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From the Line in the Sand: Accounts of USAF Company Grade Officers In ~~may-='11 From The Line In The Sand Accounts of USAF Company Grade Officers Support of 1 " 1 " edited by gi Squadron 1 fficer School Air University Press 4/ Alabama 6" March 1994 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data From the line in the sand : accounts of USAF company grade officers in support of Desert Shield/Desert Storm / edited by Michael P. Vriesenga. p. cm. Includes index. 1. Persian Gulf War, 1991-Aerial operations, American . 2. Persian Gulf War, 1991- Personai narratives . 3. United States . Air Force-History-Persian Gulf War, 1991 . I. Vriesenga, Michael P., 1957- DS79 .724.U6F735 1994 94-1322 959.7044'248-dc20 CIP ISBN 1-58566-012-4 First Printing March 1994 Second Printing September 1999 Third Printing March 2001 Disclaimer This publication was produced in the Department of Defense school environment in the interest of academic freedom and the advancement of national defense-related concepts . The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense or the United States government. This publication hasbeen reviewed by security andpolicy review authorities and is clearedforpublic release. For Sale by the Superintendent of Documents US Government Printing Office Washington, D.C . 20402 ii 9&1 gook L ar-dicat£a to com#an9 9zacL orflcF-T 1, #ait, /2ZE4Ent, and, E9.#ECLaL6, TatUlLE. -ZEa¢ra anJ9~ 0 .( THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK Contents Essay Page DISCLAIMER .... ... ... .... .... .. ii FOREWORD ...... ..... .. .... .. xi ABOUT THE EDITOR . ..... .. .... xiii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . ..... .. .... xv INTRODUCTION .... ..... .. .. ... xvii SUPPORT OFFICERS 1 Madzuma, Michael D., and Buoniconti, Michael A. Men of the Stratofortress . ..... .. .. 1 2 Touhill, Gregory J. Wings over Britain: A Model for Our Next War? . .. ...... .. ..... .. .. 9 3 Folmar, John T. Desert Storm Chapstick .... ..... .... 19 4 Brown, Gregory S . Engineering from Rock to Sand . ..... .. 23 5 Grant, Jacqueline C. Tracking Personnel in Camel-Lot ....... .. 27 6 Perry, Rhonda D. An Air Force Flies on Its Stomach . 35 7 Marry, Jim Creating an Attitude: A Security Police Perspective ..... ... ... ... ..... 43 8 Fogg, Jeth A. Red Horse in the Desert . .. ..... ... ... 49 9 Scofidio, Rob A. Transportation and Maintenance at King Fahd .. 59 v Essay Page 10 Gatti, Lawrence M. Nightshift ..... .... .. .. ...... 65 11 Kieklak (no first name given) Establishing a Forward Operating Location .... 69 12 Kennedy, Keith E. Geeks Go to War: Programming Under Fire ... 73 13 Kinneard, Doug Public Affairs Liaison for Military Airlift Command .... ....... .... 81 14 Warner, Roseanne An Officer First .. ..... .... .... 89 15 Smith, Phil Tactical Deception in the Desert- Scathe Mean .. .... ..... ... .... 93 16 Koehler, Donald A. You're in the Army Now? ...... ... .... 103 17 Bostrom, Larry War: My Reality .. .... ..... ... .... 113 18 Joy, Michael Dragon City, Saudi Arabia, 9 January-9 March 1991 ..... ... .... 117 19 Scardera, Michael P. NAVSTAR GPS Operations .... ... .... 123 20 O'Connell, Edward P. A Captain's Perspective on the Gulf War . .... 137 21 Eanes, Greg Crusade against Tyranny . ....... .... 167 RATED OFFICERS 22 Johnson, Paul Desert Rescue ..... .... ..... ... .. 177 23 Moscarelli, Paul J. Through the Eyes of a Buff Driver . 187 24 Clonts, James O. Killing from the High Ground . 199 25 Thagard, Neal A. Tactical Airlift Operations ... .. ....... 207 Essay Page 26 Broeking, Timothy D. One Long Night .... ... ..... .. 211 27 Haussermann, Eric D. C-141 Operations ... ... ..... .... .. 215 28 Fisher, Edward Desert Journal ... ....... .... .. 219 29 O'Grady, Michael S . The First Day ... ... ...... ..... .. 227 30 Thompson, Jack A View from the Cockpit ..... .... .... 229 31 Iuliano, Bill From Leader to Follower to Leader .... .... 235 32 Nollette, Daniel A Tanker Navigator's Experience . ... .... 239 33 Horton, Dave Once Upon a "Mist"y Night . .. .... ...... 243 CONTRIBUTORS . ....... .... .... 249 INDEX . ... ......... .... .... .. 267 ILLUSTRATIONS Figure 1 Desert Rescue . ...... .... .... .... 183 PHOTOGRAPHS 1708th Provisional Bomb Wing . ...... .... 2 Old Crow Express .... .... ...... .... 3 A B-52 Laden with Bombs ... ...... .... 14 Takeoff . ....... .. ...... .... 15 Return Landing ..... .. ...... .... 15 1706 PERSCO SVS ..... .. .... .... 29 Dusty's Diner ........ .... .... .... 29 Selling Sodas at the Sand Rock Cafe .... .... 30 Sand Volleyball ....... .... .... .... 30 Vii Page PERSCO Tent at Christmas ... .... .. .... 31 1702d AREFW(P) Services Squadron .. .. ... 36 Cooperative Security ... .... .... .. .. 45 Protecting Our Aircraft . .... .... ... ... 46 Caterpillar 225 "Rockbreakers.. .... .... .. 51 Concrete Pumper Truck Operating into the Evening . ....... .. ...... .. .. 52 Asphalt Operations in Bahrain .. ...... .. .. 52 Nighttime Concrete Placement . ...... .. .. 53 Field Laundry Unit . ..... .. ..... ... 55 "Courtesy RED HORSE" .. .. ...... .. .. 56 Celebrities All .. ...... ... .... .. .. 85 M-IA1 Tank Crossing the Saudi-Iraqi Border .... 105 Fun in the Sand . ... ..... .. .... .... 105 Movin' On .... ... ..... .. .... .... 106 Dead T-72 Tank in Iraq ..... .. ...... .. 106 Former Mortar Carrier . ..... .... .... .. 107 Gee, Mom, Can I Keep It? .... .... .... .. 108 Captured T-72 in Iraq .. ...... .. ...... 109 Dead T-55s in Kuwait ... ..... .... .... 109 US Army Hospitality .. ...... ... .... 111 NAVSTAR Master Control Station, Falcon AFB, Colorado ... ..... .. .... 125 NAVSTAR in the Field . ..... ... .. 129 NAVSTAR in Space-GPS Block II Satellites . .. 134 The USS Saratoga . ..... ....... .. .. 138 Flight Operations in the Mediterranean ... .. .. 139 Defense Intelligence Analysis Center, Washington, D.C........ ..... .... 141 An Air-Delivered Mine ... .. ...... .. 147 Inside a Hardened Aircraft Shelter ... ..... 147 The Front Gate at Tallil Airfield ... ....... 148 An RAF Tornado Ejection Seat ... ... ..... 148 Hardened Aircraft Bunker . 149 A Young "Tanker" at Tallil Airfield ... ... 149 Examining the Effects of a USAF-Delivered 2,000-Pound Bomb ... .. ....... ... 150 Viii Page A Hardened Aircraft Shelter in Iraq . .... .. 152 Iraqi Trench and Revetted Positions between Khafji and Kuwait City . ..... ... ..... 153 Captured Iraqi Tank at Camp Freedom, Kuwait City .... ....... .. ...... 153 Reviewing Maps at Camp Freedom, Kuwait City .. ... ..... ... ..... .. 154 Bunking at Camp Freedom, Kuwait City .. .... 154 An Oil Well Fire Near Kuwait City ..... .... 157 Driving through Oil Well Fires in Kuwait .... .. 158 Ahmad Al-Jabir Airfield, Kuwait .... .... .. 158 Team Leaders at Ahmad Al-Jabir Airfield .. .... 159 North to Basra . ...... ... .... .. .... 159 A Precision Bomb "Hit" in Kuwait City . .. .... 160 An Iraqi-Destroyed Kuwaiti Crane ... .. .... 162 Ras Al Qualayah Naval Base .. .... .. .... 162 Ali Al Salem Air Base . 163 View from Atop a Hardened Aircraft Bunker at Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait ... .... .. 163 A Kuwaiti Soldier Describes His Family ... ... 169 Victory, of Sorts, for a Young Kuwaiti Girl . .... 170 Arabic Phrases ...... .. .... .... .... 173 To Saddam, with All Due Respect .. .... .... 190 Messengers from the Sky .. .... ... ..... 190 High Above the Earth . ... ... ... ...... 191 Where's the Beer? .. .... .. .... ...... 197 Clonts, Kennedy, Holland, McHugh, and Simon .. 201 Ready to Go ..... .... .. .... ...... 212 Babb, Krzysik, Broeking, Dever, and Alvarado ... 214 In the Arming Area, Ready for Takeoff . ..... 220 Capts Ed Fisher and Vinnie Farrell . .... .... 221 Capts Bob Dupuis and Ed Fisher .. .... .... 223 Capt Vinnie Farrell and His Date .. .... .... 224 Capts Farrell and Fisher in Native Garb ... .... 225 The Approach ...... .. .... ... ..... 246 Refueling .. ....... .. .... ... ..... 246 Off and Away . 247 THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK Foreword Helen Keller said: "The world is moved along, not only by the mighty shoves of its heroes, but also by the .. pushes of each honest worker." As we look at history, we often limit our scope to the deeds and thoughts of those in command during times of crisis. In the case of DESERT STORM, accounts of the contributions of the great newsmakers are hitting the shelves with regularity. Harder to find are the perspectives of the many who contributed their individual pushes to the war effort. This book helps fill that void. It focuses on the contributions of company grade Air Force officers to victory in the desert. The personal experiences presented here come from the heart of America's fighting force. They are but a few of the thousands of stories produced by the war. Some contain a bit of humor. Some are deadly serious. All are interesting and revealing. They reflect the continuing commitment and capability of America's military to protect and defend US interests. They also reflect the pride and individual skill of the men and women who comprise the world's finest fighting force. Today's United States Air Force is one of the most complex of human endeavors-many thousands of people working together in hundreds of different specialties to defend America through control and exploitation of air and space. These specialties are interlocked and mutually supporting . This book may help you better understand how all that works as you read firsthand the experiences of the men and women who perform many of the specialties. In reading their stories, you'll also gain a better appreciation for the men and women themselves. They're real flesh and blood people who
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