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Show r NEWS 7 Pilots relate Desert Storm experiences ' 358th TFW Public Affairs Office Those Air Force members and families left home during the war can't help but wonder what the war was like. What is it really like to fly into combat and get shot at? How does everyone work together? Several 388th Tactical Fighter Wing members have arrived home and shared their stories with local media. They all said the time spent before the war was long and boring. Although they did not know what to expect when they initially arrived and quickly prepared for all contingencies, time dragged on with daily routine training. Not knowing whether politics would interfere with war plans and how long they would have to stay in the Gulf was on the minds of all. When the U.N. deadline came and went, everyone became very focused and began their part of the war. Capt. Hal Bird knew the war would start with their next mission. "We all got the news together as a group right before dinnertimeon the 16th, actually that we'd be going at midnight on the 17 th. We all went to dinner, and although we all had lived together and had gotten to know each other very well for the previous five months, it was a very quiet dinner that Bu h P lit 'er up Fill F-1- 6 from the 388th Tactical Fighter Wing undergoes refueling during the waiting period before the fighting began. ' II U S Air fore Photo Captain Bird described the mood as the war kicked off as jubilant. He, like most members left on the ground, counted the airplanes of the first mission as they returned. He said there was a flurry of activity as maintenance prepared the jets for the second mission. Captain Bird said he was thankful for the American support and thought about that as he strapped himself in for his first combat system." For those first missions, fear of the unknown was on the minds of the pilots. Capt. Mick McGuire, pilot, told one reporter, "I just had to let my training take over and rely on my capability to do the best I could." Although the main mission was to fly, fight and isn't only the pilots who make these missions successful. MSgt. Dave Rinker, 4th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, said on a recent television talk show, "We're all working as a team. The last thing we want to do is send a pilot up over a target area and have his systems not work. "The guys that work for me, who did the job loading bombs and loading the missiles loading the gun they did everything in their power that they could to make sure that that system was going to work. They didn't want to send a pilot up there and have him risk his neck be shot down, possibly Capt. Keith Rosenkranz, pilot, said a chaplain would call everyone right before planes were launched, and people would come out and perform a "wave" for the pilots. Capt. John Colombo, pilot, said, "It was a total team effort, with mechanics and everyone else all the agencies on base." Pilots came under artillery fire and surface-to-ai- r missiles every mission they flew. The heaviest fire came the first days of the war, but was present even hours before the cease-fire-. One pilot said he feared not only the enemy firing at him, but also friendly aircraft in the air. Only two received battle damage, and no pilots were injured or killed during the war. mission. killed or captured, and have that on their mind that something they did wrong caused the problem in the F-1- 6 F-1- 6 win, it CHICO & WOiMG anti-aircra- F-1- 6s J "ALL YOU CAN EAT" To Go Available ) JLa BUFFET ft IIEMIIIIIE CHINESE BUFFET U.S. Savings Bonds r (ft X, "It was as if you were dining with very close friends. There was just a lot of thought about what was to come in the next 24 hours, I think, and a lot of reflection on the part of the pilots and everyone really as to what they had done probably their whole life to bring them to that point as we were about to go into combat." Start Building for the Future 3 Ws T An night. . H.litcp it by Capt. Jan Lauer 6 .March 22. 1991 6 99 (Children's prices discounted) pS?" 1 HOURS: 11:00 MON.-SA- T. 5686 South 1900 West EZ3U P.M. A.M.-9:0- 0 Roy 773-064- 2 1 ml TO M Boyd's LIST lEnpoG'S PRICE MILITARY - - SHOW OUR APPRECIATION Autto Pacts IS OFFERING OFF t- A B0SBC3 ON ANY PURCHASE FOR OR RESERVE PERSONNEL-ACTI- VE 701 W. Riverdale Rd. ALL Ogden 621-254- 4 PROUDLY PRESENT YOUR MILITARY I.D. TO RECEIVE DISCOUNT THANK YOU! THE GREAT AMERICAN INVESTMENT k |