Report from Iraq - Part Two

(scroll down for Part One)

Author & Air National Guardsman Kevin Kelly

The typical day. We arrive at the squadron 4 hours prior to takeoff. The squadron is actually on the flight line taxiway in and around the very Iraqi HASs (Hardened Aircraft Shelters built by the French, go figure) that we bombed back in 1998 during Operation Desert Fox and earlier. We have obviously repaired the gigantic holes that we blew through them back then.

When we arrive we are immediately met by our Intelligence Officer and typically an Army representative who briefs us on the many missions we will be supporting during that sortie. Missions range from Combat Air Support/ IED identification/ Rescue Support/ Raid Support. We start getting all of the mission materials together in an organized and usable fashion because the amount of stuff (maps, lineup cards, frequency cards, classified documents, etc) is almost overwhelming.

After the intelligence brief we brief the conduct of the flight itself for about an hour, knowing full well that it will most likely change the moment we get airborne. Once we are briefed up, we get dressed into our flight gear which includes a combat survival vest and 9mm pistol over and above the standard equipment we fly with everyday back home. Once dressed, we step to the jets which are waiting for us in the various HASs in and around the ramp. We are met by our Crew Chief that is responsible for making sure that the jet is ready to fly a combat mission. We preflight the aircraft as well as the weapons onboard before jumping in and starting up. The start up and preflight checks of the systems takes about 25 minutes.

Once ready to go, we taxi to the arming area where our weapons are armed up. After arming, we call for takeoff and are soon rumbling down the runway in full afterburner. A combat departure is the standard around here. Simply put, we stay low and accelerate to 500 kts prior to the end of the airfield boundary. Once we reach the perimeter of the base we pull the nose of the jet straight up and climb to well above 10,000 ft prior to exiting the base boundary. We do this so that if anyone had the idea to shoot at us with a surface to air missile, we are well above their effective range as well as out of sight before they get the chance.

Once airborne, we check in with the various controlling agencies, eventually talking to the controller who sends us to our first mission, typically supporting troops in contact with enemy forces. The sorties usually last 5-6hours and we are sent all over the country, supporting many different missions, and playing many different roles. The details are more than anyone would want to read about but that's it in a nutshell. Upon returning back to Balad, we will typically spend up to an hour overhead the base, looking for those who would do us harm via the mortar attacks mentioned above.



OK, so we are getting attacked every day, typically at night, and everyone on base is getting a bit, shall we say, anxious. The size of the mortars have been getting bigger and the accuracy has been getting curiously better. We have the capability in the F-16 with our Targeting POD to see both a video picture of a target as well as an Infrared capability. Infrared creates a picture of an area by measuring the heat differences of each object and displaying it as a picture. Things heat up while under the sun during the day, cool at night with varying rates, thus creating a temperature picture of sorts. We can zoom in and zoom out to cover a very large area or a somewhat smaller area as the situation dictates.

We happen to have jets returning from a mission overhead the base, trolling for bad guys with mortars (almost like trying to find a needle in a haystack) when, you guessed it, wham! We get mortared multiple times. Lately, the bad guys have figured out that it's not smart to hang around after launching a mortar at a superpower. As Clint Eastwood says in Pale Rider, "dyin' ain't much of a livin' boy" They figure this out after many of their buddies are never heard from again, so they begin setting up the tubes late at night and putting them on timers so as not to be around when it fires. This is good for them because we have the capability to determine the exact point of origin within seconds and immediately launch a counter fire from the base. This is bad for them in that it is very difficult to achieve any accuracy via this method; hence, they usually end up hitting innocent civilians outside the base. It's been cat and mouse like this for weeks but as I said, there seem to be some boys with some skills out there lately and they've already hit our housing complex and destroyed a few berthing areas (see picture). Fortunately, everyone was at work at the time.



It's apparent that these guys are hanging around the launch site and adjusting fire as they were trained. They also seem to understand the whole concept of Infrared and do a good job of hiding from our IR capability……..but we're not sure how. Well, as it turns out, these 3 guys were so proud of themselves over their recent attack, they decided to light a few celebratory cigarettes and plan the next round of attacks. Bad idea! Come to discover there was a thick palm grove along the river bank that served as an excellent hiding place once the mortar was fired. They had plenty of protection behind the river bank and we were unable to see their heat signatures through the palm leaves and mud. Unable until, you guessed it, they decided to burn a couple fat ones. They are now disappointed to find that 72 virgins are not, indeed, waiting on their arrival. I will end this story with a quote from an unnamed Colonel in our Squadron. "Well, there you have it Grace. Three more smoking related deaths"

There are many more things going on over here but since I can only type three words an hour, I'll have to wait and tell you when I get back. Thanks again for all your support. I'll leave you with a few choice quotes heard over here in the past months. Good night and God Bless. Kevin



I'm planning on taking the weekend off...notionally..."


"I've heard of 'buzzwords' before but I have never experienced a 'buzz sentence' or a 'buzz paragraph' until today." Maj (EUCOM) after listening to a JFCOM trainer/mentor

"Not to be uncooperative, but we're just being uncooperative." CDR (EUCOM) in an email response to a request for information

"He cloaked himself in an impenetrable veneer of terminology." Lt Col JFCOM describing the Jiffiecom alpha male

"If we wait until the last minute to do it, it'll only take a minute." MAJ(EUCOM)

"The 'L' in CENTCOM stands for leadership.

"I am so far down the food chain that I've got plankton bites on my butt."

"His knowledge on that topic is only power point deep..." MAJ (JS

"We are condemned men who are chained and will row in place until we rot." LtCol (CENTCOM) on life at his Command

"The only reason that anything ever gets done is because there are pockets of competence in every command. The key is to find them ... and then exploit the hell out of 'em." CDR (CENTCOM)

"I may be slow, but I do poor work..." MAJ (USAREUR)

"I finally figured out that when a Turkish officer tells you, "It's no problem," he means, for him." Maj (EUCOM)