[Matt Wiser]

New update, and can anyone recognize the Soviet air-assault officers?



Over West-Central Texas: 0745 Hours Central War Time:



Corvette Flight headed south, having had their pre-strike refueling and after dropping to low level, cleared the FLOT. Unlike strikes flown on the east side of the East German sector, where the Nicaraguan gunners were not that excited about shooting at them, this time, the East Germans had the Soviet 32nd Army on their western flank, and both sides would be alert and ready to shoot. The ingress route Guru had planned out took the flight along the boundary between the East Germans and the Soviets, where one side might not know what the other was doing. So far, it looked like things were quiet.

In 512, Guru kept his head on a swivel, checking his instruments, the radar repeater, the EW display, as well as having his eyes out of the cockpit, checking for threats. While in the back seat, Goalie was concentrated on the navigation, but also keeping her eyes out visually for threats as well. “So far, so good,” she said. “They still asleep?”

“Maybe they're having a unit inspection or an ORI,” Guru jokingly replied. “Dublin off at One O'Clock.”

“Got it,” Goalie replied. “Stay on this heading. Two minutes to the turn point.”

“Roger that,” said Guru. He glanced at his EW display. Clear so far.


On the outskirts of Dublin, the commander of the 374th MRR, 155th Motor-rifle Division, was watching one of his battalions as it went through some training. The Americans to the north were quiet, and the Regiment needed some quiet time to absorb some personnel and equipment replacements that had recently arrived. Though he was surprised at how young some of the men were: a replacement draft had arrived, and with a few exceptions, all were barely eighteen, depite having had six months' training prior to shipping out. He turned to the battalion commander, a young Major who had been promoted after taking the job due to casualties, and the Colonel saw the man simply shrug his shoulders. The Colonel knew what the Major was thinking: if the Americans came at them now, they'd be in for it, as he doubted many of these replacements would make it through their first battle. Then the sight of jets and the scream of jet engines came, as two A-7 Corsairs and four F-4 Phantoms flew by very close. Some of the young soliders stared at the aircraft, and were promptly kicked-literally-back into their duties by their sergants. The Colonel and the Major shook their heads, and then went back to work.


“Lamkin coming up,” Guru said.

“Copy. One minute to the nav point,” Goalie replied. “EW still clear.”

“Got it,” replied Guru. “Crystal Palace, Corvette Lead. Say threats?”

“Corvette Lead, Crystal Palace. Threat bearing One-six-five for fifty-five. Medium, going away. Second threat bearing One-seven-eight for sixty. Medium, closing. Second threat bearing Two-one-one for seventy-five. Medium, closing.”

“Roger that.” Guru checked his own radar. Clear for now. “Coming up on the turn?”

“Thirty seconds,” Goalie replied.

Then the small town of Lamkin appeared Just a collection of houses on the south side of State Route 36, it was useful as a navigation checkpoint from their point of view, it went by in a blur. Guru waggled his wings in case there were civilians down there, then he turned slightly right to pick up the heading for the next turn point, the town of Pottsville. “How long until the next turn?

“Two minutes,” Goalie replied. She glanced around, then at her own EW display. “EW still clear...wait: looks like an air-search radar due south.”

“Probably a Mainstay,” Guru said, referring to the Mainstay AWACS aircraft. “Still...Flight, Lead. Music on.” That meant to turn on their ECM pods.

“Copy, Lead,” Kara replied, and the others followed suit.


Corvette Flight continued south, then they picked up a small hill, and just past that, Pottsville, which was their turn point. Guru put 512 into a right turn, and picked up the heading to the next turn, the small town of Indian Gap, which was more of a spot on the map than a town. After steadying on the new heading, two-six-five, he asked, “Turn in when?”

“Fifteen seconds,,” Goalie replied.

“Got it,” Again, this was more a spot on the map than a town, and he banked right and came onto the new course. “How long until IP?”

“One minute thirty.”

Corvette Flight headed north, generally following F.M. 1476, and though there were some small rolling hills, there were none that stood out, and thus no landmark that could be used as an IP. Guru scanned for threats, and spotted the town of Gustine off in the distance at his One O'clock. Good. “Set 'em up,” Guru told Golalie.

She worked the armament control panel, and replied. “You're set.”

“Roger that, Flight, Lead. Switches on, and stand by to pull. Puncher 304, time for you to go to work.”

“Roger, Lead,” Commander Kearny replied as the two A-7s climbed, then they began shooting their Shrike missiles.

“Got some radars,” Goalie said.

'Too late,” Guru replied

“Stand by....and PULL!”

Guru pulled back on the stick, and the Phantom climbed for altitude. He leveled off, and went into a shallow dive. Guru was able to pick out the fuel dump that was their target, but saw the area where the suspected C3 site was supposed to be was empty. “Flight, Lead. Primary target in sight, secondary is gone.”

“Copy,” Sweaty replied. That meant that she and Hoser would drop on the dump.

“Ready back here,” Goalie called.

“Time to go,” Guru said as he rolled in on his attack run.


East of the supply dump, just west of the town of Gustine, the 801st Independent Air Assault Battalion was resting after conducting an assault exercise against the town. The battalion had fought in America since 1986, and had taken the casualties to show for it, for they were now on their fourth commander. Though new to America, Lieutenant Colonel Gordunov was a decorated veteran of Afghanistan, fighting at Herat and Kandahar, and was a Hero of the Soviet Union twice over. He had brought several other officers with him, all Afghan vets but one, to rebuild the battalion. As part of the rebuilding process, he had personally led his First Company in an assault exercise on the town's garrison. The garrison, a motor-rifle battalion from the 366th Guards Independent Tank Regiment, which was itself rebuilding, had done well in the exercise, but the umpires from Front Headquarters had ruled that the
air-assault troops had taken the town.

Now, Gordunov and his comanders were going over the exercise over a late breakfast. He had listened to the veteran officers he had inherited upon assuming command, and had been reminded that “Motor-rifle blockheads are one thing. Americans are totally different.” Gordunov had also wondered who had been watching the exercise; though the local inhabitants were indoors as per the curfew, no one could miss the noise of the exercise, and his intelligence officer was now wondering how long until word of their unit's presence would be in the U.S. Sixth Army's hands. Then there was Captain Levin, his Zampolit. The man came across to Gordunov as someone who volunteered for the assignment, and as a sincere and idealistic Communist. The truth about what kind of war he'd landed in was likely to shock the young Zampolit, and Gordunov was right. Still, Levin had the makings of a good solider, and the exercise had shown that. But he was surprised when the Zampolit pointed to the southwest. “What is it, Levin?”

“Air raid, Comrade Commander,” Levin replied calmly.

“What are you babbling-” Gordunov said, then he froze as he recognized the aircraft. F-4 Phantoms coming in. “TAKE COVER! And get the air defenders up!” The officers scattered as they ran for foxholes or a dry creekbed.


“Lead's in hot!” Guru called as he rolled in. The A-7s had gone to work, killing a nearby 57-mm site, and had shot at least two Shrikes, forcing the AAA radars off the air, and maybe any SAMs, too. He easily recognized the fuel dump and the motor pool next to it. Selecting the center of the dump, he lined up several large fuel tanks in his pipper, and ignored some light flak, probably 23-mm, that was coming up. Barbeque time, Ivan.....”And...Steady...Steady....HACK!” Guru hit his pickle button, releasing his Mark-82s down on the dump. He pulled up and leveled off, heading north and jinking to avoid flak as he did so. “Lead off safe,” Guru called.


“What the...” Gordunov said as he heard Guru's F-4 fly past, and then the bombs went off. The fuel dump had been one of the targets of their exercise, and the seemingly lax security had made their task an easy one. Now, a number of secondary explosions followed in the F-4's wake, and he knew what the target was. He had never been under air attack before, and this was a new experience. He poked his head up, only to have Levin pull him back. He started to demand why, then the Zampolit pointed. Another F-4 was coming in.


“SHACK!” Goalie called from 512's back seat. “We got secondaries, and they're big ones!”

“How big?” Guru asked as a shoulder-fired missile flew a few hundred feet ahead of his nose, and another one flew over the top of the aircraft.

“Big enough!”

“We'll take those, don't you think?” Guru said as he headed north.


“Two's in!” Kara called as she rolled 520 in on the target. She saw the secondaries left in the CO's wake, and picked out some revetments on the east side of the dump that had fuel bladders or simply piles of drums. Kara, too, drew some light flak as she came in, and even a SA-7, but she ignored it. Ready to fry, Ivan? She lined up the revetments in her pipper. “And...And.....HACK!” Hitting the pickle button, Kara sent her dozen Mark-82s down on the fuel depot. She pulled up and away, jinking as she did so. “Two's off target,” she called.


In the foxhole, Colonel Gordunov heard Kara's F-4, then he-and presumably Levin-heard the bombs going off, and felt the concussion. He poked his head up out of the hole to see several large explosions left in the fighter's wake. Cursing, he looked around, and saw several of his soldiers with Strela-3 missiles on their shoulders fire, and then they watched helplessly as their missiles fell short. Then he noticed the Lieutenant who commanded the air defense platoon point to the south. That had to mean more American aircraft coming, and he dropped back into the hole.


“GOOD HITS!” Brainiac shouted. “Got some secondaries, and they're big ones!

“How big?” Kara asked as she jinked, and saw a missile fly past their left wing.

“Texas sized.”

“That's good enough,” she replied as she turned north, picking up the CO as she did so.


“Three in hot!” Sweaty called as she rolled in. She saw that the secondary target was indeed gone, and adjusted her course slightly to aim for the fuel dump. Both the CO and Kara had left an inferno in their wake, but she saw several fuel tanks that had escaped the carnage, and selected those as her target. Hope you enjoy a Texas barbeque, Sweaty thought as she lined up the tanks in her pipper. Ignoring the 23-mm flak, she drew closer. “Steady....And...And....HACK!” She hit the pickle button, and released her bombs onto the dump. Sweaty pulled wings level and away, accelerating as she did so, and jinking to avoid flak or SAMs. “Three's off safe,” she called.


“What the...” Gordunov said as Sweaty's Phantom came past, and once again, the Americans left explosions in their wake. He poked his head up again, and noticed Levin doing the same thing, and what they saw....the fuel depot was blazing furiously, and the occasional sympathetic detonation of fuel drums or tanks told them that putting that inferno out was going to be a job. How that was done wasn't his problem, but still....Then Levin pointed to the south again. Another American Phantom was coming down. Gordunov didn't need to be told twice, for he ducked back into the hole.


“GOOD HITS!” Preacher shouted from Sweaty's back seat. “Righteous ones!”

Beneath her oxygen mask, Sweaty grinned. “How righteous?” She, too, had a shoulder-fired missile fly past the aircraft, this time on the right side.

“Large and righteous!”


“If it pleases the guy upstairs,” quipped Sweaty as she turned north, picking up Kara's bird as she did.


“Four's in hot!” Hoser called as he rolled in. The other three birds hadn't left much for him to hit, but he didn't get paid for bringing back ordnance. As he came down, he noticed the supply dump's motor pool hadn't been hit, and he lined that area up in his pipper. Even with all the fires and explosions, the flak gunners below hadn't abandoned their posts, for 23-mm fire still came up. Not your day, Ivan., he muttered as the motor pool grew larger in the pipper. “And.....NOW!” Hoser hit his pickle button, releasing his Mark-82s. He then pulled up and away, jinking like the others to avoid any flak. “Four off target.”

“Sookin sin...” Son of a bitch, Gordonov muttered as Hoser's F-4 came by, the closest of the four. The bombs went off in the plane's wake, followed by some sympathetic explosions, and this time, he felt some of the heat wash over, even though the depot was several hundred meters away. Was it just thinking it did? No matter. He got up, and Levin came with him.Gordunov surveyed the scene, and saw several trucks in the depot's motor pool had been tossed aside like toys, and were now blackened skeletons. And several human torches came staggering out of the flames, only to collapse on the ground. He turned to Levin, who was clearly shocked by the sight. Then he remembered that the Political Officer had never been in combat before. “Well, Levin?”

“Comrade Commander.....” Levin replied. “Is it always like this?”

“I wouldn't know,” Gordunov said as he shook his head at the destruction. 'The Dushmani don't have an air force.” This had been his first time under air attack. “So, Levin, what do we do now?” He asked, wondering if he'd get some Party blather.

“We can only do our duty, Comrade Commander,” the Zampolit replied.

Gordunov was surprised, but then again, he had an idea that Levin would make a good soldier. “That's all we can do.” He waved his Chief of Staff, Major Dukohnin, over. “Any casualties?”

“None, Comrade Commander, but if those planes return....” said Dukohnin. No more need be said.

“We won't be here. Get the battalion ready to move. And as for those poor bastards,” Gordunov motioned to the inferno. “Tell the garrison in town that's their problem.”

“Right away, Comrade Commander.”


“SHACK!” KT hollered from the back seat. “We got some good hits!”

“How good?” Hoser asked, wincing as a shoulder-fired missile flew by on the right side.

“Good secondaries.”

“Have to take 'em,” Hoser replied as he headed north, and then he picked up his element lead.


Guru heard the call. “All four off target,” he said. “Puncher 304, Corvette Lead. We're headed out.”

“Roger that, Corvette,” Commander Kearny replied, then he calmly added, “I'm hit.”

“Puncher, can you make the Fence?” Guru asked. That meant the FLOT, and also I-20.

“Negative,” Kearny said. “I'm getting out. See you all later.”

Guru and Goalie scanned around, but it was Kara who made the call. “Got him, and there's a chute.”

Then Puncher 307 came up. “Crystal Palace, Puncher 307. Puncher 304 is down, four miles north of the target. Have a visual on a chute.”

“Roger, 307. Will notify Jolly Greens,” the controller replied.

“Puncher 307, Corvette Lead. Join up with us. Nothing you can do for him,” Guru called Lieutenant Patrick.

In her A-7, Patrick didn't want to leave her element lead, but knew that Air Force flight lead was right. Besides, she had no bombs or Shrikes left, and only had 20-mm. “Copy. Puncher 304, this is 307. Can't stay, and good luck.” Then she reluctantly turned north, following the F-4s on their way out.


“That sucks,” Goalie said as the A-7 joined up on the F-4s.

“Always,” Guru replied. Then he called the AWACS. “Crystal Palace, Corvette Lead. Say threats?”

“Corvette, Crystal Palace. Threat bearing One-six-zero for fifty-eight. Medium, closing. Second threat bearing One-nine-one for sixty-five. Medium, closing. Third threat bearing Two-one-zero for seventy. Medium, closing.”

“Roger that, Crystal Palace,” Guru replied as the A-7 joined up with the strike flight. “How long to the Fence?”

“Two minutes,” Goalie called as Proctor Lake flew by on their left.

“Good,” Guru said. Then he did some calculations in his head. Two minutes to the Fence, and the I-20. No way those MiGs would catch them. Then another call came from the AWACS.

“Corvette Lead, Crystal Palace. Threat bearing One-six-zero for forty. Medium, closing.”

“Copy,” Guru said. “Say bogey dope.”

“Corvette, Crystal Palace. Bandits are Floggers. That meant MiG-23s. “Threat now One-five-five for thirty-five. Stand by....bandits now turning. And going away.”

Guess they don't want a wall of Eagles this morning, Guru thought. “Copy.”

“One minute,” Goalie called. It wasn't long until the twin ribbons of concrete that were I-20 appeared. “And...now.”

“Flight, Lead. Verify IFF is on, out.” Guru called. Now that they were over friendly territory, having their IFF on was a must. Given how the Army and Marine air-defense pukes acted on occasion.....”Shoot them down and sort them out on the ground,” was their motto.

Once they cleared the Fence, the flight went to the tanker track, and their post-strike refueling. One thing the fighter crews had learned from talking to tanker people, was that it was a heartbreaker sometimes for them to refuel a flight going in, then when that same flight came out, minus one or two aircraft.....and they never asked what happened to the missing birds. It was a cardinal rule, and strictly enforced.

The flight then headed to Sheppard, and got into the traffic pattern. Once the outbound strike birds had cleared, and two inbound ones had gone before them, and then the morning C-141, it was Corvette Flight's turn. After they landed, the crews taxied to their respective dispersals, and as the F-4s taxied, canopies popped, the crews saw the news crew filming, as usual. “Well, no surprise there,” Guru said.

“She upset you're flying General Olds before her?”

“Kinda,” Guru replied. “But Kara's actually taking her up. I'll have the cameraman.”

Goalie grinned in the back seat, oxygen mask off. “Kara going to get her airsick?”

“That's the idea.”

Then the Phantoms got to the dispersal, and found their revetments. After taxiing into his, Guru got the “Shut down” signal from his Crew Chief, and the ground crew put the wheel chocks into place. He shut down the engines, then he and Goalie went through the post-flight checklist. The ground crew brought the crew ladder, and both pilot and GIB took off their helmets and climbed down. “One and done,” Guru said.

“And three more, plus our ride with General Olds,” Goalie nodded as a ground crewer brought her and Guru bottles of water.

“That's about it,” Guru replied as he took his bottle and promptly drained half of it.

“Sir?” Sergeant Crowley, the Crew Chief, asked. “How's my bird, and how'd you guys do?”

“Five-twelve's working like a champ,” the CO said. “Whatever you're doing, don't change it.”

“Yes, sir!” Crowley was beaming at that.

“And the fuel dump we hit?” Goalie added. “Went sky-high.”

“Good to hear that, Lieutenant,” Crowley said. “Major, we'll get her ready for the next one.”

The CO nodded. “Good man, Sergeant. Get her ready to go.”

Crowley smiled. “You got it, Major! All right, you heard the man! Let's get this bird ready for the next one.”

Guru and Goalie nodded, then headed to the revetment entrance. Kara and Brainiac were there already, waiting. “Well, how'd you guys do?” Guru asked.

“Big secondaries, and you had some,” Kara said, and Brainiac nodded.

“What happened to that A-7? Goalie asked.

“Good question,” Sweaty said as she came up with Preacher, with Hoser and KT right behind them. “No radar warning.”

“I'd like to know myself,” Guru said as Sin Licon, the SIO, came over. “Sin,”

“Major,” Licon said. “Heard about the A-7. VA-135's Intel is talking with the wingmate right now. She doesn't know what happened.”

Guru shook his head. “And we don't either. No indication on the RWR, nada. And no basketball-sized tracers, in case you're wondering.”

The intel nodded. “Could be anything, Major. Shoulder-fired missile, heavy SAM with optical backup, IR missile from a vehicle-like an SA-9 or -13....”

“Or flak,” Kara said.

“Or flak.”

“Okay,” Guru said, getting back to business. “Debrief in when?”

“Fifteen, sir. Have to talk to the XO's flight first. They got in ahead of you.”

“All right, then. Get out of your gear, and briefing room in fifteen. We debrief, then check your desks, because in an hour, we're back at it,” Guru said.

Kara nodded, then a grin came over her. “Then we fly with General Olds.”

“That we do,” Goalie said.

“Boss, can we come with you?” Sweaty asked, and Hoser, Preacher, and KT nodded. 'If you run into those F-20 guys, it's more of a fair fight.”

“She's right,” Kara pointed out.

Guru thought for a moment, then nodded, and he had a grin come over his face. “I like it. You guys can tag along, and if we do run into those F-20 jocks? We all get to teach them a thing or two.”

“Love to,” Sweaty grinned.

“First things first,” Guru reminded them. “Let's debrief, then get ready for the next one.”