Answering that question is central to this study, and the answer resides in evaluation of the innovations developed by CENTAF to improve its operational and tactical performance against the Republican Guard. Effectiveness and timeliness are the primary criteria used for evaluating innovations.

Download or read book Search and Rescue in Southeast Asia 1961 1975 written by Earl H. Tilford (Jr.) and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on 1980 with total page 222 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Air Force Combat Units of World War II written by Maurer Maurer and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on 1961 with total page 520 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Conduct of the Persian Gulf Conflict written by and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on 1994-02 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Includes responses to 26 questions asked by the Congress, including: military objectives, military strategy, deployment of troops, use of special operations forces, employment and performance of U.S. military equipment, logistics support, acquisitions policy, personnel management, role of women, effectiveness of reserves, intelligence and counterintelligence, environmental terrorism, rules of engagement, C3 operations, rules of engagement, media policies and procedures, use of deception, preparedness, number of military and civilian casualties, acquisition of foreign military technology from Iraq, and more. Glossary and map.