TableofContents

TitlePageCopyrightPageDedicationAcknowledgementsForewordIntroductionAirborne101

DragonLeader:AnInterviewwithLieutenantGeneralJohnM.Keane,USAFortBenning:TheParatrooperFactoryToolsoftheAirborneTradeTheAirForceContribution1stBrigade/82ndAirbone:AGuidedTourofanAirborneTaskForceDivisionReadyBrigade:EighteenWeeksintheCycleThe82ndAirborneintheRealWorld

ConclusionGlossaryBibliography

TOMCLANCY’S

BESTSELLINGNOVELSINCLUDE

TheHuntforRedOctoberRedStormRisingPatriotGames

TheCardinaloftheKremlinClearandPresentDangerTheSumofAllFears

WithoutRemorseDebtofHonorExecutiveOrders

NONFICTION

Submarine:

AGuidedTourInsideaNuclearWarshipArmoredCav:

AGuidedTourofanArmoredCavalryRegimentFighterWing:

AGuidedTourofanAirForceCombatWing

Marine:AGuidedTourofaMarine

ExpeditionaryUnit

CREATEDBYTOMCLANCYANDSTEVE

PIECZENIK

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ForStaffSergeantWilliamP.Tatum,III(CompanyE,

313thMilitaryIntelligenceBattalion),whogavehislifeduringtheJRTC

97-1Deploymentofthe1stBrigadeofthe82ndAirborneDivisiononOctober

8th,1996,atFortPolk,Louisiana.Hediedashehadlived,doing

thejobforwhichhehadtrainedandprepared.

Stayingreadysothattherestofusmight

goaboutourlives.His.friends,family,andfellowAll

Americansloveandmisshim.

Acknowledgments

Once again, this is the placewhere I get to introduce youto some of the folks whomade this book a reality.We’llstartwithmylong-timepartner and researcher, JohnD. Gresham. Once again,John traveled the country,met the people, took the

pictures, spent nights in thefield losing sleep and eatingMREs, and did all the thingsthat ensure readers feel likethey are there for all theaction. Also, we have againbenefited from the wisdom,experience, and efforts ofserieseditorProfessorMartinH. Greenberg, as well asLarrySegriff,andallthestaffat Tekno Books. LauraAlpher is again tobepraisedfor her wonderful drawings,

whichhaveaddedsomuchtothisseries.TonyKoltz,MikeMarkowitz, Eric Werthiem,and Jerome Preisler all needto be recognized for theoutstanding editorial supportthat was so critical andtimely.Onceagain,thanksgoto Cindi Woodrum, DianaPatin, and RoselindGreenberg, for theircontinued support in backingthe rest of us in our manyefforts.

Any book like Airbornewould be impossible toproduce without the supportofseniorservicepersonnelintop positions. In this regard,we have again been blessedwithall thesupportwecouldhave needed.Againwemustthank Dr. Richard Hallion,theChiefHistorianoftheAirForce and an old friend.GreatestthanksfortwoseniorArmyofficers,GeneralsGaryLuck andLieutenantGeneral

John Keane. Both of theseofficersgaveustheirvaluabletime and support, and wecannot repay their trust andfriendship. Down at FortBragg, the homeof the 82ndAirborneDivision,LieutenantGeneral George Crocker andMajor General Joseph K.Kellogg, Jr., were kindenough to open up the 82ndfor our research, and eventook us along for the ride afew times. Our home-away-

from-home in the 82nd wasmadeforusbythewonderfulfolk of the 1st Brigade, andthey really took us to someexciting places. Led by theincomparable Colonel (andDr.)DavidPetraeus,thisunit,liketheothertwobrigadesofthe 82nd, is always ready tobe“America’sHonorGuard,”and helps keep us safe in anuncertain world. Supportinghim were two extraordinaryCommand Sergeant Majors,

Vince Meyers and DavidHenderson, who took usundertheirwings,andkeptuswarmandfed.ThanksalsotoMajors Sean Mateer andCaptain Rob Baker, whocontributed so much to ourvisits.Andforthemanyotherunnamed “All Americans”whotookthetimetoshowusthe vital things that they do,wesay,“Airborne!”Weneedalso toacknowledge thevitalsupport of folks out at the

supportingbaseswhogaveusso much information. Theseincluded Major GeneralMichael Sherfield and hisentire JRTC staff at FortPolk,andMajorRobStreetatFortBenning.Thanksalso toBrigadier General Steven A.Roser, who opened up the437thAirliftWing’s aircraft,personnel, and facilities forourinspection.Another group that was

vital to our efforts, less wellknownbutequallyimportant,were the members of thevarious Army and Air Forcepublic affairs and mediaoffices (PAOs) who handledour numerous requests forvisits and information. Topson our list were LieutenantColonel Ray Whitehead,MajorsStanHeathandSteveShappell, June Forte, CarolRose and Jim Hall at thePentagon. Down at XVIII

Airborne Corps, there wasLieutenantColonelTimVaneand Joan Malloy, whocoordinated our interviewrequests.OntheothersideofFort Bragg, Major MarkWiggins from the82ndPAOmadeus“feeltheburn”oftheairborne experience. CaptainTyrone Woodyard at PopeAFB was a wealth ofinformation on compositewing operations, as were thefine folks at the C-130

Schoolhouse at Little RockAFB. At Fort Benning,MonicaManganarohelpedusstanduptotheAugustheatofGeorgia.Then therewere thefolks at the Charleston AFBPAO led by the outstandingMajor Tom Dolney. AlongwithTom,anexcellentyoungcrew of media relationsspecialists took us on someadventures. Special mentionmustgotoLieutenantsGlennRoberts and Christa Baker,

who rode with us for ourrides described in the book.Finally, there was thewonderful staff at Fort Polk,who took care of us on ourJRTC visit. Major JimBeinkemper and the superbPaula Schlag run a mediarelations shop that has noequal anywhere in themilitarytoday.Asfriendsandprofessionals,we thank themfortheirefforts.

Again, thanks are due toour various industrialpartners, without whom allthe information on thevariousaircraft,weaponsandsystems would never havecome to light.At the aircraftmanufacturers:George Sillia,Barbara Anderson, and LonNordeen of McDonnellDouglas; Joe Stout, KarenHagar, and Jeff Rhodes ofLockheedMartin;andfinally,ouroldfriendJimKagdisand

Foster Morgan of BoeingSikorsky.We alsomade andrenewed many friendships atthe various missile,armament, and systemmanufacturers including:Tony Geishanuser and thewonderfulVickiFendalsonatTexas Instruments; LarryErnst at General Atomics;Tommy Wilson and CarigVanBieberatLoral;andlast,but certainly not least, theeternal Ed Rodemsky of

Trimble Navigation, whoagainspentsomuchtimeandeffort to educate us on thelatest developments of theGPSsystem.We must again extend

thanks for all of our help inNewYork, especiallyRobertGottlieb, Debra Goldstein,and Matt Bialer at WilliamMorris, as well as RobertYoudelman and TomMallonwho took care of the legal

details. Over at BerkleyBooks,webidafondfarewelltoJohnTalbot,whohasbeenwithusforfivefruitfulyears.Atthesametime,ourhighestregards to our new serieseditor, Tom Colgan, as wellas David Shanks, KimWaltemyer, Jacky Sach, andJill Dinneen of Berkley. TooldfriendslikeMattCaffrey,Jeff Ethell, Jim Stevenson,Norman Polmar, and BobDorr, thanks again for your

contributions and wisdom.And for all the folks whotook us for rides, jumps,shoots, and exercises, thanksforteachingtheignoranthowthings really work. For ourfriends, families, and lovedones, we once again thankyou. You’re what we dreamofcominghometo.

Foreword

“Airborne ... all the way!”This is both a greeting and aresponse that you often hearinandaroundXVIIIAirborneCorps Headquarters at FortBragg, North Carolina.There’s a lot more in thissimple phrase thanmeets theeye.It’saninsightintowhatI

like to call the “ContingencyCulture,” inherent in being amember of the XVIIIAirborneCorps.Moreonthatlater,butfirstletmesaysomethings about our past. ThehistoryoftheCorpsisrepletewith examples of courage,dedication, andprofessionalism. The sayingabove was born in thetradition of its Airborneleaders. In particular, theirpersonal high standards of

duty, dedication, and theAirborne spirit itself. Thesewere men with a vision forwhatairborneforcescoulddofor America, as well as howthey could help free half aworld thatwas thenenslavedundertheruleofahandfulofruthless dictators andwarlords.These were truly

extraordinarymen.The greatleaders thatstarted theXVIII

Airborne Corps back inWorldWar II arenames thatring through the history ofour Army and history itself.Included were the likes ofGeneral Bill Lee (the fatherof the Airborne forces andfirst commander of the 101stAirborne Division), GeneralMatthew Ridgway (the firstcommanding general of theXVIII Airborne Corps),GeneralJames“Jumpin’Jim”Gavin(thelegendarywartime

leader of the 82nd AirborneDivision), and GeneralAnthony McAuliffe (the on-scene commander of the101st Airborne during the“Battle of theBulge”—“Nuts!” was hisanswer to a German demandfor his unit’s surrender).They, and many others likethem, were there at the verybeginning, and started thelong,proudtraditionthatyouhear ringing through the

greetings from various unitsoftheXVIIIAirborneCorps.Cries like:“AirAssault, sir!”(from the 101st AirborneDivision [Air Assault]); “Allthe Way, sir!” (the 82ndAirborne Division’sgreeting); “Climb to Glory,sir!” (for the 10th LightDivision [Mountain]); and“Rock of the Marne!” (thebattle cry of the 3rd InfantryDivision [Mechanized]).There is a ton of tradition in

thesephrases tobe sure.Themen and women who utterthose battle cries today areevenmoreimpressive.The leadership of our

military for many years hasbeen rooted in the duty,honor, and devotion ofofficers produced by theAirborne.NameslikePalmer,Westmoreland, Wickham,Lindsay, Stiner, Foss,Shelton, and so many, many

others.Theysetthestandardsthat made airborne forcessomething our nationalleaders could trust, andwereleaders in whom soldierscouldbelieve.Justhowthoseyoung troopers felt is shownin a personal memory ofmine. Recently, whilerummaging through some ofmylatefather-in-law’s(H.R.Patrick)personalpossessions,IcameacrossaBible thathehad kept as amember of the

82nd Airborne DivisionduringWorldWar II. Issuedto troops prior to enteringcombat, therewas a place inthe center of these Bibleswhere one could keepimportant information, bothpersonal and professional. Inonesection,therewasaplaceforunitinformation.Onespotaskedforthecompanyclerk’sname.Myfather-in-lawlisted(I believe) a TechnicalSergeant Hill. It then asked

for his commander’s name,which clearly meant hiscompany commander.However, PFC Patrick hadpenned in “Gen. Gavin.”Thinkabout that.Thismeansthatasoldieratthebottomofthe82nd’sorganizationfeltadirect connection to hisdivision commander. I amtold that the entire divisionfelt that General Gavin wastheir “personal” commander,suchwashisleadershipstyle,

and such was their trust andconfidence in him.These arethe types of leaders that thisunit and others in the XVIIIAirborne Corps havecontinued to produce. Menandwomenwiththevisiontosee the future, but thepersonal integrity andleadership to touch theindividualsoldierinthefield.These standards of duty

anddedicationcontinuetoday

in all the units of XVIIIAirborneCorps.Certainlytheoriginal Airborne spirit liveson. However, that spirit hasbeen transformed into abroader definition which forlackofabettertermIrefertoasthe“ContingencyCulture.”This term fits today’s XVIIIAirborneCorps ineverywayimaginable. What thisimplicitlymeansisifyouarein one of the units of theCorps, and there is a crisis

somewhereintheworld,thenyouwillbeoneofthefirsttodeploy in defense ofAmerica’s national interests.In addition, you must beready. Intense and rigoroustrainingisthelotofanXVIIIAirborne Corps soldier,whateverhisorherspecialty.It also means that yourrucksack is always packedand you are man or womanenough to carry it whenevercalled. Since the end of the

Vietnam and Cold wars, thisresponse to crisis hasincluded such places asGrenada, Panama, Kuwait,Iraq, Somalia, Haiti, andmany others that nevermadetheeveningnews.Lifein theXVIII Airborne Corps istough and demanding with alot of time away from homeandlovedones.However,the“Contingency” lifestyle alsoprovidesmuch in thewayofsatisfaction and pride for

thosewhochoosetoembraceit fully. It is this pride indoing a hard job well thatkeep standards high andmorale rock-solid in ourCorps.The units of XVIII

AirborneCorpsarewideandvaried. This variety insuresthat the Corps can rapidlyembarkonalmostanykindofoperation required by ournational leadership. These

unitsincludeaheavyarmored/mechanized force (the 3rdInfantry Division[Mechanized]), rapidlydeployable light infantry (the10th Mountain Division),instantly deployable forced-entry forces (the 82ndAirborne Division), highlymobile heliborne units (the101stAirborneDivision [AirAssault]), and numerousother equally qualified units.Alongwithcombatforce, the

XVIII Airborne Corps canalso deploy its units with ahumanitarian and peacefocus. Many of thesecapabilities come from theforces already mentioned, aswellasfromour“totalforce”mix of active, reserve, andNational Guard units, whichgivesusa“rainbow”ofskillsto bring to anykindof crisisthat might break out aroundtheworld.Forthisreason,theunits of XVIII Airborne

Corpshavebecometheforceof choice when our greatcountry calls. There is asaying around theCorps that“ ... when trouble breaks outsomewhere in the world, thephone rings first at FortBragg.”Ithinkthatsaysitall.This book describes those

units, along with thetraditions, standards,dedication, andaview to thefuture of theXVIIIAirborne

Corps. The flexibility andagility of these units clearlydefinetheCorpsasthe“forceof choice” now and in thefuture.Afuture,Imightadd,that is less clear than theexcitingtimesthatwehavesorecently passed through as anation and a world. TomClancy’s bookAirborne laysthis out in detail for thereader.Ithinkyouwillfinditboth interesting andinformative.

“Airborne...alltheway!”GaryE.LuckGeneral,U.S.Army(Retired)

Introduction

The idea of airborne forcesprobably started with, of allpeople,Dr.Benjamin Franklin ofPhiladelphia. What prince ofa kingdom, he wondered,could defend himself (andthat kingdom) against a few

thousand soldiers who mightdescend upon his countryfrom balloons? Okay, itprobably was a long wayfrom being a practicalconcept in the late 18thcentury. But the guy who,according to legend,discovered electricity with akey and a kite, amongmanyother achievements that weknow are facts of history—whatever you may believe—hesureenoughcameupwith

thegermofagoodidea.Inmoreconventionalterms

though, the idea was morethansound.Nobody,certainlyno enemy of ours, can puttroopseverywhere.Theyonlyhave so many assets to use,andhavetodistributetheminsome way or other that willnever be perfect.Our job, astheir enemy, is to hurt themmost efficiently by strikingwhere they are weak—by

puttingourassetswhere theydon’t have many, and doingthat quickly and decisively.Better yet, grab somethingimportant really fast.Something that the enemycannot do without, becausethey probably can’t evencover all of their mostimportantassetsandstillholdtheplacestheyknowyouwillattack with your heavytroops.Thisknowledgeiskeyto why airborne troops are

credibleintoday’sworld.It’s called seizing the

initiative. What uniformedofficerscall“theinitiative”isnothing more than knowingthat you have a choice ofthingstodo,andyourenemyknowing that as well. Betteryet,itusuallymeansthatyoucan conduct your operationswhile your enemymust waitand react to whatever youchoose to do. This is the

inherent advantage of theoffensive. The more timeyour enemy worries aboutwhat you can do rather thanwhat he can do is money inthe bank for the good guys.And that’s before you reallydo anything bad to him. Thespirit of attack is the key tomilitaryoperationstoday,andalways will be. If you’resitting still andwaiting, yourforces are probably sittingducks, waiting to be served

upbyyourenemy.The 82nd Airborne

Division is the Army’scounterpart to the UnitedStates Marine Corps, still asubsidiaryorganizationoftheUnited States Navy. TheMarines are mainly lightinfantry troops who attackfromtheseawiththeNavyindirect support. The Airbornestrikes from the sky, carriedthere and supported by the

UnitedStatesAirForce.Bothorganizations are elitebecausetheyhavetobe.Theydo dangerous things. Whenthe Marines hit a beach,whether by amphibioustractor, landing craft, orhelicopter,theyarecominginlight in weapons. But whilethe Marines have a friendlyseaattheirback,andthe“BigBlueTeam”oftheU.S.Navyin direct support, theAirborne goes in just about

naked. How naked? Well,imagine yourself danglingfrom a parachute under fire.Rather likeaduckinhuntingseason, except that you’reslowlycomingstraightdown,and at least a duck canmaneuver. Your unit landsscattered; not as a cohesivefightingformation.Yourfirstjob is to get organized—under fire from an organizedfoe—sothatyoucanbegintodo your job. Your weapons

are onlywhat you can carry,andtough,fittrooperthatyouare, you can’t carry all thatmuch. It is a formidablephysicalchallenge.In September 1944,Allied

paratroopers jumped intoEindhoven, Nimegen, andArnhem (in Nazi-occupiedHolland) inaboldattempt tobring an end to the SecondWorldWarbycarvingopenapath through the German

lines. This was designed toallowtherapidpassageoftheBritish XXX Corps into theGerman rear areas, crackingtheenemyfrontwideopen.Itwas a bold and ambitiousplan, and it went so wrong.Remembered as a failure,Operation MARKET-GARDEN was, in myestimation, a gamble worthtaking. Laid on much tooquickly (just a week fromfirst notice to the actual

jumps) and executed withoutfull and proper planning andtraining, it very nearlysucceeded. Had thathappened,millionsoflivesinGerman concentration campsmighthavebeensaved.As itwas, one battalion ofparatroopers from theBritish1st Airborne Division heldoff what was effectively anSS armored brigade atArnhem Bridge (the famousBridgeTooFar) for the best

part of aweek in their effortto save the mission.Outnumbered, heavilyoutgunned,andfarfromhelp,theycameclose tomaking itallwork.What this tells us is that

it’snot just theweaponsyoucarrythatmatter,butalsotheskill, training, anddetermination of the trooperswhojumpintobattle.Elite isaselitedoes.Elitemeansthat

you train harder and dosomewhat more dangerousthings—which earns you theright to blouse your jumpboots and strut a little morethan the “track toads” of thearmor community. It meansthat you know the additionaldangersofcomingintobattlelike a skeet tossed out of anelectric trap at the gun club,and you’re willing to takethem, because if you everhave to do it, therewill be a

good reason for it. TheAirborne doesn’t have theweapons to do their jobwitha sabot round from fourklicks (kilometers) away.They have to get in close.Their primary weapons aretheir M16 combat rifles andgrenadelaunchers.Forenemyarmor they carry light anti-tankweapons. There are lotsof people around the worldwith old Soviet-designedtanks to worry about, and

Airborne forces have to trainfor that threat every day. Asyoumightimagine,lifeinthe82ndcanbehard!However, that just makes

them more enthusiastic forthe life they have chosen forthemselves.VisitthematFortBragg,andyouseethepride,from the general whocommands to the lieutenantswho lead the troopers, to thesergeantswholeadthesquads

andthenewprivateswhoarelearning the business. Yousee a team tighter than most“old world” families. Thesenior officers, some ofwhom come in from otherassignmentsin“heavy”units,almost always shed ten orfifteen years off their birthcertificates and start actinglike youngsters again.Everybody jumps in thedivision. In fact, everybodywants to jump and wants to

be seen to jump. It’s theAirborne thing. You’re notoneofthefamilyifyoudon’tatleastpretendtolikeit—andyou can’t lead troopers liketheseifyou’renotoneof thefamily. These officerscommand from the frontbecause that’s where thetroopers are, and there is norear for the Airborne. Theywalk with a confident strut,their red berets adjusted ontheir heads just so, because

it’sanAirborne“thing.”Theyareaproudfamily.Themost recent nickname

for the 82nd is “America’sFireBrigade.”Ifthere’sabigproblem that the Marinescan’t reach from the sea, oronethatisdevelopingjusttoorapidly for the ships tomovein quickly enough, theAirborne will be there first.Their first job is likely to beseizure of an airfield so that

heavy equipment can beflown in behind them. Orthey might be dropped rightontoanobjective, todowhathas to be done—hostagerescue, a direct attack on avital enemy asset—withinstantspeedandlethalforce,all of them hoping that theyhit the ground alive so thatthey can organize,move out,and get it done fast, becausespeedistheirbestfriend.Theenemywillunquestionablybe

surprisedbytheirarrival,andifyoucanorganizeandstrikebefore he can organize toresist,youwin.Theideaistoend it as quickly as possible.It’sbeensaidthatnocountryhaseverprofitedfromalongwar. That’s probably true. Itis certainly true that nosoldier ever profited from alongbattle.That’s why Paratroops

train so hard. Hit hard. Hit

fast.Enditquickly.Cleartheway for other troops andforces.Moveoutandpreparefor the next one. Do thesethings and perhaps the nextenemy will think twice.Maybe they will watch theskyandwonderhowmanyofthe red-beret troopers mightbejustafewhoursaway,anddecide it isn’t worth thetrouble. Just like nuclearweapons and precision-guided munitions, Airborne

forces are a deterence forcewithpower,mass,andabilityto make an opponent thinkabout whether his ambitionsare really worth the risk andtrouble. Think about that asyou readon. I think thatyouwill find, as I did, that theAirborne is as credible asthey head into the 21stcentury, as they were in theNormandy Beachhead in1944.

—TomClancyPerigineCliff,MarylandFebruary1997

Airborne101

Andwhereistheprincewhocansoaffordtocoverhis

countrywithtroopsforitsdefense,asthattenthousandmendescendingfromthecloudsmightnotinmany

placesdoaninfinitedealofmischiefbeforeaforcecouldbebroughttogethertorepelthem?

BenjaminFranklin

Itishardtobelievethatevena man with the wisdom andforesight of BenjaminFranklin could haveenvisioned the idea ofparatroopers and airbornewarfare in the 18th century.Back then, just the idea offloating under a kite or

balloon would have seemedsomewhat daft to mostpeople. Yet somethingsparked the imagination ofthis most American ofColonial-eramen.Aswithsomanyotherthings,hesawthefuture ofwarfare, although itdeveloped beyond even hisamazingvision.Even today, the idea of

jumping out of a perfectlygood airplane strikes most

people, myself included, asjust short of insanity.Nevertheless, airborne forceshavebecomeandremainoneof the most importantbranches of the world’sarmed forces. The reason issimple.Airborne forces havethe ultimate advantage ofshock and surprise. They areable to strike from anydirection, at any place andtime. Nobody can afford tocover an entire country with

troops to guard everyvulnerable point. Therefore,the potential of beingsurprised by airborne forcesis inherently something toworry about. For the actualvictims of such an assault,that worry turns to actualdread. History teaches thevalueofsurpriseandshockinwarfare,andthedevelopmentofairborneforcesinthe20thcentury is perhaps theultimate expression of those

effects. One minute you areenjoyingaquietnightatyourpost,thenextyouarefightingfor your life against a foewho may be behind you,coming from a completelyunexpected direction.Numerous German accountsfrom the defense ofNormandy and Holland in1944tell thesamestory.Thepossibility of soldiersdroppingoutofaclearskytoattack you can provide a

powerful reason to losesleepandstayalert.Airborne forces are hardly

an American development.Actually, the United Stateswas one of the last majorpowers to develop paratroopunits.Prior to that,Germany,Italy, Russia, and GreatBritainhadallorganizedandcommitted airborne forces tobattle.Nevertheless, theU.S.madeupforitslatestart,and

eventuallyconductedsomeofthe largest and mostsuccessful airborneoperationsofalltime.Today,despitetheirhighcosts, thesesame nations (and manyothers) continue to maintainsome sort of airborne force.Thereasonsareobvious.Theability to reach into anothernation’s territory andsuddenly insert a militarypresence is just the kind ofpolicy option that decision

makersmightwant in a timeof crisis. Think back to the1976 Entebbe hostage rescueby the Israelis, the 1989Panama invasion, or theinitial Desert Shielddeployments to SaudiArabiain1990.Unfortunately, keeping

such a capability alive andviable is expensive.Airbornetroops need special training,equipment, and a force of

transport aircraft to deliverthem to their targets. Also,the personnel in airborneunits are among the bestqualifiedandmotivatedinthemilitary, thusdeprivingotherbranches and services ofskilled leaders andtechnicians that are badlyneeded. As early as WorldWar II, senior Army leaderswere concerned that theairborne divisions wereskimming off the cream of

their best infantry. A privateinanairborneunitmightwellbe qualified to be a sergeantandsquad leader ina regularinfantry formation. Still,those same Army leadersrecognize a need for a hard-tipped force to smash anopening into enemy territoryand lead the way in. Thatforceistheairborne.Modernairborneforcesare

part of the small group of

eliteunitsusedbytheUnitedStatesandothernationsinthehighly specialized role of“forced entry.” This meansforces assigned, speciallytrained, and equipped to leadassaults into an enemy-heldarea, then hold open thebreach until reinforcementsarrive to continue the attack.Today,theseunitsusuallyfallinto one of three differentcategories.Theyinclude:

•AmphibiousForces:Theseinclude sea-based unitssuch as the United StatesMarine Corps (USMC)MarineExpeditionaryUnits—Special OperationsCapable (MEU[SOC])andthe Royal MarineCommando brigades.Riding aboard speciallydesigned amphibious shipsand equipped with landingcraft and helicopters, theyprovide the ability to loiter

foralongtimeandholdanenemycoastlineatrisk.

• Air Assault Units: Airassaultunitsarehelicopter-borne forces that enable acommandertoreachseveralhundred miles/kilometersdeep into enemy territory.First developed in the1950s by the U.S. MarineCorps, these units arecapable of lifting battalionor even brigade-sizedinfantry forces deep into

enemy rear areas toestablish strong points,blocking positions, or evenlogistical bases. Usuallyland-basedinanearbyhostnation, they also can bebased aboard aircraftcarriers,aswasdoneduringOperation UpholdDemocracy in Haiti in1994.

• Airborne Units: Airborne(parachute/air-delivered)forces are the final, and

most responsive, forced-entry units available tonational-level decisionmakers. They can berapidly tasked anddispatched to virtuallyanywhere the antiair threatlevelistoleranttotransportaircraft. When combinedwithstrategicairliftandin-flight refueling aircraft,they allow the earlydeployment of groundforces across almost any

distance.

In the United States, we

have formed our airborneforces into several differenttypes of units. A smallpercentage are concentratedintothevariousArmyspecialforces units, like the famousRanger battalions. Most ofour airborne capabilities arefound in a single largeformation, the82ndAirborne

DivisionatFortBragg,NorthCarolina. Built around threeairbornebrigades(eachbasedaroundareinforcedparachuteregiment), it is a force withalmost twenty thousandjump-qualified personnel.Everyone from the two-stardivisional commander to thepublic-affairs file clerk iscertified to make parachutejumpsintoapotentialcombatzone.Onceuponatime,therewereseveraldozensuchunits

intheworld’sarmies.Today,though, only the 82nd isreally set up to make adivision-sized jump intohostileterritory.1

This is more than just anidle boast. The 82nd wasabout to make such a jumpinto Haiti when they wererecalled in the fall of 1994.Three full airborne brigadeswere ready to drop into acountry in just a few hours,

and bring a dictator to heel,hadthatbeennecessary.Today, in maintaining the

capacity to rapidly deployoverseas, the 82nd actuallycombines the capabilities ofseveral major services andcommands, including theU.S. TransportationCommand (TRANSCOM)and their organic AirMobility Command (AMC).The82ndalsoderivesagreat

deal of its training andtransportation from the AirForce’s Air MobilityCommand (AMC). Like somany of the capabilities oftoday’s military, there isalmostalwaysmore toaunitthan you see on CNN. SoreadonandI’ll tryandshowyou thevarietiesofunitsandqualities that make up the82nd’s legendary history anddeadlycombatpotential.

AirborneTechnology

Mother Nature probablydeserves the credit forinventing airborne delivery.Puff on the ripe flower headofadandelionandahundredelegant parachutes danceaway on the wind, eachcarrying a freight of seed.Evolution has taughtcountless species of plants

andanimalsthelessonsofliftand drag, embodied in anendless variety of superblydesigned aerodynamicstructures. From bald eaglesto butterflies, nature was theoriginal aerodynamicengineer, with endlessgenerations to perfect whatman today does withcomputers,wind tunnels, andcompositestructures.A“chalk”ofparatroopsdrops

from the rear of a C-17AGlobemaster III heavytransport.OFFICIALU.S.AIRFORCEPHOTO VIA McDONNELLDOUGLASAERONAUTICALSYSTEMS

It’s a long way from adandelion pod to themoderntransport aircraft andparachute systems that makethe idea of FEDEXing anairborneunitovernighttotheother side of the worldpossible. Still, the samephysical principles apply tobothproblems.Man has dreamt of flight

from the very beginning ofrecorded time.Still, itwasn’t

until the coming of the 20thcentury that the basictechnologies allowed thesedreams to become reality.The first was the transportaircraft. As opposed tofighters and bombers, whosearmament constitute theirpayloads, the transportaircraft is the flyingequivalent of a tractor-trailertruck.It is thisaircraftwhichmakes airborne operationpossible, because without

aerial transport, paratroopersare just extremely well-trainedinfantry.The other technological

development that made theairborne a viable force wastheparachute,whichrequireddecadesofevolutiontoreachthe point where it couldreliably deliver a man orvehicle safely to the ground.In fact, not until the 1950swas it really perfected. It is

worthalookatthesesystemsto better understand theirsignificance in thedevelopment of airbornewarfare.

TransportAircraft

Ifyouhaveanyknowledgeofaviation history, you knowthat General Billy Mitchell

wasthefirstAmericanwithareal vision of the militaryusesofairpower.Evenbeforethe opening ofWorldWar I,he was pondering just whatairplanes might do for theArmy. The limited payload,range, and speed of earlyaircraft probably made itunlikelythat,atfirst,hereallythoughtmuchaboutdroppingarmed troops on an enemy.Whatweknowofhisnascentvisions shows airpower as a

tool of coercion,reconnaissance, andovermatchingdestruction,notnecessarily as a deliveryserviceforgroundforcesandtheir equipment. Even hisexperiences in World War Iseem to have limited histhinking until 1918,when hebegan to plan a primitiveairborne operation. By thestandardsofthetimeitwasastunning scheme: anairborneassault by parachute infantry

behind theGerman lines.Heproposeddroppinga forceofsoldiers from the U.S. 1stDivision onto Metz andseveralotherfortresstownstohelp breakthroughs byAlliedforces in the spring of 1919.WhiletheendofWorldWarIoccurred before Mitchellcould carry out his plan, theseed of airborne warfare hadbeenplantedintheAmericanmilitary. As a historicalfootnote, the young officer

assigned to study and planMitchell’s assault conceptwasLouisBrereton,wholaterwas to command the 9thAirForce and the 1st AirborneArmyduringWorldWarII.It is a matter of historic

recordthatitonlytookafewyearsofdevelopmenttoadapttheairplanefromafairgroundnovelty into a combatweapon. Despite the forwardthinkingofmenlikeMitchell,

the only major militarymission that the airplane didnot conduct during theGreatWar is the one that is ofinterest toushere:personnel,equipment, and supplytransport. In their zeal tobecome a combat arm, theearly air force personnelconcentrated their effortsuponprocuringbettermodelsof pursuit (i.e., fighter),bomber, and reconnaissanceaircraft.

Even today,mostairpoweradvocatesstillprefer to thinkin terms of bombers andfightersstrikingoffensivelyatan enemy, not the seeminglymundane supporting roles oftransport and reconnaissance.Yet it is these last two rolesthat most ground unitcommanders find the mostworthwhile.Thishasbeentheessential debate for oversevendecades.Doesairpowersupportgroundoperations,or

supersede them? Whereveryour opinion, it is importantto remember that airpower ismore than justakillingforcein warfare. Everyone, eventhose leaders wearing USAFblue, needs to remember thatairpower’s essential valuecomes from the exploitationof aviation’s full range ofpossibilities. Even thosemissions important to meremortals who walk and fightdowninthemud.

After the FirstWorldWarittookthevisionofmenwhowanted to make peacetimeaviation into a profitablebusiness tocause thebirthofreal transport aircraft. Thefirst of these efforts took theform of high-speed mailplanes, which brought thedreamofquickcoast-to-coastmail service to reality. Assoon as that concept wasproven, the ideaofdoing thesame thingwithpeoplecame

into being. You have toremember that coast-to-coastrail service took a minimumof four to six days in the1920s. Given a propeller-driven aircraft of sufficientrange, reliability, and safety,one could potentially reducethat to a day or two. Withsuch aircraft, profitableairlineswerepossible.Oneofthe first of these aircraftwasthe famous Ford Tri-Motor,whicharrivedin1926.Called

the “Tin Goose,” it maderegional travel (say, betweenNew York and Boston) in aday not only possible, butroutine. European designslike the German JunkersModel 52 (Ju-52) broughtsimilar benefits to airlinesoverseas.

A portrait of General BillyMitchell, the father ofAmericanAirpower.

OFFICIALU.S.AIRFORCEPHOTOWhile an excellent start,

theseearlyairlinersstillfailedtomeet thereal requirementsof commercial airlines. Slowspeeds, low ceiling limits,short range, and smallpayloads were just a few ofthe aircraft limitations thatcommercialoperatorsfelthadto be overcome to makeaviation a viable industry.

Thebreakthroughcameintheform of two new designsfrom builderswho should befamiliar to almost anyaviation enthusiast: theBoeing and Douglas Aircraftcompanies.Atthetime,theseWest Coast companies werepale shadowsof their currentcorporate structures. In the1930s, these two upstartmanufacturers changed theworld foreverwith their newideas for large transport

aircraft.Thefirstnewdesign,the Boeing Model 247D,appeared in 1933, and wasthemodel that everymoderntransport aircraft wouldfollow in the future.Featureslike all-metal construction,retractablelandinggear,andatopspeedofover200kn/381kph made the 247D anovernight success for UnitedAirlines, which had orderedthefirstsixtyproduced.

With the Boeingproduction line completelysaturated by orders fromUnited, other airlines likeAmericanandTWAturnedtoDouglas, in Long Beach,California, to build acompetitor. From this camethe famous “DC” series ofcommercial transports,whichwould continue through thejumbo jets of today. Theoriginal Douglas design, theDC-1, was a significant

improvement over the 247D,with better speed, range, andpassenger room. Then, in1935,Douglas came upwiththe classic piston-enginedtransport airlift aircraft of alltime:theDC-3.DC-3swouldbe built in larger numbersthan any other transportaircraft in history, quicklybecomingthebackboneofthegrowing airline industry. By1938, over eighty percent ofAmerican airline traffic was

being carried by DC-3s.Additionally, DC-3s werelicense-built all over theworld, even in the SovietUnion (as the Lisunov LI-2)and Imperial Japan (as theL2DTabby).Thus, whenWorldWar II

came, the DC-3 naturallydonnedwarpaintandbecamethe C-47 Dakota.2 TheDakota served in the airforces of dozens of nations,

with some 9,123 being builtin the U.S. In fact, the largeArmy Air Force/Royal AirForce fleetofC-47swasoneofthemajorfactorsthatmadethe invasion of Europepossible. By being able tomove large numbers ofpersonnel, equipment, andsuppliesefficientlyandsafelyby air, the Allied forces in1944 had a level ofoperational mobility andagility that remains a model

even today.All because of asimple, basic transportaircraft with two goodengines,ahighlystableflyingdesign, and a structure thatwaspracticallyindestructible.Bywayofexample,theDC-3hanging in the National Airand Space Museum inWashington, D.C., has morethan56,700flyinghours,andwas retired in 1952! OtherDC-3/C-47 airframes haveserved even longer. Some

updated versions, equippedwith everything fromturboprop engines to GPSsatellite navigation systems,are still going strong today,more than sixty years aftercoming off the productionline.Whatmadeaircraftlikethe

247D and DC-3 sorevolutionaryintheirdaywastheintegrationofanumberofnew and emerging

technologies.Technologicallythey had more in commonwith today’s jumbo jets thanthey do with the wood-and-canvas contraptions that hadcome before them. Theirtechnical innovationsincluded flush riveting,monocoque construction,turbo-supercharged radialengines, pressurized cabins,radios, and the firstgeneration of modern aerialnavigationinstruments.These

aircraft represented atechnical Rubicon which,once crossed, could makecommercial air transportationas viable and profitable abusiness as any railroad ortruckingcompany.Now,don’t letmemislead

you into thinking thattransport aircraft alone wonthe Second World War andmadevictoryeasy.Itneedstobe said that the thousands of

C-47s and other transportaircraft that the Alliesproduced were just barelyadequate for the rudimentary(by current standards) tasksthat they were assigned, andhadmany shortcomings. TheC-47 was only capable ofcarrying about two dozenparatroops out to a range ofseveral hundred miles fromtheir home bases. Olderdesigns, like the Ju-52s(affectionately known as

“IronAnnies”bytheircrews)used by the Germans, wereluckytocarryhalfthatmany.Also, World War II-eratransportaircraftwereterriblyvulnerable to enemy action.Lacking armor and self-sealing fuel tanks, they weredeath traps if theyencountered antiaircraft fire(AAA) or enemy fighters.Finally, they were poorlyconfigured for the job ofdropping any cargo bigger

than a large equipment“bundle.” Their side-openingcargo doors made carryinganything larger than a jeepdifficultatbest,anddroppingthat same jeep by parachutesimplywasnotpossible.

TheclassicDouglasDC-3/C-47 Dakota, the outstandingtransport aircraft of theSecondWorldWar.OFFICIALU.S.AIRFORCEPHOTO FROM THECOLLECTIONOFROBERTF.DORRThis shortcoming in heavy

equipmentdeliveryledtothedevelopment of specially

designedgliders,whichcouldbe towed behind a transportor bomber aircraft, thenreleasedtolandgently(itwashoped!).By the end of the Second

World War, the technicalproblems of buildingimproved transportaircraft tosupport airdrop operationswere clearly understood.Thedrawdown of U.S. forcesfollowing the war restricted

newmilitarydevelopmentstojusta fewkeyprograms,anditwassometimebeforethesenewairlifterscouldcomeintoservice. Commercialdevelopment of airlinersflourished, creating designslike the Douglas DC-6 andLockheed SuperConstellation(knownbytheirmilitary designations as theC- 54 and C-121respectively). These, though,were primarily passenger

aircraft,anddidnothaveanyreal improvements in cargohandling or stowage. Untilthe coming of the newgeneration of postwarmilitary transports, olderaircraft like the C-47 wouldcontinue to soldier on, flyingtheBerlinAirliftandfightingtheir second major war inKorea.When the firstof thenew-

generation transport aircraft

finally arrived in the late1940s, they were known as“Flying Boxcars.” Theprimary builder of theseunique aircraft was FairchildRepublic, which designedthemtobemodularhaulersofalmost any kind of cargo orload. The Flying Boxcarswere composed of a cockpitsectionwithahighwingandtwo engines in tandembooms, with rudders andelevators running between

them.Betweentheboomsthecargo was carried in largepods equipped with poweredrear doors and ramps. Thismeant that the cargo sectioncould have a large rear doorto load, unload, and dropcargo, vehicles, artillerypieces, and paratroops.SeveralvariantsoftheFlyingBoxcar were produced, theultimate version being theFairchildC-119.

Flying Boxcars were thebackbone of the aerialtransport fleets of the U.S.and its allies for over adecade.TheydroppedFrenchparatroops into Dien BienPhu and Algeria, acted asflying gunships, and evensnagged early reconnaissancesatellite film containers frommidair. Still, the FlyingBoxcars suffered from theinherent weaknesses of allpiston-engined aircraft:

limited speed and liftingpower, as well as relativelyhigh fuel consumption. Thismeant that for airdropoperations, they could onlyworkwithinarelativelysmalltheaterofoperations, albeit alargeronethantheC-47.ThedreamsofU.S.Armyleadersfor projecting combat powerdirectly across the oceansfrom American soil wouldhave to wait for a majordevelopment of some sort.

They did not have long towait.

A formation of three C-119“Flying Boxcars,” whichfulfilled the bulk ofAmerica’smedium lift needsinthe1950s.OFFICIALU.S.AIRFORCEPHOTO FROM THECOLLECTIONOFROBERTF.DORRDown at Lockheed in

Marietta, Georgia, there was

a dedicated group ofengineers who saw the earlypotential of jet-poweredtransport aircraft. Developersof the classic SuperConstellation-series airliners,theywerenowdabblingwithan interesting hybridpowerplant: the turboprop.Turboprop engines coupledthe new jet turbineswith thewell-proven technology ofhigh-efficiency propellers.The result was an aircraft

powerplant with great powerand superb fuel efficiency.Whencombinedwiththenewgeneration of airframescoming off theMarietta line,the result was the classicmedium transport aircraft ofour generation: the C-130Hercules.While this is a tallclaim, it is sufficient to saythatoverfourdecadesafteritfirst entered production, newC-130 variants are beingbroughtintoservice.

A Lockheed C-130HHercules lands during anexercise in Fort Polk,Louisiana. The Hercules hasbeen the standard mediumtransport for most of theworldforageneration.JOHND.GRESHAMGoodas theHerculeswas,

though, it only whetted theappetite of Army and Air

Force leaders to expand thecapabilities that they wantedfrom their fleet of transportaircraft. The coming of theCold War had shown themthat they needed airlifterswith high subsonic speed(Mach .7 or better),intercontinental range, and acargo/payloadcapacitywhichwouldmakethemovementofwhole ground units with alltheir equipment possible.WhiletheHerculeslackedthe

high speed and long rangethat Air Force and Armyleaderscraved,theC-130wasa giant step forward incombining the desirablecharacteristics of the newjet/turbine engines withadvanced airframe designs.When the Air Force boughtthe Boeing KC-1353 in the1950s as its first real jettransport (an airbornerefueling tanker), it had

almost none of the cargo-carrying capacity desired byArmy leaders, who wereinterested in moving forcesrapidly and efficiently to acrisiszone.It took another ten years

before a true heavy transportwithhighsubsonicspeedandintercontinental range wouldbecomeareality.Bythemid-1960s, though, the wishes ofeveryone in the U.S. armed

forceswerefinallyfulfilledinthe formof theLockheedC-141 Starlifter. The LockheedMarietta engineers took anambitious requirement forlarge payload, long range,and high cruising speed, andthen combined those featureswith the ability to be able toslowdowntospeeds(around130 kn/241 kph) that wouldallow paratroops to be safelydeployed over a drop zone.The Starlifter did all of this,

and still continues to do sotoday, with seven-leagueboots and a cargo capacitythat can accommodate muchofthebasicequipmentof theU.S.Army’svariousunits.GoodastheC-141was,the

leadership of the Army andAirForcewantedevenmore.Alotmore.Specifically,theywantedtobeabletotransportevery piece of gear in theArmy inventory. This

requirement involves what isknown as “outsized cargo,”and includeseverything frommainbattletankstotheDeepSubmergenceRescueVehicle(DSRV) submarine used torecover the crews of sunkensubmarines. Also, America’sexperiences during the ColdWar of the 1960s werebeginningtoshowaneedforbeing able to rapidly movelarge conventional unitsoverseas from U.S. bases.

The result became the mostcontroversialcargoaircraftofall time; the Lockheed C-5Galaxy. When it first rolledoutofthehangerinMarietta,the C-5 was the largestproduction aircraft in theworld.4Everythingaboutthisnew airlifter was big, fromthe cargo compartment (at13.5 feet/4.1meters high, 19feet/5.76 meters wide, and144.5 feet/43.9 meters long,

morethanbigenoughtoplaya regulation basketball gamewhileinflight!)tothelandinggear system. It was thismassive increase in sizeoverthe Starlifter that led to somany of the problems thatweretohoundtheGalaxyforthe next few years. On anearly test flight, one of thewheels on the main landinggear came loose, careeningdown the Dobbins AFBrunway. There also were

structural problems and bugswiththeavionics.

A Lockheed Martin C-141BStarlifter in the pattern atCharleston AFB, SouthCarolina. The Starlifter iscurrently being phased out,andreplacedwiththenewC-17AGlobemasterIII.JOHND.GRESHAMThese troubles, alongwith

theheavyinflationofthelate1960s and early 1970s,

caused severe escalations inthepriceoftheC-5program.So much so that it nearlybankrupted Lockheed,requiring a costly andcontroversial bailout loanfrom the federal government(eventually repaid withinterest!) to save thecompany.WhiletheC-5’slistof problems may have beenlong, so too was its list ofachievements. It proved vitalto theevacuationofVietnam

in 1975, despite the loss ofoneaircraft.Bytheendofthe1970s, most military andpoliticalleaderswerewishingthat they had bought moreGalaxies, whatever the cost.They got theirwish later on,thankstoanadditionalbuyoffifty C-5Bs during the earlydays of the ReaganAdministration.

A Lockheed Martin C-5Galaxy heavy transportaircraft. The largestproduction aircraft in theworld when introduced, theC-5 fleet will continue toserve well into the 21stcentury.OFFICIALU.S.AIRFORCEPHOTO FROM THECOLLECTION

OFROBERTF.DORRIn spite of the obvious

worth of the C-5 fleet,though, it was costly tooperate and maintain. Asingle Galaxy can require anaircrew of up to thirteen forcertain types of missions,which makes it expensivefrom a personnel standpoint.Even worse, the C-5 useshuge amounts of fuel,whether it is carrying a full

cargo load, or just a fewpersonnel. Finally, Lockheedwasneverreallyabletokeepits promise to make the C-5able to take off and land onshort, unimproved runwayslike theC-130. Ifyou talk toLieutenant General JohnKeane, the currentcommander of XVIIIAirborne Corps (a primarycustomerforairliftintheU.S.military), he will lament theshortage of C-5-capable

runways around the world.Not that anyone wants toretire the existing Galaxyfleet. Just that any newstrategic airlifter would haveto do better in these areasthan the C-5 or C-141. Itwould have to be cheaper tooperate, crew, and maintain,and would have to combinethe C-5’s cargo capacity andrangewiththeC-130’sshort-fieldagility.

This was an ambitiousrequirement,especiallyinthetight military budget climateunderPresidentJimmyCarterinthelate1970s.Theforeignpolicy of his Administrationwas decidedly isolationist,giving the world theimpression thatAmericawasturning inward and notconcernedwith the affairs ofthe rest of the world. Thispolicycamecrashingdownin1979, with the storming of

the American embassy by“student”militantsinTehran,and the invasion ofAfghanistan by the Soviets.Suddenly, there was thefeeling in the U.S. that weneeded to be able to projectpower around theworld, andto do it quickly.Unfortunately, the drawdownoftheU.S.militaryfollowingVietnam had left few of thekinds of transportation assetsrequired to do such a job.

Clearly the CarterAdministration had failed tounderstand the nature ofinternational relations in thepost-Vietnam era, andAmerica’s place in it. TheUnited States would have towork hard to again becredible in the growingdisorder that was becomingtheworldofthe1980s.Even before Ronald W

Reagan became President in

1981, work had started torebuild America’s ability torapidly deploy forcesoverseas. The Navy andMarine Corps quickly beganto build up their fleet of fastsealift and maritimeprepositioningforces.4OntheAir Force side came arequirement for a newstrategicairlifterwhichwouldaugment the C-5 in carryingoutsized cargo, and

eventually replace the agingfleetofC-141Starlifters.Thenew airlifter, designatedC-X(for Cargo-Experimental),drew on experience the AirForce gained from atechnology demonstrationprogram in the mid-1970s.During this program, calledtheAdvancedMediumShort-fieldTransport(orAMSTforshort), theUSAFhad fundeda pair of unique technologytest beds (the Boeing YC-14

and the McDonnell DouglasYC-15) to try out new ideasfor airlift aircraft. SomeUSAF officials had evenhoped that one of the twoprototypesmight become thebasis for a C-130 re-placement.However, thesterling qualities of the“Herky Bird” and theawesome lobbying power ofthen-Senator Sam Nunn ofGeorgiadispelledthatnotion.Instead, the technologies

demonstrated by the AMSTprogram were incorporatedinto therequest forproposalsfor the C-X, which wasawardedtoDouglasin1981.Despite the excellent

proposal submitted byDouglas and the best ofgovernmentintentions,theC-X became a star-crossedaircraft. Delayed by fundingproblems and the decision toprocure additional C-5s first,

thisnewbirdseemedattimesas if it would never fly. Inspite of all this, by the mid-1980stherewasafirmdesign(now known as the C-17Globemaster III) on thebooks,andthefirstprototypewas under construction. Thenew airlifterwas designed totake advantage of a numberof new technologies tomakeit more capable than eitherthe C-141 or C-5. Thesefeatures included a fly-by-

wireflightcontrolsystem,anadvanced “glass” cockpitwhich replaced gauges andstrip indicators with largemulti-function displays. TheGlobemasteralsomadeuseofmore efficient turbofanengines, advanced compositestructures,andacockpit/crewstation design that onlyrequires three crewmembers(twopilotsandacrewchief).The key to the C-17’sperformance,though,wasthe

useofspecially“blown”flapsto achieve the short-fieldtakeoff-and-landingperformanceoftheC-130.Bydirecting the engine exhaustacross a special set of largeflappanels,agreatdealofliftis generated, thus loweringthestallspeedof theaircraft.In a much smaller packagewhich can be operated andmaintained at a much lowercost than the C-141 or C-5,the Douglas engineers have

given the nation an aircraftthat can do everything thatthe earlier aircraft could do,andmore.Alongwith thebuildingof

theC-17force, theAirForceis updating the inter-theatertransport force built aroundearly versions of the C-130,especially the older C-130Eand-Fmodels.Naturally, theanswer is another version ofthe Hercules! The new C-

130J is more than a minorimprovement over theprevious models of thisclassic aircraft, though. Bymarryingupthesamekindofadvanced avionics found onthe C-17 with improvedengines and the provenHercules airframe, Lockheedhascomeupwiththepremierinter-theater transport for theearly 21st century. Already,the Royal Air Force (RAF),Royal Australian Air Force

(RAAF),RoyalNewZealandAir Force (RNZAF), and theU.S.Air Force (USAF) havesigned up to buy the newHercules, with more buyersalready in the wings. Thismeans that there will easilybe versions coming off thelinein2004,whentheC-130celebrates its fiftieth year ofcontinuousproduction!

AMcDonnellDouglasC-17AGlobemaster III in flight.Hugely expensive, this is themost capable airlift aircrafteverbuilt.OFFICIALU.S.AIRFORCEPHOTOVIAMcDONNELLDOUGLASAERONAUTICALSYSTEMSOne other aspect of

deploying personnel and

equipmentbyairthatwealsoneed to consider is airbornerefueling.Ever since a groupofArmyAirCorpsdaredevils(including Carl “Tooey”SpatzandseveralotherfutureAir Force leaders) managedto stay aloft for a number ofdays by passing a fuel hosefrom one aircraft to another,aerial refueling has been afactor in air operations. Air-to-air refueling came into itsown over Vietnam, where it

becameacornerstoneofdailyoperations for aircraftbombingtheNorth.Lateron,in the 1970s, in-flightrefuelingofC-5sandC-141sbecame common. This wasespecially true during theOctober 1973 Arab-IsraeliWar, when a number ofEuropeancountrieswouldnotallow U.S. cargo aircraft toland and refuel. This meantthat tankers based along theway had to refuel the big

cargo jets so that theywouldbe able to make theirdeliveries of cargo into Ben-Gurion Airport nonstop.Today, Air Force cargoflights utilizing air-to-airrefueling are commonplace,but then it was cause torethink thewholeproblemofworldwide deployment ofU.S.forces.Formuchofthepastthirty

years, the bulk of the USAF

in-flight refueling duties hasbeenhandledbytheKC-135.Butwhilehighlycapable, the-135has one problem. It caneither give away fuel, ordeploytoanoverseastheater,butnotbothatthesametime.Given the need of airbornetanker aircraft to supportintercontinental deploymentsby U.S. forces and still getthere themselves, the USAFenvisioned a new kind ofrefueler in the late 1970s.

Whilebasedonacommercialairliner,thenewtankerwouldbecapableofcarryingamuchlargerfuelloadthantheaging-135s. In addition, a heavyload of palletized cargo andpersonnel would be carried,to assist USAF units indeploying to bases overseas.Finally, it would be capableof itself being tanked inflight,aswellasbeingabletorefuel other aircraft fromeither the USAF “flying

boom” system, or the morecommon U.S. Navy/NATO“drogue and probe.” Theresult was the McDonnellDouglas KC-10 Extender, ofwhich sixty were bought inthe 1980s. Today, thesurviving fifty-nine KC-10sare the crown jewels of theAir Mobility Command’stankerfleet.Closelyheldandlovingly maintained, theymay be the key tosuccessfully deploying our

forces into remote overseaslocations in the future.Howeveryouviewthetankerforce, though, it is importantto remember thatU.S. forceswill go nowhere without awell-prepared and adequatelyequipped force ofairlift/tanker aircraft andqualifiedcrews.A McDonnell Douglas KC-10A extender aerial tankeraircraft preparing to refuel

anotherKC-10.TheseaircraftarethekeytoIntercontinentaldeployments by the U.S.ArmedForces.OFFICIALU.S.AIRFORCEPHOTOVIAMcDONNELLDOUGLASAERONAUTICALSYSTEMS

Bythis timeyoumaywellbe asking about theworth ofbuilding a huge fleet oftransport aircraft in an eraoftrillion-dollar federal deficitsand our own pressingdomestic needs.More than afewAmericanswonderabouttheneedfortheUnitedStatesto have forces capable ofintervention overseas. Whilevalid questions, they fail to

take into account the realityof America’s place in theworld.Whetherwe like it ornot, the U.S. hasresponsibilities; airpower,including the AMC fleet oftanker and transport aircraft,frequentlymakesupour firstresponse to theevents in thatworld. Several years ago,when Colonel John Wardenwas interviewed for FighterWing, he said that “everybombisapoliticalbombwith

political effects andconsequences.” You couldeasily say the same thingabout sorties by transportaircraft. While one missionmay have you droppingparatroopers on a localwarlord, another may seereliefsuppliesbeingflowntorefugees or disaster victims.Thus, like bombers andfighters, transport aircraft arejust as much instruments ofairpowerasthemoreobvious

combattypes.Infact,becausethey can provide service inboth combat and peacetimemission, they are perhapseven more powerful thantheir armed brethren. That issomething to consider inthesedaysofforcereductionsand expanding militarymissions.

Parachutes

When you look up at aparachute, it seems anabsurdlysimpleconcept.Yet,a parachute is as much anaerodynamic design as astealth fighter. It lives andoperatesbythesamephysicallaws in the sameenvironment, and can sufferthesameconsequencesintheevent that those laws areviolated. The idea of theparachute is hardly new. Inthecraftofthesailmaker,we

can see that men hadmastered the art of makingstrong and light fabricstructures centuries ago.Thus, it is amazing that eventoday, such a simple idea astheparachuteisatthecoreoftechnologies that makeairborne warfare possiblenow and into the 21 stcentury. Nevertheless, thefirst man to imagine aparachutewasapparentlythatprolific Italian genius

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519). In amanuscript datedabout 1480, there is a sketchof a man dangling from apyramid-shapedstructure.Anenigmaticcaptionsays:

...ifamanhasa tentof linen,with all theopeningssealed up, hewill be able to

throw himselfdown from agreat heightwithoutinjury....

The canopy depicted in da

Vinci’s drawing is too small,and the shape would havemade it terribly unstable, butitmight have worked. ThereisnoevidenceLeonardoevertested his device, or even

experimentedwithmodels.Inspiteofthis,thebasicconceptwas on the proverbialdrawing board, just waitingforsomeone todosomethingwithit.Much of the technology

that eventually led to thedevelopment of modernparachutes is derived fromthe construction of balloons.Early on, much balloonactivity was centered in

France. Benjamin Franklin(1706-1790) observed someof these flights whileAmerican ambassador toFrance, and quickly graspedthe military implications ofthenewtechnology.Fromhisobservations of these flightscame the quote at thebeginning of this chapter.Ballooning never did emergeas a serious military force,but did encourage thedevelopment of the

parachute.Firstasadaredevilspectacle, and later as apractical safety measure.Interestingly,priortothefirstflights by heavier-than-aircraft in the early 1900s,manned parachute jumpswere being regularly madefrom moored balloons. Theearliest military parachutistswere balloon observers onboth sides of the WesternFront during World War I.These artillery spotters, in

wickerbasketsdanglingfromflammable hydrogenballoons, were terriblyvulnerable to machine-gunfire from roving enemyaircraft. So the observerswere equipped with crudeparachutesandtrainedtobailout whenever an attack wasthreatened.Despite parachutes being

well developed and fairlyreliable, few tactical aviators

of the Great War ever usedthem. Early pursuit (fighter)aircraftof thedaysimplydidnothave thenecessary lift tocarry a man, the machineitself, guns, ammunition, aparachute, and other safetyequipment.By 1918, though,the German Air Force hadrealizedthatparachutescouldsavethelivesofirreplaceableandscarceveteranpilots,andbegantoissuethem.NoneoftheAlliedairforcesevergave

parachutestotacticalaviators.A conceptual view ofLeonardo da Vinci’sparachutedesign.OFFICIAL U.S. ARMYPHOTO

Theinter-waryearswereatime of slow and quietdevelopment in parachute

technology. By the openingofWorldWar II, the stateofthe art in parachutedevelopmentwasbaseduponthe labor of the industrioussilkworm.Thismayseemoddin light of the then-recentdevelopment(inthe1930s)ofsuchsyntheticfibersasnylonby the DuPont Corporation.However, the firstapplications of nylon werelimited to making householditems like toothbrushes and

women’sstockings.Thus,themany potential benefits ofsynthetic fibers to airbornewarfare were to be denieduntil after World War II.Virtually every parachuteused by airmen andparatroopers in that war wasmade from that mostcomfortable of fabrics: silk.Silk has many desirablequalities when used inparachutes. These includelight weight, an extremely

dense thread count (thenumber of fibers per inchwhen woven), a favorableporosity to air, and greattensile strength when wovenintofabricandlines.Givenacareful cycle of packing andcleaning, the World War II-era parachute could be usedseveral dozen times withconfidence.The personnel parachutes

usedinWorldWarIIbymost

nationswere fairly similar indesign. Most utilized acircular canopy or shroud ofwovensilkcloth.Around thebase of the canopy was afabric support base called askirt, fromwhich the supportorshroudlineshung.Usuallytheparatrooperwouldbeheldbyaspecialharness,designedtospreadtheshockandloadsoftheparachuteopeningoverthe body. The harness wasattached to a set of thick

fabric supports called risers,whichfeduptoshroudlines.The basic design of most

non-steerable parachutes haschangedlittleoverthelastsixdecades. A circular canopychute will, once inflated,essentially fall in a straightand vertical line.Notwithstanding the effectsof cross-winds, this meansthat if a stick (or line) ofparatroops is dropped at

regular intervals behind anaircraft, they will be spacedfairlyevenlyastheydescend.Usingcircularparachutesalsominimizes the chances of amidair collision between twoormoreparatrooperstryingtomaneuver. This is the reasonwhy today, in an era whensport parachutists (“skydivers”) almost always usesquare parafoil parachuteswhicharesteerable,theolder-design circular models are

alwaysusedinmassairdrops.When packed, the

parachuteisattachedtoatraywhichismountedonthebackof the paratrooper andattached to the harness.Around the tray are a seriesof overlapping fabric panels,which form a protective bagtokeep the chute frombeingsnagged or damaged prior toopening. When folded over,thebagflapsaresecuredwith

rubber bands and light cords(much like shoestrings).These are designed to breakor fall away when theparachute is deployed, andmustbereplacedpriortoeachjump. As for the parachuteitself, the actual deploymentis handled by a long cord(called a static line) attachedtothedropaircraft.Whenthejumpers exit the door of theairplane, they fall a setdistance, and then the static

lineyankstheparachuteloosefrom the bag, starting thedeploymentcycle.Useof thestatic line also has theadvantage of taking the taskof parachute deployment outofthehandsofwhatprobablyis an overloaded, frightened,and potentially forgetfulparatrooper.Shouldtheback-mountedparachute(calledthe“main”) fail to deployproperly, the jumper canusuallymake use of a chest-

mounted backup chute. Thebackup parachutes aremanually deployed, andrepresent a second (andfinal!) chance should themain fail to open properly.By themiddleofWorldWarII, most nations deployingparatroopers had suchequipment.There were some

differences in the parachutesused by various nations

during World War II. Forexample, the German RZ-16/20 utilized a suspendedharness arrangement, whichallowed a Fallschirmjäger tofire his weapon whiledescending, but placed apremiumontheathleticskillsoftheoperatortoavoidinjuryduring parachute deploymentand landing. By contrast, theAmerican T-series chuteswere utterly conventional,and have been little changed

in today’s T-10 models. Fortheir time, though, the earlyT-series chutes were fairlyreliable,with good sink rates(how fast you lose altitudeand hit the ground!) andmaximum payloads.However, the use ofparachutes to deliver loadslikepersonnelandlightcargocontainers represented theupper limit ofwhat could beachieved using naturalfabrics.Thismeantthatother

meanshadtobedevelopedsothat heavy weapons andequipmentcouldbedeliveredwith airborne troops. In fact,the development of cargogliders was the beginning ofwhat we now call “heavydrop.”This isbecausehigherloadswouldcausethenaturalfibers of the day to rip, tear,or break, causing theparachute to fail. Syntheticfibers would have beentougher and thus capable of

handling larger loads, buttheirusewassomeyearsoff.The cargo gliders of the

Second World War weredesigned to move personneland heavier equipment likejeeps,antitankandfieldguns,and headquarters gear. Earlyon, the German airborneforces led the world in thedevelopment of specializedequipment for delivery ofcombat gear by air. The

Germans started with thesmall DFS 230, which couldcarry ten men or a 900-kg/1,984-1b cargo load.Later, they produced the Go242 medium glider and thehuge Me 321, which couldcarryloadsuptoalighttank.The British produced similarcraft, with their own Horsamedium glider and the bigHamilcar, which could carrya small Locust light tank.American efforts were

somewhat more limited thanthe Germans and British,producing theWacomediumglider,with a similar load tothe Horsa. Gliders, however,were dangerous andunreliable.Lightlybuilt, theysometimes would break upwhile being towed to theirlanding zones. Even morelikelywas a dangerous crashupon landing, which couldkill the crew and passengers,ordestroythecargoload.But

until the development ofreally large synthetic cargoparachutes in the 1950s,gliderswere the onlyway toland really big loads into adropzone.Allthatchangedduringthe

postwar period. Paratrooperswere relieved to see thedevelopment of largerpurpose-designed transportaircraft like the FlyingBoxcars,andparachuteslarge

enoughtobeable to landthelargestloadstheymightneed.These large cargo chutesmade unmanned delivery ofcargo and equipment bothpossible, and much morereliablethanglidersofWorldWar II. The key to the newcargo parachute designs wasthe use of synthetic fibers astheload-bearingmaterial.Thelarger cargo parachuteschanged the face of airbornewarfare. Rather than the

vulnerable gliders having tofollowtheparatroopersintoa“hot” DZ, the heavy cargocould now be dropped justminutesaheadofthetroopers.Thisimprovedthechancesofachieving tactical surprise ina drop operation as well asinsuring that more of theairborne’s vital equipmentand supplies arrived intact.As an added bonus, the newmaterials, synthetics likenylon and rayon, were also

usedinthenewgenerationofpersonnelparachutes,makingthemmuchmorereliablewitha much longer service life.Uptoahundredjumpscanbemade on a single modernsynthetic T-10 parachute,which makes it quite abargain by current defensestandards.By the 1960s, several new

ideas in parachute designwere beginning to make

themselvesknownaroundtheworld. One of these was tochange the shape of theparachute canopy to give itsome degree ofmaneuverability. Asmentioned previously, otherthan theeffectsofwinds, thecircular canopy parachutestend to float down verticallyinafairlystraightline.Whiledesirable when droppinglargeunits, this characteristiccan become a liability when

youwant to drop people andthingswithpinpointprecisionon a particular spot or thing.WhentheBritishattackedthePegasus and Orne riverbridges onD-Day, they usedmanned Horsa gliders whichcould land right on thetargets. Fortunately, the AirForce and NASA werelooking into the problem ofmaneuverable parachutesystems for applications inrecovering satellites and

down aircrews. One of themost promising of these wasthe parafoil, which utilized arectangular-shaped canopywith tunnels to channel airandprovideforwardthrust tothe chute. By pulling downon various lines attached tothe corners, the wholeassembly could bemaneuvered, with a faircross-range. Quickly, themilitary adopted severalmaneuverable designs,

primarily for specialoperations forces.Unfortunately, steerablepersonnel parachutes can behighly dangerous duringmassed unit drops. Theproblem is that the variousjumpers tend to maneuveraround, making the chancesofamidaircollisionbetweentroopersadistinctpossibility.Thus, other than forPathfindersandRangerunits,the forces within the 82nd

and XVIII Airborne Corpsuse only circular canopychutes.

A U.S. Army paratrooperdescends under a T-10Mmain parachute canopy. Thishas been the standardparachute canopy since thelate1950s.JOHND.GRESHAMA C-17A Globemaster IIIdeploys a series of heavydrop payloads into a dropzone. Parachute heavy drophasreplacedgliderssincetheend of the Second World

War.OFFICIALU.S.AIRFORCEPHOTO VIA McDONNELDOUGLASAERONAUTICALSYSTEMS

Nevertheless, the steerableparachute is finding a newrole as a result of a newconcept: precision heavyairdrop. Current heavyairdrop doctrine has theaircraft manually droppingsupplies and equipment fromas low as 500 feet/152meters. This makes thetransport aircraft sittingducks, and the loss of any

airlifters can have a severeeffect on your abilities toconductfollow-onoperations.More recently, Air Force C-130s have been taking fireand hits from ground-baseddefenses while droppingrelief supplies in NorthernIraqandBosnia-Herzegovina.The USAF therefore has aneedtobeabletodropheavyequipment and supplies fromhigh altitudes, as well as inbad weather and rough

terrain. Currently, the AirForceistestinganewkindofheavy drop system, whichcombines a large steerableparachute with anautonomous autopilot systemtied to a NAVSTAR GPSreceiver. In this way, all theairdrop crew has to do is toinput a desired aimpointposition into the autopilot,then release the parachutewith its attachedcargo.Oncethe chute deploys, the GPS

systemguidesittoapinpointlanding, within just a fewyards/metersof the aimpoint.The system is simple andrelatively cheap, and willprobably come into servicewithinthenextfewyears.As the paratroops of the

United States enter the 21stcentury, theywill do sowiththesamebasicparachutetheyhave used for over ageneration.Thoughimproved

through four separate designupgrades, the Army’s classicT-10canopy is still the samebasic design that enteredservicebackin1958.Abletolower two fully equippedjumpers safely (in the eventof amidair collision), the T-10Mmodelisthestateoftheart in circular parachutedesign. Right now, the bignewswithregardstotheT-10systemistheintroductionofanew reserve parachute to

replace the oldermodel. Thereason for the replacementwas that theold-style reservechuterequiredthejumperstoself-deploy it with theirhands. This included havingtoopenandthrowthereservecanopy away from theirbodies to keep it fromfouling. The new model isspring-loaded, so that thedeployments will be bothfaster and more reliable.While it is already good (a

reliability of something like99.96 percent at last check),paratroopers will always tellyou that there is room forimprovement!

LightweightEquipment

So far, most of what I haveshownyouhastodowiththe

delivery of paratroops andtheir gear to a crisis zone.This is the essence ofairbornewarfare,andmostofthetrainingandhardworkgointo getting to where youwant to deploy. Without theproperequipmentand trainedpersonnel to operate it,though, dropping people andstuff onto a target defendedby an enemy makes littlesense. The problem is thattransport aircraft can only

carry somuch in theway oftroopers, equipment, andsupplies. Just as importantly,allthosethingsmustfitinsidethe aircraft, and not weighmore than the plane can lift.Therefore, airborne forcesaround the world constantlystrive to develop equipmentand weapons that arelightweight and compact,with enough hitting orcapability power to beeffective in their given

missions.The Germans were early

leaders in airborneequipment. Their culturalmania for precision andfunctionhelpedthemproducesome of the most interestingtools and weapons evercarried by paratroopersanywhere. This includedlightweight mortars andmachine guns, as well assmallfieldandantitankguns.

Their original paratrooperknife is still considered aclassic among warriorsaround the world. TheGermans even pioneered theuseoflightweightshapedanddemolition charges, whichthey employed with greateffect during the assault onthe Belgian fort at EbenEmael(May1940).Theyalsoproduced light tanks (as didthe British) which could becarriedbylargegliders.

As other countries startedtodeveloptheirownairborneunits, they too began todevelop specializedequipment. America was noexception. Yankee ingenuitywas quickly brought to bear,and results came rapidly tothebattlefieldsofWorldWarII. The Willys Jeep wasundoubtedly the greatestAmerican contribution. Forthe first time, airborne unitshad a level of mobility and

haulingpoweroncetheywereontheground.5Smallenoughto be carried by a standardWaco or Horsa glider, thejeep could tow small packhowitzers or antitank guns,carry machine-gun andbazooka teams, or just allowa unit commander to rapidlymove around the battlefieldwithhisradiogear.

A trooper from the 82ndAirborne Division standswatchnearafightingpositionduring Operation DesertShield in 1990. A brigadefrom the 82nd was the firstAmerican ground unit toenter SaudiArabia followingtheinvasionofKuwait.OFFICIAL U.S. ARMYPHOTO

The end of World War IIbrought the beginning of thenuclear age and the ColdWar. The introduction ofnuclear weapons to thebattlefieldgavemanymilitaryleaders the feeling thatinfantryforcesingeneral,andairborne forces in particular,mightbecomeobsolete.Otherleaders saw newopportunities, though, andconcepts for improvingairborne firepower and

equipment were quick incoming. Perhaps the mostimpressive of these wererecoilless rifles (spin-stabilized antitank andartillery projectiles launchedfromtubes).Whatmadethesesospecialwasthat theywerelightweight and compactenough to carry on the backof a jeep. For the first time,airborne troopers had aweapon that would allowthem to defeat the heaviest

armor on the battlefield,albeit with a serious risk tothe health of the recoillessriflecrews!The revolution in compact

solid-state electronics andlightweight materials hasproven to be the key tokeeping airborne forcescredible over the past fortyyears or so. At first, it wasseenintheproductionoftrulyreliableand lightweight radio

equipment.Fromthishumblestart, though, came thedevelopment of awhole newgeneration of weapons andequipment for airborne andother infantry forces. Wire-guided antitank guidedmissiles (ATGMs) like theRussianAT-2SaggerandtheU.S. TOW brought paritybetween infantry and armorforcesonthebattlefieldinthe1970s.At the same time, thefirstman-portable surface-to-

air missiles like the SovietSA-7 Grail and the famousStinger gave infantry a realdefenseagainstaircraft.Intheearly 1990s, man-portablesatellite communications andnavigation equipment wascommonlyusedinthePersianGulfandPanamabythe82ndAirborne Division. Today,withmicrocomputerbrains,anew generation of “brilliant”weapons like the JavelinATGM is going to give

airborne forces newcredibilityonthebattlefield.If there is a single major

shortcoming to our airborneforces today, it is the lackofan air-dropable armoredweapons system. Airborneforceshavealwaysfearedthepower of mechanized unitsmore than almost any otherthreat on the modernbattlefield. Everyparatrooper’s nightmares

include the memory of whathappened to the British 1stAirborne Division duringOperation Market Garden inSeptember 1944. Planning toseize a pair of bridges overtheRhineRiver, the divisionwounduplandingontopofapair of SS Panzer divisions,and was chopped to pieces.TopreventarecurrenceoftheArnhemdisaster,theairborneforces of many nations havedeveloped light armored

vehicles to help defendagainst enemy armor.Today,the lackof a replacement fortheM551Sheridanlighttankhas left a huge gap in thecombat power of the 82ndAirborne Division.6 A well-runprogramtoproduceanewsystem, the M-8 ArmoredGunSystem,wascanceledin1996 to help pay for severaloverseas contingenciesincluding Bosnia-

Herzegovina. The interimsolution to the heavy armorthreat is a system calledLOSAT, which will bemountedonaHighMobility,Multipurpose WheeledVehicle (HMMWV) chassis.LOSAT is a hypervelocity(faster thanMach 5)missile,which will defeat enemytanks by punching througharmor with a long rod ofdepleted uranium. In fact,look for more and more

systems used by the airbornetobemountedonHMMWVs.They are reliable, can beeasilyfittedintoanytransportaircraft,andcancarryagoodpayload. The perfectcombination for theairborne’srequirements.Still, there is more to

combatpowerthanthesizeofa gun or the range of amissile. Like the men wholead the U.S. Marines, the

leadership of the 82ndAirborne still consider theirmost dangerous weapon theindividual airborne trooperwith his personal weapons.Thereisanacronymthattheyliketouse,LGOP,thatsaysitall. LGOP stands for “littlegroups of paratroopers,” andis a core philosophy withinthe 82nd. It means that evenif there are no officers, andnothing but personalweapons, LGOPs are

expected to form, and fighttheir way to the objective.That determination is echoedin the Airborne war cry of“Alltheway!”

Operations:TheModernAirborne

Assault

Airborne operations, evenaftermorethansixdecadesofpractice and combatexperience, remain some ofthe most difficult anddangerous attempted byconventional military forces.Even amphibious operationsagainst a hostile shore arerelatively safe and simple bycomparison. Yet it is theever-looming threat of anairborneassaultthatgivesthetroops of units like the

American82ndAirborneandthe British 5th Paras suchcredibility with theiropponents. But just howwould such a mission beundertaken,andhowwoulditbeexecuted?The first element of any

airborneoperation is a crisis.A really bad one. A U.S.President only dispatchesairborneforcesfromthe82ndAirborneoroneoftheRanger

battalions if they are reallyserious about sending amessage and committingAmericaninterestsandforcesto a situation. This isespecially important, becausethe sending of an airbornetask force into a crisis areameansthatyouarecommittedto supporting them withfollow-on forces, or at leastbringing them homesometime in the future.Paratroops are basically just

light infantry, and are goingtoneedcontinuingsupport ineven low-intensity-combat(LIC)situations.Youalsoarecommitting your nation andAdministrationtoacourseofaction that may not bereversible. For this reason,presidents think long andhard before they send theword to launch the airborneonamission.A “chalk” of student

paratroops boards an AirForceC-130Herculespriortoa training jump at FortBenning,Georgia.JOHND.GRESHAM

President George Bushfaced such a decision onAugust 8th, 1990, when hedispatched the first elementsof various units to defendSaudiArabiainwhatbecameOperation Desert Shield.These units included F-15sfrom the 1st Tactical FighterWing,theUSSIndependence(CV-61) carrier battle group,Maritime Prepositioning

SquadronTwo(MPSRON-2),and the 7th MarineExpeditionary Brigade(MEB). But leading them allinto the desert north of theports, airfields, and oilfieldswastheready2ndBrigade(itwas then built around the325th Airborne InfantryRegiment) of the 82ndAirborne Division. Flown inon military and charteraircraft, they faced the Iraqisfor the first critical weeks,

while other Allied forcescameinbehindthem.For President Bush, the

decision to commit the 82ndwas thepointofnoreturn. IfIraqhadtriedtoinvadeSaudiArabia in those earlydays, itwould have been a thin lineof paratroopers andMarines,backed up by the limitedsupplyofairpowerofGeneralChuck Horner (then thecommander of the U.S.

Central Command AirForces, CENTAF). Whetheror not this thin line of unitscould have stopped an Iraqionslaught is still a point ofdiscussion among militaryanalysts today. But if theyhad failed, tens of thousandsof Americans would havebeen in jeopardy, with fewescape routes.Evennow, thetroopers from 2nd Brigadewho were first into SaudiArabia refer to themselvesas

the “speedbumps,” out of amorbid realization that theymighthavebeen just that forthe Iraqis. This lack offallbackoptions isoneof thethings that make airborneoperations so risky. If youcannot rapidly relieve,reinforce, resupply, orevacuate the airborne forces,theywilllikelybechoppedtopieces by superior enemyforces.7

This said, let us assumethat a crisis has erupted thatrequirestherapidinsertionofU.S. forces. The Presidentand the National CommandAuthorities have decided tocommit ground units to thescene, and time is of theessence. An aircraft carrierbattle group is headedtowards the confrontation.Marineunitsaremoving intothe area, with anMPSRON/MEBteammoving

up to reinforce them. It maytake days for the shipstransporting theMarines andthecarriergroup toarriveonthe scene. Several of theAirForce’s composite combatwings are standing by,waiting for a place to landandoperateinthecrisisarea.Unfortunately, no such baseyet exists. This is a situationwhere hours count, and theneed to show action to theworld is critical. What is

neededisanairbornestriketotake the airfield and portfacilities that will allow therest of the U.S. forces toarrive and stabilize thesituation.A call to the XVIII

AirborneHeadquartersatFortBragg, North Carolina, is allittakestogettheballrolling.Within minutes of receivingits own call from XVIIIAirborne Corps, the 82nd

Airborne Division issuesorders to the alert brigadewhichisstandingby.WhenIsay standing by, I mean thateveryone in the alert brigadeisonbaseorathome,onlyaphone call or beeper pageaway from being recalled.Only eighteen hours from a“cold” (i.e., no-notice) start,they can put the first combatelement of the division (areinforced airborneparachuteinfantrybattalion)intotheair.

With a bitmore notice, evenlarger units like an entirebrigadeorthewholedivisioncanbeairliftedatonceintoacombatzone.This is what occurred in

October of 1994, when allthree of the 82nd’s brigadeswereintheairsimultaneouslyduring Operation UpholdDemocracy. The plan hadbeen to have the 82nd takethe whole nation of Haiti

away from strongmanGeneral Raoul Cedras in asingle stroke from the sky.The lead elements of theairborne assault were onlyminutesfromthe“pointofnoreturn” when the finalnegotiations for theresignation and exile ofGeneral Cedras werecompleted by a team thatincluded former PresidentJimmy Carter, Senator SamNunn, and General Colin

Powell. This resulted in amassrecallandredeploymentof aircraft and personnel tosupport the peacekeepingmissionthatfollowed.Once the basic airborne

force is assembled, the nextissue is transportation. Willtheentrybeintoapermissive(military for “friendly”) orhostile environment? Theanswer to this questiondetermineshowfasttheforce

can be delivered. If thelanding area is “permissive,”then the airborne task forcecan be landed via charteredairliners and airlift aircraftwithout the need for aparachute drop. This is howthe 2nd Brigade arrived inSaudi Arabia in August of1990. All they needed wasthe international airport atDhahran, and a few hours tooff-load, organize, and headnorth into the desert.

Landingsintohostileterritoryare a bit more involved.Should the operation requirea forced entry, the airbornetask force would have tomake plans for a full-blownparachute assault into hostileterritory. This is a well-practiced, though risky,operation that requires thefull eighteen hours to pulltogether.However the task force

enters the operating area,transportation will be theresponsibilityof theU.S.AirForce’sfleetofairliftaircraft,drawn from theAirMobilityCommand’s C-130s, C-141s,C-5s,andC-17s.Asageneralrule, the C-130s are usedwhen the flying distance tothe crisis zone is within twothousandmiles.Thiswas thecase in 1989 when the U.S.invaded Panama duringOperation Just Cause. These

C-130s would likely consistof a mix of active duty, AirNational Guard, and USAFReserve aircraft, includingthoseofthe23rdWingbasedat nearby Pope AFB, NorthCarolina. Anything longerthan a short hop around thehemisphererequiresafleetoffour-engine jet transports.ThisisthespecialtyofAMC,which has forged a strongrelationshipwith the units ofXVIII Airborne Corps,

particularly the 82ndAirborne. AMC maintains areadypoolofthebigairlifterssuitable for the lifting of anairborne battalion task forceon eighteen hours’ noticefrom Pope AFB, NorthCarolina.Now, let us suppose that

the 82nd has put together anairborne task force(something between areinforced battalion or

brigade).TheairliftassetsareonthewaytoPopeAFB,andyouarewaiting togetgoing.Even before the firstparatroopers load onto thetransport aircraft, there willbeahugeamountofplanningand preparation going on.Assuming that a parachuteassault is required, theairborne task forcecommanderisgoingtoneedaplace to land. That place iscalled a drop zone (DZ).

There are many issuesinvolved in theselectionofaproper DZ, all of whichrequire a bit of subjectivejudgmentandanalysisby thetask force staff. You need tolookforapieceofclearland,at least a mile long. Therequired size for a DZ isdictatedmostlybythekindofaircraft dropping theparatroops. Obviously, a C-130 dropping thirty to fortytrooperscanuseashorterDZ

than a C-141, which carriesover a hundred. The DZshould also be clear of trees,brush, and large rocks. Inaddition, the DZ has to bedefensible, because it willbecome the entry point forfollow-on reinforcements,equipment, and supplies.Muchas theMarines fight totake and hold a beachhead,theparatroopersneedtoworkhard to establish what theycallan“airhead.”

ThemorepopularkindsofDZs include airfields andinternational airports. Theseareuseful forairborne forcesbecause they are perfectlyclear, easy to find, and canprovide an excellent fly-inentry point for supplies andreinforcements. Thedownside of trying to takesuchafacility,though,isthatthebadguysinthecrisisareaalready know this, and willlikely defend such

installationsquitevigorously.This is what happened whenthe German 7thFallschirmjäger Divisionattacked Maleme Airfieldduring the invasion of Cretein 1941. The Britishdefenders put up stiffresistance, and almost wonthe battle. Only a near-suicidal commitment ofreinforcementFallschirmjägers andtransport aircraft allowed the

Germans to prevail. TheCrete invasion tore the gutsout of the GermanFallschirmjäger force, andtaught everyone else in thebusiness some valuablelessons. One other littleproblem: Runways are lousyplaces to land paratroopersbecause the hard surfacescause landing injuries. A lotof the paratroopers whojumpedintoGrenadain1983wound up breaking legs and

sprainingbacksandanklesonthe hard surface of therunway at Port Salinas.WhatevertheDZ,though,theparatroopers have a basicphilosophy of dropping ontop of their objectiveswhenever it is possible. Thiswasalessonthatwaslearnedthehardwayduringairborneoperations in Europe back inWorld War II. For thisreason, paratroopers know totakewhat theywant quickly,

andgetrelievedfast.Once you have picked out

a DZ, the next problem ismaking sure that it is a safeplace to drop onto. Thismeans getting eyes onto theground nearby. Fortunately,the Army has a number ofpersonnel,fromspecialforcesand Ranger units to the82nd’s ownpathfinders,whocanscoutaDZandmakesureit is a good place to land.

Should a DZ prove suitable,then there is the problem ofmakingsurethatthetransportplanes with their loads ofpersonnel, equipment, andsupplies can actually find it.Most airborne operationsthese days take place underthe coverofdarkness, and inweatherconditionsthatwouldbeconsideredinsanebysomeprofessional soldiers. DuringOperation Royal Dragon (alarge joint international

training exercise at FortBragg) in 1996, all of theinitial drops took place inheavy fog and rain. Despitethis, injuries were few andnot one fatality was sufferedby the over five thousandBritish and Americanparatroopers who took part.One of the reasons for thissuccess is the array ofnavigation and homingequipment carried by thepathfinders to mark the DZs

for the transport crews. Thecoming of GPS-basednavigation aids may makeground-basedbeaconsathingof the past. For the next fewyears,though,thepathfinderswill still need to be on theground waiting to guide theparatroopersintotheDZ.Back at Fort Bragg, the

troopers of the first fly-outunit are sequestered into aspecial holding area prior to

being bused over to PopeAFB.Herethetroopersspendtheir time preparingequipment, and themselvesmentally, for what is ahead.When the time to load upcomes, they board buseswhichtakethemovertowhatis called “Green Ramp” atPopeAFB.This is a holdingarea at one end of the fieldwhich is equipped withspecial benches for thetroopers to sit onwith all of

their equipment andparachutesloaded.TheGreenRamp facility is not terriblygreen, and is decidedlydecrepit,withconcrete floorsand a few soft-drinkmachines and waterfountains. However, for thetroopers of the 82nd, itfrequently is the lastpieceofAmerica that they see beforeadeployment.Whentheloadorderfinally

comes, the troopers are linedup into what are called“chalks” (lines of paratroopsassigned to each aircraft).They start checking eachother’s gear (something theywill do continuously untilthey jump), and then waddleout to their transports.Frequently, an averagetrooperwillbecarryingupto150 lb/68.2 kg, of gear andwatching them is likewatching elephants march.

They are loaded aboard insuch a way that severalplatoons or companies arespreadamongseveralaircraftinaformation.Thus,thelossofanysingleaircraftwillnotwipe out a particular unit, orkeepanobjectivefrombeingtaken. It alsomakes formingupafterthedropeasier,sincedifferent units can be placeddown the length of the DZmoreeasily.Onceloaded,thetransports are quickly

launched, so that others canbe loaded and staged. GreenRamp holds perhaps acompany or two at a time,and moving the troopersthrough quickly is vital tokeeping the airborne assaultonschedule.Once they are airborne, it

cantakeuptoeighteenhoursfor the task force to get totheirtargetsiftheflighttothetarget area is located

somewhere like SouthwestAsia. Flights to CentralAmerica might take a fewhours,aswasthecaseduringthe Panama operation in1989.For the troopers, it isadecidedly unpleasantexperience. The oldertransports like the C-130Eand C-141B have fairlynarrow cargo compartments,and the paratroopers sit withtheir legs interlocked. Facingeach other in two sets of

rows, they continue to checkeach other’s equipment, andtry to get some rest. Whenthey are about thirtyminutesto target, the transport crewstighten up their formations,whicheachhavethreeaircraftin an inverted V (called a“vic”)alignment.Thevarious“vic” formations are formedinto a stream, with about amile separating each trio oftransport aircraft. While inclose formation, the aircraft

crews use special station-keeping instruments tomaintain formation andspacingsothatthechancesofmidair collisions betweenparatroopers (and aircraft!)willbeminimized.At about tenminutes prior

to jump, the loadmaster andjumpmaster in the rear ofeachaircrafthavethetroopersstand up and begin to checktheir equipment. The

jumpmaster orders thetrooperstohookupthestaticlines from their chutes, andthe jumpdoorsonbothsidesoftheaircraftareopened.Thejumpmaster, an experiencedparatrooper with specialtraining,stickshisheadoutofone door and begins to lookfor the DZ and various locallandmarks(suchas lakesandroads). About this time, theheavy equipment of theairborne task force will be

dropped. Virtually everyairborne task force packagecurrently on the books withthe 82nd has both heavyweaponsand105mmartillerypieces included to provide aheavyfirepowerpunchasthetroopers fight their way offthe DZ. Since the first fewminutes of the assault willalwaysbethetimeofgreatestdanger to the paratroops, thepresenceofmachinegunsandmissiles, and the boom of

friendly artillery, can dowonders for the troops’moraleandespritastheystarttheirfighttotheobjectives.When the DZ comes into

sight of the jumpmaster, thecommand “Stand in thedoor!” is given to the rearparatrooperoneachside,whothen passes it up the line.When the green (“jump”)light comes on, thejumpmaster begins to order

the paratroopers out the doorwithaloud“Go!”onceeverysecond from each door. Thismeans thatevenaC-141canunload over a hundredparatroopers in less than aminute,andtransitlessthanamile down the DZ. First outthe door isalways the seniorofficer, even if it is thedivision or airborne corpscommander. The jump done,theplanesbankforhome,andanother load of troopers,

equipment, or supplies.Meanwhile, as the troopersbegin to hit the ground, theyimmediately get theirpersonal weaponsoperational, even before theyhave a chance to get out oftheir harnesses. Everymemberofthe82ndhasbeenindoctrinatedwith the legendoftheparatrooperunit,whichfell into the square at SainteMereEglise early onD-Day.When their C-47s overshot

theirassignedDZ,onewholecompanycamedownintothemiddle of the town, andwasmassacred by the Germangarrisonastheystruggledoutof their chutes. Therefore,getting armed and dangerousis always the first order ofbusiness for the airbornetroopers.Once the troopers have

cleared their harnesses andgotten their gear together,

theytrytoassembleintotheirassignedunits.Thisisusuallyfairly easy, as they just headback up to the “top” of theDZ, where their unit leadersshould be waiting. Once thisis done, the next thing thathastobedoneistomakesurethat the DZ is secure anddefended. From there, thetroopers immediately moveout to their objectives. Evenif the drop has gone poorlyandthetaskforceisscattered,

itisexpectedthatLGOPswillformup,protect theDZ, anddrive to the objective nomatterwhatthecost.Assoonas the objectives are taken,the airborne battle transitionsto the “hold until relieved”phase. Though airbornecommanders would tell youthat they intend to keepattacking whenever possible,they are realists. Once theobjectiveshavebeentaken,itonly makes good sense to

insurethatyoukeepwhatyouhavepaidinbloodtotake.Inanycase,thejobofdoingtheheavyworkinthecrisismustnecessarilypass tounitswithbetter logistical capabilitiesand more “teeth” than whatcan be dropped out ofairplanes.The relieving unitscan come frommany places.They may be Marines,coming ashore from anamphibious unit, or flying intomeetupwithequipmentin

a port from one of theMPSRONs.Alternatively,thefollow-on forces might beone of the light infantrydivisions, flown on AMCtransports. It might even bethe 82nd’s sister division inthe XVIII Airborne Corps,the legendary “ScreamingEagles” of the 101st AirAssaultDivision.Whoever itis, though, it will be in theinterests of all to get theairborne forces relieved and

backtoFortBraggassoonaspractical. The 82nd is theonly division-sized airborneunit in theU.S.military, andthereisnobackup.Therefore,look for the NationalCommand Authorities to doin the future what they havedone in the past: return the82nd as quickly as it can berelieved. The 82nd is thatvaluable.NowIwant to takeyouona

tourofthe82ndAirborne.Itsequipment,people, roles,andmissions. Along the way,we’regoing to introduceyouto some of the fine peoplethat make this one ofAmerica’s premier crisis-response units. You’ll alsoget toknowsomethingaboutwhat it takes to become anairbornetrooper,andtoservein the eighteen-week cyclethatdominatesthelivesofthe82nd’spersonnel.Mostofall,

you will be getting to knowone of the most heavilytaskedmilitaryunitsinrecentU.S. history. If America hasgone there, the 82nd hasusuallybeenleadingtheway.Into Grenada during UrgentFury.HelpinginvadePanamaduringJustCause.DefendingSaudiArabia in 1990 as partof Desert Shield, andattacking into Iraq duringDesert Storm.Most recently,they took part in the near-

invasion and subsequentpeacekeeping mission inHaiti.The82ndwasthereforall of these, and will be thecountry’s spearhead in thefuture.

DragonLeader:AnInterviewwith

LieutenantGeneralJohnM.Keane,USA

At Fort Bragg, NorthCarolina, there is a beautifuloldbuildingthatisastudyincontrasts.Itlookslikeaturn-of-the-century mansion,

surrounded by carefullytrimmed lawns, hedges, andflower beds, and issurrounded by the homes ofthe senior officers on post.Then you notice what is outof place. A small forest ofantennae seems to grow outof the roof, and enoughsatellite dishes to make TedTurner envious are scatterednearby. You might evenguess that this is someplacethatispluggedintowatchthe

world. If so, you would bemore correct than you couldever know. That is becauseyou have just found theheadquarters building of theU.S.Army’sXVIIIAirborneCorps, America’s busiestcombatunit.BasedatFortBragg,North

Carolina, where it shares thepost with the 82nd AirborneDivision, XVIII AirborneCorps’variousunitshavehad

apieceofalmosteverymajormilitary operation since itscreation just after theNormandy invasion in 1944.Back then, the corps wascommandedby the legendaryLieutenant General MatthewRidgway.Itwascomposedofthe 82nd and 101st AirborneDivisions, and was gettingready for a shot atdestiny inthepoldercountryofHollandand the frosty forests of theArdennes. Today, XVIII

Airborne Corps is composedoffourfulldivisions,andhasover forty percent of theArmy’s total combat strengthon tap. Each of the fourdivisions (the 3rdMechanized Infantry, 10thMountain, 82nd Airborne,and 101st Air Assault) isdifferent,andthisdiversityisas intriguing as the overallmissionof thecorpsitself: tobe America’s crisis responseforceinreadiness.

Much like theNavy/Marine MEU (SOC)s,the units of XVIII AirborneCorpsaredesignedtorapidlyinterveneinacrisisanywherein the world that Americanmilitaryforceisrequired.Thedifference is that unlike theMEU (SOC)s, which areforward-deployed aboardAmphibious Ready Groups(ARGs) and have to berotatedeveryfewmonths,theunits of XVIII Airborne

Corps are home-based in theUnited States, and designedfor rapid deploymentoverseas.This matter of continental

U.S. basing has both plusesand minuses for the units ofthe corps. It means that theycan be division-sized forceswith real mass and combatpower behind them, unlikethe battalion-sized MEU(SOC)s.Thisalsomeans that

they are, man-for-man,cheaper to operate andmaintain compared toforward-deployed or sea-basedunits.Thedownsideofhomebasingisfairlyobvious,though: The corps is here inAmericawhenacrisisbeginsoverseas. To get around this,each of the units has beeneither designed for rapiddeployment overseas, orgiven special arrangementswith the units of the U.S.

Transportation Command(USTRANSCOM) for thenecessary resources to makethem mobile in a crisis. Atoneextreme,thisincludesthe82ndAirborneDivisionbeingable to put a full combat-readybattalionintotheairfordelivery anywhere in theworld in less than eighteenhours.Ontheotherendofthespectrum is the mighty 3rdMechanized InfantryDivision, which has priority

with the Navy’s fleet of fastsealift ships, and can put aheavy armored brigadeanywhere with a port withintwo to three weeks.Deployability is the name ofthe game for the soldiers ofXVIII Airborne Corps, andthey have worked hard tomake the game winnable forAmerica. This deployabilityhas made them the busiestcollectionofunitsintheU.S.military, especially since the

end of the Vietnam War.Their list of battle streamersincludes almost every actionfought by U.S. forces sincethat time. Grenada, Panama,the Persian Gulf, and Haitiwere all actions which wereledbyXVIIIAirborneCorps.IfyoudrivedownI-95into

thebeautifulpine forestsandsand hills of North Carolina,you eventually find the townof Fayetteville. This quiet

Southerntownisthebedroomcommunity that sits outsidethe busiest Army base inAmerica. As you enter thepost, the history of the placewashes over you as soon asyou look at the street signs.Names like Bastogne,Normandy, and Nijmegenflash at you, all names ofclassicairborneactions.Near thecenterof thepost

complex is the XVIII

AirborneCorpsheadquarters.As you enter the securitysection of the headquartersbuilding, you are struck bytheimageofthecorpsbadge:a powerful blue dragon on awhite background. It is abeautiful insignia, and oneworthyofandappropriateforthe collection of units underthe corps’ command. Up onthe second floor is thecommanding general’s warmpaneledoffice,whichreeksof

the six decades of serviceXVIII Airborne Corps hasrendered to the country andthe world. Battle streamershang in the dozens from theflag-pole in the corner, andthere isa feelingofpower inthe room. This is furtherenhanced by the reputationsofsomeofthemenwhohaveoccupied the office. Recentcommanders have includedGeneralGaryLuck,whotooktheCorpstothePersianGulf

in 1990, and then fought itthere in 1991. The lastcommander, General HughShelton, currently commandsthe U.S. Special OperationsCommand at MacDill AFB,Florida,wherehecontrolsthenation’s force of “snakeeaters.” Today, though, thepostofXVIIIAirborneCorpscommander is occupied by aman who is making his ownmark on this office,Lieutenant General John M.

Keane.John Keane is a strong

man, over six feet tall. Butdon’t let the physicalattributes of this powerfulman confuse you. A careerparatrooper and infantryman,he has spent the bulk of hislife within the units of theXVIII Airborne Corps. Let’smeethim.

Lieutenant General JohnKeane, USA. General KeaneisthecommanderoftheU.S.

XVIIIAirborneCorps.OFFICIAL U.S. ARMYPHOTO

Tom Clancy: Could youplease tell us a little aboutyour background and Armycareer?

GeneralKeane:IgrewupinNew York City, right in

midtown Manhattan. Notmany people think ofManhattanasaplacetolive.Iwas born and grew up there,as did my wife. I attendedFordham University andgraduated in 1966. While atthe University, I joined theArmy ROTC [ReserveOfficer Training Corps]program.

Tom Clancy: What made

you want to choose themilitaryasacareer?

General Keane: AtFordham,Iwasexposedearlyto theROTC program, and Ijust liked the people whowere in it. I was in thePershingRifles,whichwas amilitary fraternity, and likedthe people who were part ofit.Perhapsthedecidingfactorwas that most of the people

involved in the militaryprogramsatFordhamseemedtomealittlebitmorematureand had a better sense ofdirection than the averagecollege student that I wasdealing with. We also had anumber of students who hadreturned to school while inthe military and had someverygoodthingstosayaboutit. So I stayed with it, andcame into my first unit, the82nd Airborne Division, in

1966.ThenIwasassignedtothe101stAirborne.

Tom Clancy: You seem tohave spent much of yourcareeraroundXVIIIAirborneCorps. Is that a fairstatement?

GeneralKeane: In terms of

units in the[XVIIIAirborne]corps,IguessI’vehadtenortwelvedifferenttypesofjobsand assignments with it. Istarted with a platoon in the82nd, then was a platoonleader and companycommander in the 101st inVietnam, and a brigadecommanderandchiefofstaffwith the 10th MountainDivision at Fort Drum, NewYork. Later I was chief ofstaffand[had]assortedother

jobs here at XVIII AirborneCorpsforGaryLuckwhenhecommanded [post-DesertStorm], and finally [was]division commander of the101st Airborne (Air Assault)Division at Fort Campbell,Kentucky, for thirty-threemonths. That’s three of thefour divisions in the corps,and that experience has beenvery valuable tome. It givesme an inside perspective onthe capabilities of those

different organizations, aswellasacertaincomfort thatI might not have had I notbeen a part of them at onetime.

TomClancy:Whatdrewyoutoward the airborne careertrackwhenyoucameintotheArmy?

General Keane: When IjoinedtheArmy,theairbornewere, not too surprisingly,our [countryʼs] elite soldiers,with a reputation foroutstanding non-commissioned officers[NCOs], a high standard ofdiscipline, and a lot of espritandmotivation.IknewthatIwanted to be an infantryofficer,soIliketothinkthatI

was quite naturally attractedto the airborne as a result ofallthat.

Like many other young

Army officers of his time,JackKeanegothisbaptismincombat in the cauldron ofVietnam.Assignedasajuniorofficer to the 2ndBattalion/502nd Infantry

Regiment of the 101stAirborne Division, he saw asomewhat differentwar fromthat of other young officers.Unlike so many of them, helearnedsomepositivelessonsinthebattlesofVietnam.

TomClancy: What was lifeas a young officer like foryouintheArmy?

GeneralKeane: To be withthe 101st inVietnam, I haveto say that our soldiers, ourleaders, and our NCOs wereall committed to the mission...wewere all in it together.We had a sense of duty, andwere very much a part ofwhatweweredoing.Wehada sense of pride associatedwith our actions, and weknew that we were doing apretty good job. Thatorganization [the 101st] was

feared by the enemy, and Idon’t remember a singlediscipline problem that I hadwithasoldier,otherthanoneguywhokeptfallingasleepatnight on his position. Quitefrankly, the other soldiers inhisunitjusttookcareofthat,because he was threateningtheirlivesaswellashisown.Theygotwithhimandmadeit clear innouncertain termsthathehadtogetwith itandthat he was letting them

down. That was the kind oforganizationthatwehad.The101st’s soldiers weredisciplined and theyresponded to our orders verywell.

Tom Clancy: What lessonsdid you bring out of yourpersonal Vietnam experiencethat are important to youtoday?

General Keane: A numberof things actually. Numberone is the value of our forceof NCOs in maintaining ourhigh standards and beingresponsible for the traininganddisciplineofoursoldiers.Another is that leaders haveto lead from the front, juniorleaders particularly. Seniorleaders as well on occasionhave to demonstrate their

capacity to share in thephysical dangers that arefaced by their soldiers. Thatwas the kind of organizationthat Iwasaroundat the timeofVietnam.

In addition,I became atraining zealotas a result ofVietnam. Idon’t thinkthat we were

aswell trainedas we couldhave andshould havebeen. I foundmyself, as ayoung officer,training anorganizationwhileitwasincombat.Putting outsecurity andpracticing

varioustechniquesandprocedureswhile Iwas inacombatzone.Part of thatwas driven bythe flawedpolicy ofindividualpersonnelreplacement. Itended upcausing too

muchturbulence inourorganizationswith peoplecoming andgoing all thetime. It wasalsocompoundedby the one-year tour ofduty versus along-term

personnelcommitment.8As a result,some of thepersonneldecisions andlessons stayedwith me.Another thingis that from apolicyperspective,youneedtoset

specific goalsandobjectives,and then goafter thosegoals andobjectives.Also, makesure that thesegoals are clearso theAmericanpeople knowwhat they are.Present those

goals andobjectives tothem,get theirsupport, useoverwhelmingcombat power,and follow themission tocompletion.

Todaytheunitcommanded

by General Keane is a verydifferent animal from that

commanded by GeneralRidgway in1944.Back then,XVIII Airborne Corps wascomposed of only twodivisions and was limited toparachuting and airdroppingforces within a few hundredmiles of its bases. Today, ithas four divisions, 85,000personnel, and a globalmission with seven-leagueboots. Let’s let GeneralKeanetellusaboutit.

Tom Clancy: XVIIIAirborne Corps, which youcommand, is a rather specialunit from a missionperspective. Would youpleaselayoutthatmissionforus?

General Keane: It certainly

is a rather uniqueorganization, not only in theU.S. Army but in all of thearmed services. XVIIIAirborne Corps’ mission isstrategicresponse/crisisforce,deployable by air, land,and/or sea. From there theCorps’ job is to fight andwin! Actually, it is a prettysimplemission.On the otherhand, though, ourorganization probably makesasmuchofastatementabout

who and what we do as themission itself. To be able toaccomplish the kinds ofmissionswedotakesa lotofdifferent skills andcapabilities. Usually,whenever there is an armed[American] responserequired, we’re involved.That’s been our history andour legacy. We have neverfailed the American people,andweneverwill.

Lieutenant General JohnKeane, the CommandingGeneral of the U.S. XVIIIAirborne Corps (center) andGeneralGary Luck (right) atGeneral Luck’s retirementceremony.OFFICIAL U.S. ARMYPHOTO

Asfarasthemission itself,when youbreakitallout,we really dotwo kinds ofoperationshere at XVIIIAirborneCorps.Wecandolotsofotherthings, but we

specialize intwo majortypes ofmissions. Oneis a forced-entryoperation,which meansthat theenemysituationorthehostilegovernmentwill not allowus to make a

“permissive”entry into theterritory inquestion. TheU.S. NationalCommandAuthorities[NCAs: thePresident,Secretary ofDefense, theJointChiefsofStaff, etc.]currently hold

threecapabilities todo suchforcible-entryoperations.One is aparachuteassault, thesecond is anair assault(helicopter-borne),andthethird is anamphibious

operationfromthe sea.Obviously theMarine Corpsis thecenterpiecefortheamphibious-type assaults,and XVIIIAirborneCorpsprovidesthe units forthe parachute

and airassaults.In these

missions wecan act as aJoint TaskForce [JTF, amulti-servicemilitaryforce],orasapartofa JTF. Assuch, we trainmore with our

sisterorganizations[Navy, MarineCorps,andAirForce] thanany otherorganizationintheU.S.Army.Theamountofwork that wehave donewith the otherservices overthe years has

grown andmatured. It’sfriendlycooperation.Given thepotentiallevelsoffightingthatare possible,we areinterested inonethingonly,and that isaccomplishingthe mission

with theminimum lossof life. Assuch, we haveno time downhere for inter-servicerivalries. Weonlyhavetimeto get the jobdone, workingwith others ifthat is thebestway. Each

servicecomponentbrings, inmany cases,uniquecapabilitiesthatwhiletheyare importanttothat service,can achieve acertainsynergy whenyou bringthem together

with those ofthe otherservices. Italso give ushereadditionalcapabilitieswhich canproveoverwhelmingwhen dealingwith anenemy,aswellas helpingprovideamore

rapidresolution to acombatsituation. The“joint”business [withother servicesand allies] iswhat we dohere in XVIIIAirborneCorps.On the flip

side, our otherspecializedmission is tooperate as aU.S. Armycorps in thefield, which isthe foundationunit of largeArmywarfightingorganizations.Thisishowweorganize and

operate ourdivisions andother unitsunder a three-star[LieutenantGeneral]commander.Our historytells us thatnormallywhenwedothat,theUnited Statesand our allies

areprobablyina relativelylarge conflictlike we werein DesertStorm,fighting anarmy on adeployedbattlefield.Wecould seeourselvesdoing thatback in

SouthwestAsia orsomedayperhaps inKorea. In anycase, these arethe two waysin which theXVIIIAirborneCorpspackagesitself, and ineach instance

it is a littledifferent.

Tom Clancy: In addition tothe more traditional combatroles, XVIII Airborne Corpshas developed quite areputation in the areas ofpeacekeeping andhumanitarian operations overthe last few years. Tell usaboutit,willyou?

GeneralKeane:Theseshort-of-war operations are just asimportanttousasourcombatones, because they bringstability to countries andareas that may be strugglingwith famine such as inSomalia,oralackofpoliticalstability such as weencountered in Haiti. Themission that XVIII AirborneCorps received in both cases

wastoprovidesomestabilityto those countries and theirpeople. The corps is ideallysuited for that kind ofmission,because itcanmoverapidly,andwecantailorourforces to the particularmission of the moment. Inaddition,wehaveahistoryofdealing with battlefields thatare not conventional in thesensethatoursoldiershavetoconstrain theiruseofcombatpower and deadly force. In

addition, we recognize thevalue of civil affairs andpsychological warfareoperations on that kind ofbattlefield.

XVIIIAirborneCorps alsouses specialoperationsforces [SOFs]extensively. Infact, no other

unitintheU.S.Army usesSOFs inconcert withits mission tothedegree thatwe do. Weplan for theiruse all thetime, workwith themregularlyduring trainingexercises, and

they are ofenormousvalue to us.SOFs provideus withknowledge ofthe countrywe’reoperating in,break downculturalbarriers forus,give us thecapability to

have valuablehumanintelligence[HUMINT]resources outto greatdistances fromthe front, andprovide usresources fordirect-action[covert]missionsshould that be

required, onthe ground,sea, or in theair.Ithinkthatwe understandtheircapabilities,and have ahistory oftakingadvantage oftheir specialtalents andskills, and

using themproperly.Conversely, Ithink that theyhaveconfidence inour abilities toproperly usethem.Thisisaspecialconcern ofSOFs, becauseof theirtraditional

worries aboutconventionalforce leaderspossiblymisusingthem. I thinkthat XVIIIAirborneCorps hasproven thatthis is not thecase.We havevery closerelations with

them.Remember, alot of ourofficers andleaders haveservedinboth.

Much like the United

States Marines, the troopersof XVIII Airborne Corpsproudlyweartheirberetswitha “can-do” spirit and apowerfulsenseofhistory.Let

the general explain it in hisownwords,aswellas tellingsome more about hiscommand.

TomClancy:Isitfairtosaythat ifXVIIIAirborneCorpshas a spirit or ethos, that ithasderivedfromtheairborneunits and their history/traditions?

GeneralKeane: I think thatthe airborne ethos is as goodan expression of the pride,esprit, and high standards ofdiscipline that you findthroughout the XVIIIAirborneCorps.Theairbornecertainlysetastandardforusandourarmyforsuchthings.The corps clearly has aspecialspiritandcapability.

TomClancy:You commanda unique mix of units inXVIIIAirborneCorps.Couldyou tell us something abouteachofthem?

General Keane: We havefour divisions in the XVIIIAirborne Corps, out of onlyten divisions in the entire

U.S.Army,andeachofthemis different. We have fourbasictypesofdivisionsintheArmy (armored/mechanized,airborne,airassault,andlightinfantry), and one of eachtype is in this corps. That isby design, not by accident.That variety gives us theversatility to organize andpackage those units basedupon our mission, theintentionsandorganizationofour enemies, and the overall

political and militaryobjectives that we have toachieve.

Youcanseethat packagingmanifested indeploymentslike DesertShield/Storm,where wepretty muchpackaged upthe entire

corpsand tookit to the SaudiArabiandesert, andactually hadotherunitslikethe French 6thInfantry and3rd ArmoredCavalryRegimentattached. Nowcontrast thatwith a quite

differentorganizationthat we puttogether forOperation JustCause [the1989 invasionof Panama].There, weoperated aspart of a JointTask Force[JTF], wherewe used some

of our ownunits[the82ndAirborne], andwe alsobrought inspecialoperationforces, as wellas the Navy,Marine Corps,andAirForce.We work wellwith thoseorganizations,

andpackage/tailorour forcesbased on thetype ofconflict thatwe encounter,as well as theterrain.Ourcorps is

85,000personnelstrong, which

isaformidableforce in itself.It has fourdivisions (3rdMechanizedInfantry, 10thMountain(Light), 82ndAirborne, and101st AirAssault) thatmake up50,000 of the85,000

personnel onstrength. Theother 35,000areassignedtothe thirteenseparate[attached]brigades.Certainly intheU.S.Army,there is noparallel forthat typeof anorganization,

with thatparticularmission, andalso with theenormousversatility thatwe bring tobear. Now,withregardstothe individualunits, let’s runthemdown:82nd

AirborneDivision (the“AllAmericans”).Theyrepresenta completelyuniquecapability asthe onlyparachutedivision in theU.S. Army. Itis a strategicresponse force

in the sensethat from thetime that theyreceive analert order,withineighteen hoursthey canbeginmovement tovirtually anyplace in theworld. That isa formidablecapability, and

it is clearly aninstrumentthatthe NCAshave at theirfingertips touse. I dobelieve that itis also adeterrenceforce as well,because itscapabilitiesarewell known.Anycountryis

very rapidlyapproachableby the 82nd,and theyknowthat we havetheaircraftandresources toget oursoldiers andtheirequipmentthere veryquickly. The82nd,probably

more than anyother divisionin our Army,sends amessage whenit is deployed.When wecommit the82nd, it’s anexpression ofthe politicalwill of thenation. It’salso a

statement toanybody whois involved orobserving thatthe UnitedStates isreallyserious. Theyhave just puttheir best ontheir airplanes,and they arecoming!One

interestingthingaboutthe82nd, though.When peoplethink of the82nd, theycertainly thinkof theparatrooperswith theirrifles, packs,and machineguns. But it’smuch more

than that.When the82nd goessomeplace, ittakes lots ofcombat powerwith it. Wedeliverparachuteartillery withthem, alongwith airdefensesystems,

command andcontrolvehicles, andall the otherinstruments ofwar the 82ndneeds todo itsbusiness. Thisgives them alot of combatpower uponarrival!101st Air

AssaultDivision (the“ScreamingEagles”).Anotheruniqueorganization,oneof the twospecializeddivisions inthe XVIIIAirborneCorps and ourArmy. Like

the 82nd, itwas born outof the historyof theairborneand its richtradition. Itstill has thesame espritand spirit thatit has alwayshad.Itsspecialcapability isthat it cantake, within a

theater ofoperations(like thePersian Gulfor theBalkans),brigade-sizedtaskforcesandmovethemoutto distances ofup to 93mi/150 kmahead of theforward lines,

and do itwithin hours.It’s the onlyorganizationofthiskindintheworld that cando somethinglike that.During DesertStorm, theymoved 155mi/250 kmdeep into Iraqin just twenty-

four hours, amaneuver thattoday is stillbeing studiedby militaryacademicians.It was anincredibleperformance.How theywere able tomove so far,so fast, intothe northwest

part of theArea ofOperations[AOR] is stilla marvel tomost folks.Then GeneralSchwarzkopfordered themwithinadayorso to move toBasra, over onthe easternside of the

AOR, flyingacross corpsand divisionsto accomplishthe task.Making alateral moveofthissortwasunheard of inmilitaryoperations.Since theyoperateindependentof

the tyranny ofterrain, theirmobility givesthem anenormouscapability.Itisa very flexibleorganization,and withseventy-twoAH-64Apacheattackhelicopters aspart of their

organization,they pack onehell of awallop!10th

MountainDivision(Light).9 The10thMountainDivisionisourfoot-infantrydivision. Ourlightest force,

andsmallestinterms ofpersonnel andequipment,evencomparedto the 82nd.By way ofcomparison,the 10thMountain has8,700personnelcomparedwith15,000 for the

82nd and17,000 for the101st. Those8,700 soldiersare splitbetween a pairof foot-infantrybrigades witha very highleader-to-ledratio,notmuchof a logisticsor sustainment

basecomparedto our otherdivisions, andvery fewvehicles andaircraft. Theideabehindallthis is to beabletoquicklymove them toa theater ofoperations,conductingeither a

permissive[i.e.,unopposed]entry, or aspart of afollow-onforce to aforced entry.The 10thMountainDivision hasbeen deployedquiteabitoverthe past few

years,participatinginpeacekeepingoperations inSomalia anddisaster reliefoperationsfollowingHurricaneAndrew, andthe primaryforce duringOperationUphold

Democracy inHaiti. In fact,since the endof the GulfWar in 1991,theyhavebeenthe busiestinfantryorganizationinthewholeU.S.Army.3rd

Mechanized

InfantryDivision(Formerlythe24thMechanizedInfantryDivision atFort Stewart,Georgia). The3rdMechanizedInfantryDivision[MID] is a

typicalarmored force,what we refertoasa“heavy”division. Theyrepresent rawcombat powerwhenyouneedan iron fist. Infact, they arethe largestsuch unit inthe Armytoday. They

have 250M1A1Abramstanks alone,with hundredsof otherarmoredvehicles likeM⅔ Bradleyfightingvehicles andother systems.In and ofthemselves,the 3rd MID

wouldhavenoproblemutterlydestroying twoor threeequivalentlyorganizedunits, giventheirtechnologicaland trainingadvantagesandovermatches.

This isespecially trueusing sensors,night-fightingcapabilities,and rawfirepower.2nd

ArmoredCavalryRegiment(ACR)—Based at Fort

Polk,Louisiana, thisis a lightarmoredcavalryregimentcurrentlyundergoing areview of itsorganizationandequipment.Presently, 2ndACR’scavalry

squadrons aresupported bytheir ownorganicartillery andengineers.This is a veryflexible unitcapable ofrapiddeployment, itwas a majorcontribution toour success in

the Haitioperation.Attached

CorpsBrigades.Alongwiththemajorcomponentunits, we havethirteenseparateattached corpsbrigades. They

include amilitaryintelligence[MI] brigade,whichgivesusan enormouscapabilityonadaily basis toreach into thenationalintelligenceassets, andalso to supplyintelligence

products todeployedoperationsoverseas.Obviously,this unit hasthe capabilityto tie into allthe variousplatforms,agencies, andsystems,manned andunmanned,

that supplyintelligence atall levels. TheMIbrigadehasthe necessarydownlinks totheirheadquarters,andwecanseeall of this datareal-time. It’sanextraordinarycapability,

though someof what wehave now wedid not haveduring DesertStorm andsome of ourother earlieroperations.This

improvementin our MIcapability has

alottodowiththe criticismsof GeneralSchwarzkopfand othersenior leadersfollowing theGulf War.Rememberthat back thenour fieldcommandersand units didnot have

access to thefull variety oftacticalintelligenceproducts,particularlythose fromnational-levelsources. Sincethen, theintelligenceagencies andtheDepartment of

Defense[DoD] haveworkedhardtomake that[information]availabletous.Not only topush it out tous, but also togive us thecapability topull on it aswell,rightintoour operations

centers withinthe XVIIIAirborneCorps.Wecandisplay lots ofthatinformationreal-time inour operationscenter, andprovide thatintelligenceinformation toour units.This

is a verypowerfulorganizationinterms of whatit can provideto us in bothbasicinformationandintelligencedata. Inaddition, theyprovide arobust

analyticalcapability totakeinformationand data, andthen turn itintosomethingthat is usefulfor our fieldcommandersandunits.In the

artillery

business,we’ve gotunits equippedwith both tubeartillery andthe M270MultipleLaunchRocketSystem[MLRS],firing bothrocketsandtheArmy TacticalMissile

Systems [A-TACMS]. Sowehavelotsofrocketartillery, inaddition totube artillery.We also havetwo AH-64Apachebattalions inthe XVIIIAirborneCorps aviation

brigade, aswell as all theotherhelicoptersnecessary forustomoveandsupport oursoldiers on thebattlefield.The corps alsohas an entireair-defensebrigade withPatriot and

Avenger/Stingersurface-to-airmissile [SAM]systems.There’s alsoan entireengineeringbrigade insupport of thecorps, with anumber ofdifferent andspecializedbattalionsinit.

Those are thecombatsupportorganizationsthat keep usfunctional,along with thelogistics units.In fact, thetoughest partofourbusinessmay belogistics.

No otherarmy in theworld is doingwhat we dowith thenumbers ofpeople andthings that wedeploy. So thecapability wehave toorganizeourselves anddo that, to use

airlift as wellassealift,takeslogisticians ofthe Army andthe otherservices,anditisanenormousundertaking.Then tosustain thatarmy in thefieldisanotherthingentirely.

We asAmericanssortof take it forgranted thatwe are takingan army, inmanycases, toan immature[i.e.,undeveloped]theater ofoperations,where fromtheminutethat

we arrive wecannot evendrink thewater!Andyeteverybody inthat army hasto drink tosurvive. Theyalso have toeat in a placewherethefoodmay betainted,andweobviouslyhave

to protectourselves fromdisease. Sologisticianshavegottogetthese thingsright, in termsof how theyorganizethemselvesand oursustainmentoperations. Itgoes back to

the ways thattheyputthingsonshipsandinairplanes, sothattheyarrivein the theaterof operationsinconcertwithwhen we needthem.This is an

areawhereourNational

Guard andReservecomponentsare especiallyuseful to us.Now, whilethe XVIIIAirborneCorpsprobablyhas alarger active-duty logisticsforce thanmost other

units becauseof its rapid-responsemission, wedependheavilyontheReserveand Guard forlogistics, aswell as areaslike civilaffairs andpsychologicalwarfareoperations.

Thelogistics sideof XVIIIAirborneCorpsoperations,which we callthe COSCOM[CorpsSupportCommand],also includesour personneland finance

groups, whichare veryimportanttousin sustainingouroperations.You know,

ourarmyhasahistory ofproducing andconductingexcellentlogisticalefforts. World

War IIwas anexampleofourmastery of thelogistical art,with the waywe projectedour combatpower intoAfrica, Italy,andNormandy.We’re stilldoingthatkindof thing today,

but we’rehavingtodoitmuch morerapidly aswell.

It isanaxiomthat in these

times of downsizing anddeclining defense budgets,joint and coalition warfarehas become the norm. Noothermilitaryorganization inthe world has more

experienceinsuchoperationsthan XVIII Airborne Corps.Theydo this through a long-standing set of relationshipswith other services andnations that would be theenvy of any foreignministryin the world. We’ll letGeneralKeaneexplain.

Tom Clancy: You’ve beensaying that XVIII AirborneCorps has a unique

relationshipwith the units ofthe U.S. TransportationCommand[USTRANSCOM],particularly the Air MobilityCommand [AMC] and theMilitary Sealift Command[MSC]. Talk a little aboutyour partnership with theseorganizations, would youplease?

General Keane: The U.S.

Air Force and XVIIIAirborneCorps tend to thinkofourselvesasbeingjustone[entity]. We’ve been, in asense, brothers for yearsgoing back toWorldWar II.We train together, exercisetogether, deploy onoperations, and go to wartogether.Wecannotcompleteourmissions without the AirForce,itisthatsimple!XVIIIAirborne Corps could not bea strategic crisis response

forcewithout theAirForce’sability to respond as rapidlyas our units. Their challengeis just as great as ours. TheAirForce is out operating asan air force every day,peacetime or war. Theirplanesareallover theworld,and if a crisis comes, theyhave to bring their planesback and assemble theircrews. And if the missionincludes a parachute assault(with the 82nd Airborne

Division), they have toassemble their airdrop crewsthat are qualified to do that,because not all transportcrews are. So they have agreat challenge, and theypractice for itwith us all thetime.

Ourrelationshipwith theNavy’s SealiftCommand

[MSC] is thesame. As youknow,wenowhave nine ofthe fast sealiftships [33-knotships like theSL-7 class]and we’regoing up to [aforce of]nineteen withthe LMSLRprogram. They

just christenedthefirsttwoofthose, theUSNSShughart andthe USNSGordon,named for ourtwo ArmyMedal ofHonorwinners[posthumously]from Somalia.We cannot

project thenation’scombat powerto greatdistanceswithoutsealift.It’s thatsimple. Wecouldprojectasmaller force,butonlysealiftgives us thecapabilities toproject the

forces weneed, in thetime required,and sustainthem overtime.Now, in

conjunctionwith MSC,we’reconstantlyexercisingwith them.

Onceaquarter[every threemonths] hereat XVIIIAirborneCorps, weconduct whatwe call a SeaEmergencyDeploymentExercise. Justrecently, weran one ofthese with

elements of abrigade fromthe 101 st AirAssaultDivision. Wemoved theirequipment andflew thehelicoptersdown 625mi/1006 kmfrom FortCampbell,Kentucky, to

Jacksonville,Florida (at theBlount IslandNavalTerminal),then shrink-wrapped theaircraft andloaded themaboard a fastsealift ship.We then hadthe shipmoved up to

Norfolk,Virginia,where itpracticed threedifferent typesof operationsat the time.First we off-loaded part ofthe load at theNorfolk cargoterminal,whichrepresented an

improved portfacility whichwe mayencounter,similar toDhahran,Saudi Arabia.At the sametime, we tooksome of theequipment offthevessel,andput it into thewater onto

amphibiousliterage anddroveitontoapier that wehadbuilt, as ifit was adegraded port,like that of aThird Worldcountry [likeMogadishu,Somalia].Finally, wetook other

equipment offthe ship onlighters anddrove it overthebeachas ifit was a beachlanding. Wecall that lastone an “overthe shore”operation. Itwas atremendousoperation, and

wedo threeorfourof these ayear. Inaddition, backtomypreviouscomments onourpartnershipwith the AirForce, we doat leastseveralsimilaroperationswith themeach month.

Obviously,though,theAirForce elementthat we spendthe most timewith is the23rd Wing,which isbasedrightnextdoorat Pope AirForce Base[AFB], NorthCarolina.

TomClancy: Could you tellus about the joint [inter-service] training exercisesthatyouparticipatein?

General Keane: In additionto the exercises that Idescribedpreviously,wealsocontinuously practice jointoperations with our othersister services. In fact, we’re

doing twenty-two jointexercises this year [FY-96],withsixteenmoreplannedfornext year [FY-97]. Most ofthe joint exerciseswe do arewith IIMarineExpeditionaryForce [II MEF, based atCamp LeJeune, NorthCarolina], 9th and 12th AirForces,andthe2nd[Atlantic]Fleet. The approach that wetakewiththesejointexercisesisthateachoneoftheservicecomponents [Army, Navy,

AirForce,andMarineCorps]will be responsible for a JTFheadquarters on an exercise,and we switch thatresponsibility out during theyear. The nature of theoperation or scenario that isconductedwillhavetheotherservice components workingforthatJTFheadquarters.Forexample, for the JTFEX-9510exercisethatweconductedinAugustof1995,Admiral Jay

Johnson [now the Chief ofNaval Operations (CNO)]who commanded 2nd Fleet,wastheJTFcommander,andI [at the time commander ofthe 101st Air AssaultDivision] was his deputycommander. Now sometimesthesearefieldorfleettrainingexercises with troops [actualground, air, etc.], thoughmore and more, we conductthese exercises usingnetworked computer

simulations. We have foundthat we can hone andmaintain our skills throughcomputer simulations, andreduce thecostof large-scaleexercises.

TomClancy: You’re gettingready right now [May 1996]foraverylargejointexerciseknown by the various namesof JTFEX-96/PurpleStar/Royal Dragon. Could

you please tell us how youexpectittorun?

General Keane: For RoyalDragon, we’ll [the XVIIIAirborneCorpsheadquarters]betheJointLandComponentCommanderwhenourpartofthe operation kicks in. Priorto that, though, I’ll beworking for the JTFheadquarters, which will beaboard the command ship

USS Mount Whitney [LCC-20], and commanded by thenew 2nd Fleet Commander,Admiral William VernonClark,whorecentlytookoverfrom Jay Johnson.4 One ofthe more interesting parts ofour part of the exercise willbe the inclusion of multi-nationalforces.Werecognizethat coalition warfare hasmanifested itself as a vitalpart of our national security

policy, and we obviouslyhave treaties andarrangements with alliesaroundtheworld.Wehavetomake certain that we havesomelevelof interoperabilityand compatibility with theforces.Soonoccasionswhenwe can, we practice withthem.

We recentlysent a brigadetask force of

the 3rd MID[formerly the24th MID]over to Egyptfor OperationBright Starwith upwardsof fivethousand plussoldierstraining withthe Egyptians.We also justfinished

having abattalion fromthe samedivisiontraining withthe Kuwaitisin OperationIntrinsicAction-96,andthe 10thMountain alsodid one inOman. ForRoyal Dragon,

we’ll haveover seventhou-sandBritishtroops takingpart, plus aGurkhabattalion, andsoldiers fromthe 82ndAirborne, the10thMountain, andthe 3rd

MechanizedInfantrydivisions. Inaddition, theRoyal Navy iscontributingover thirtynaval vessels,including acarrier battlegroup builtaround HMSIllustrious [R06]whichwill

operate off theCarolina coastwith our navalforces. Imightalso add thatwhileallthisisgoingon,we’llstill have abrigade eachfrom the 82ndand 101stAirborne oneighteen-houralert, ready to

gojustincase.If we’re goingto maintainour [fighting]edge, and theAmericanpeople expectus to do justthat, we havegot to practiceour craft. Thatmeans gettingoutinthefieldandhoningour

skills. Wehave got tomake certainthat oursoldiers,Marines,sailors, andairmen arepracticing andstayingready.

Forall their capabilityand

skill,thesoldiersoftheXVIII

Airborne Corps have paid ahigh price in personalsacrificeandemotionalstrain.HighOpTemposoverthepastdecade, as well as force andbudget reductions, havestretched our forces to thebreaking point in places.Given their large number ofoverseas and combatdeployments and a rigorousexercise schedule, theyarguably have the toughestroutine of any corps in the

Army. Let’s hear GeneralKeane’s thoughts on thequalityoflifeforhissoldiers,as well as some otherchallengesthatheisfacing.

Tom Clancy: All theseoperations, both real andexercises,haveplacedahighstrain on your personnel andequipment.Couldyou tell usyour view of the highOpTempos that you have

been experiencing these lastfewyears?

GeneralKeane:Well, to besure we cannot control theworld, nor would we as anation think of doing that.We’re here to respond to theNCAs, and we will respondin the fashion that theyexpect.We are busier in thelastsixyears,tobesure,thanwe were previously in the

ColdWar.Buttherearesomethings that we can do tomoderate the effects of thesehighOpTempos.

Despite alltheoperationalrequirements,we are incontrol ofmost of thetime of oursoldiers.Sowetrywhenwe’re

back here atFortBraggandourotherbasesto have a“standard”duty day foroursoldiers,sothat they’renot workingterribly longhours, thoughby mostpeople’sstandards, it is

a pretty longday! From6:30 in themorning to5:00o’clockatnight as astandard,though we dotry to give oursoldiersweekends offwhen we can.Sometimes wecannot,

because theyare onexercises anddeployments.In addition,

whenever athree-dayweekend orholiday comesup, wenormally givethem a fourthday off. That

gives oursoldiers andtheir familiesan opportunityto gosomewhereand dosomethingaway from thebase.Obviously, thesoldiers fromthe corps alertunits are not

doing that, butwill beconfinedtothelocal areassurroundingtheir bases atFort Bragg,FortCampbell,Fort Stewart,and FortDrum. But wetry to managethat pace andOpTempo as

bestwecan.“Quality of

Life” is anArmy term,andwe’reveryconcernedabout theamount ofseparation oursoldiers havefrom theirfamilies. Onaverage,XVIII

AirborneCorps soldierswill spend sixto sevenmonths a yeargone fromtheir families,either ondeployment,on exercises,training, oraway atschool. We’retrying to

mitigate thatasbestwecanin the areasthat we cancontrol.

TomClancy:Alongwiththehigh OpTempos, there is thematter of forcemodernization. Obviouslythis is a huge challenge

because of the moneyinvolved. Can you give usyourinsightonthis?

General Keane: There aresignificant challenges inmodernizationtobesure,andthe reasons for them areobvious: the downsizing ofour budgets.The instrumentsofwarwiththeprecisionthattheyhaveandthetechnologyinvolved are extraordinarily

expensive, though they dohave a large payoff on thebattlefield. For example, if Imight digress for a moment,in my judgment, one of themost important weaponsdevelopments in the post-WorldWarIIera in termsofconventional warfare has tobeprecisionguidedmunitions[PGMs]. When deliveredfrom a suitable platform[aircraft, helicopter, ship,submarine, vehicle, etc.]

PGMs have an enormouspayoffforus.Thisisbecausetheir precision and lethalityprovidesuswiththeabilitytotarget and destroy only theportion of a target array thatweareinterestedin.

Forexample, if Iwant to takeout a portionof a factory,wecannowgo

inwithPGMs,and take outonly the partof the factorythat isimportant tous, and not doanydamage tothesurroundingareas. Only anerrant missileormalfunctionwould keep

thestrikefrombeingsuccessful,andthe probabilityof thishappening isdroppingeveryday.Contrast

that with whatwe had to doin World WarII, when we

tried to reducethe industrialbases ofGermany andJapan.Wehadto fly armadaafter armadaof heavybombers to dothat, and welost hundredsofcrewsintheprocess. Also,quite

tragically, alarge numberof civilianslost their livesin thosestrikes. ThePGMs wehave todayenable us tosend a singlecrew on amission thatpreviouslymight have

requireddozens, with avery highassurance ofachieving thedesiredmissionresultswith aminimum ofcollateraldamage.Of course,

PGMs and

othertechnologieslikethatcostalot of money,butatthesametime they aretruly savinglives, of ourown militarypersonnel, ofnon-combatants,and even ofour enemies.

We have nointerest intakingunnecessarylives from ourenemies. Wejust want tostop themfrom doingwhatever it isthat we’reopposedto.Sotechnologycosts money,

and there is alot of thatinvolvedwhenyou’re talkingaboutoutfitting anentire corps orarmy. So wehave to makethecaseforthetechnologiesthatwedesire,andourpeoplein

Washington,D.C., aredoingthat.Ourconcern

for the futureis thecontinuingmodernizationof our corps.Right nowwe’re movingthe last of theold AH-1

Cobragunships outand replacingthem withnewlyremanufacturedOH-58DKiowaWarriors. Ourforce of AH-64A Apacheattackhelicopterswill be

upgraded inthe latter partof this decadeto the newAH-64C/DApacheLongbowconfiguration,which will bea significantimprovementin ourcapability.

We’re alsobringing in thenewAdvancedField ArtillerySystem[AFATAS],which isgoingto increaseourfire-controlcapabilities forartillery andair support.We’re alsogoing to see a

near-termimprovementin our artillerycapabilitywiththeintroductionofthe new M109A6Paladin155mm self-propelledhowitzer, andimprovedversionsof theMLRS rockets

and A-TACMSmissiles.We’re alsostillmodernizingour fleet ofarmorwith theM1A2 variantof the Abramsmain battletank, and thecoming -A3version of the

M⅔ Bradleyfightingvehicle.Finally, thenewversionofthe Patriotsurface-to-airmissile system[known as thePAC-3] willprovide theunits of thecorps with anadvanced

antitacticalballisticmissilecapability tothe currentfieldedsystem.These are

all proventechnologieswith enhancedcapabilities.We don’treally need to

go out anddiscover orinventsomethingnewwhen we havesomething soproven andcapable. Whatwe have to dois improve tomake certainthat we havean overmatchwithregardsto

our potentialadversaries.Right now, aswe look at itfrom ourperspective,wereallydon’thave a near-peercompetitor outthere, andtherefore weclearlyhaveanovermatch

with ourpotentialenemies. TheArmy hasdecidedtotakesome risks inmodernizationefforts for thenear term, sowe can holdonto our forcestructure andunits, to tryand build

some qualityof life for oursoldiers,andtomake certainthat we’remaintainingreadiness.Readinessto

us means thatwe’re trainingour soldiers,andmaintaining

our equipmentuptostandards[i.e., adequatesupplies ofrepair parts].Right nowwe’re doingverywellwithallof that,andour readinessreports areindicative ofthat. Butobviously, any

militaryorganizationhas to keep itseyes on thefuture if it’sgoing tocontinue toevolve at therightpace.Thechallenge is tofind thecorrectbalance. Thebalance has to

be among themix of unitstructures, thereadiness ofthat army, thequality of lifeof its soldiers,and also themodernizationof itsequipment.The biggestmodernizationprograminour

future will bethe RAH-66Comanchehelicopter,which willdramaticallychange howwe do ourbusiness.

Tom Clancy: Can youreview some other programsandgiveyourcomments?

General Keane:NAVISTARGlobalPositionSystem[GPS]. GPS has justbeen tremendous!We startedusing it out in the GulfWarback in 1991, and in thatparticular theater ofoperations with its lack oftopographical features, GPSwas a significantenhancement to ouroperations. So much so thatnowitisawayoflife.Ifyou

go down into an infantryoutfit today,while outwardlythe soldier looks the samewith a rifle, helmet, pack,etc., those soldiers are alsomoving around with night-visiongoggles [thePVS-7B],a night aiming device fortheirweapons [thePAC-4C],a laser pointer to designatetargets for PGMs, andperhaps a PortableLightweight GPS Receiver[PLGR] to locate their

position. As it stands today,GPS receivers are in all ofour helicopters, in our entirecombat vehicle fleet, and inthehandsofoursoldiersatalllevels, whatever theirfunction.

JavelinAntitankMissile.Javelin is areally greatinitiative, a

true “brilliant”PGM whichwill be man-portable forour soldiers.Wereallywishthat we hadbeen able tofield it sooner,everyone inthe Armyknows that,but it just wasnot possible.

Clearly it’sgoing toreplace theoldM47 Dragonweaponssystem, andwill give ourfoot soldiersthe ability todestroy anytank on thebattlefield.The keyfeature of the

Javelin is theuse of “fire-and-forgettechnology”and animaginginfraredseekerto lock on tothe targetbefore launch.It’s a“brilliant”weapon in thesense that if

the operatorfinds a target,the missilewilllockontothe thermalsignature ofthattarget,andthen home inon thatspecific targetwith aminimum oflaunchsignature.

That’s atremendousadvantage andshould give usan enormouscapabilityrightdown in thehands of ourinfantry.Command

and ControlSystems. Tono one’s

surprise, oneof thetechnologyexplosionsthat’s takingplace at themoment is inthe world ofdigitalcommunicationsandinformation.Ourexperimental

force out atFort Hood ison the “bowwave” of thattechnology.Aswe work ourway throughthisrevolution,there’sprobablygoingto be anexplosion oftechnology.Ultimately

we’ll havesoldiers aswell asvehiclesonthebattlefield thatwill be able to“look” at atarget or otheritem ofinterest. Theironboardcamera/sensorsystem willfeed that to a

computerwhich willtransmitinformationdigitally backto commandposts atvarious levelswith everyoneseeing thedata/pictures“real-time.”Theseoperations

centerswill beextraordinaryexamples oftechnology,with state-of-the-artvisual/graphicdisplays anddata-fusiontechnologybeing able torapidly calldown fire injustamatterof

seconds.This will

finally meanthatwe’llhavea good idea ofwhere theenemy is, aswell asknowing thelocations ofour owntroops. Youknow, in a

general sensethese arethings that wehave alwaysknown, but ina specificsense,wehavenot. That’sremarkable foranarmythatissomewhatnomadic andcomplicated inthe sense that

itcontainstensof thousandsof personnel,vehicles, andpieces ofequipment.

General John M. Keane atFort Bragg with one of hisXVIII Airborne Corpstroopers.OFFICIAL U.S. ARMYPHOTOAswe came to the end of

ourvisitwithGeneralKeane,we were curious about thefuture of XVIII AirborneCorps. In particular,with the

coming of the 21st centuryand the high OpTempos ofthe previous few years, howdoes he see the corps’ unitsevolving? Also, hiscomments into the futuresoldiers and theirtechnologieswereinsightful.

Tom Clancy: What do youseetheXVIIIAirborneCorpsfoot soldier of 2010 lookinglike, given the technology

thatwillbecomingon-line?

General Keane: Well, thesoldiers will be the same inall the ways that we wantthem to be. That means thatthey will be Americansoldierswhowill come froma values-based society, whocare about their teammatesandwhat theyaredoing,andthey want to do that jobcorrectly. They will be

mentally andphysically agileand tough, full of esprit, andwith ever-increasing combatskills.Thosecore ingredientsthat we have always had inour soldiers will continue tobe there. They’re veryeducated now, better thanthey’ve ever been, and willprobablycontinuetoimprovein this area, I suspect. Theyalready are much morecomputer-literate than manyof our senior leaders in the

corpstoday,andfifteenyearsfrom now, it will be evenmore remarkable with thetechnology that will be here.Best of all, they will becomfortable with technologyandprobablywillenjoyusingitaswell.

The soldier,in terms ofindividualcapabilities,will probably

have a newpersonalweapon bythen [toreplace theexistingM16A2combat rifle].At some pointour weaponsmay transit tosome sort ofbeamtechnology. I

would alsoimagine thatthere is apossibility thatthe soldierswill carry anonboardcomputer/sensorsystem withdigitalcommunicationsthat willenable themtobecomeanode

in a network,and send back“real-time”data andpictures directfrom thebattlefield.They may

also be in aclimaticallycontrolledbattle dressuniform,

which couldpossibly havesome type ofcooling and/orheatingsystemintegrated intoit. In addition,it willprobably havean improvedcapability toprovideprotectionagainst small-

arms/ballistic/shrapnel-type threatsandnuclear/biological/chemical[NBC] agents.Certainly thereis technologyalready inplace whichwould allowus to makegreatstrides inthis area. Thekey, though, is

to make thegarments andotherequipmentbothcomfortable towear, andlightweightenough to becarried by asoldier. Wehave to keepthisstufflight!That’sbecause

thereisonlysomuch you canhang on asoldier, andstill have thatperson be ableto move, fighteffectively,andsurviveonthe battlefield.This meansthat you haveto be carefulhowfaryougo

with sometechnologies.

Tom Clancy: Following upthelastquestion,whatdoyouseetheXVIIIAirborneCorpslooking like in 2010, withregards to units, capabilities,andmissions?

GeneralKeane:IthinkthatIsee it developing in anevolutionary manner, ratherthan revolutionary. My viewofitisthatbytheturnofthecentury, much of theequipment that we alreadyhave will still be with us,especially in terms of tanks,helicopters, artillery, andother heavy vehicles andsystems. While some of theequipment and systems willmodernize, the uses of that

equipmentwillgenerallystaythesame.

The qualityofoursoldiers,by everyindication thatwe have, willnot diminish,though we’reveryconcernedabout that.Wewant to hold

the quality ofthe people inthe Army, andif possibleimprove it.Right now,retention ratein XVIIIAirborneCorps is wellover 100percent of ourassignedobjectives. In

fact, they’re intheneighborhoodof 126 percentatthemoment.Better yet, weseem to beretaining thebest of oursoldiers. Youhave toremember thatwe must keepbetween 35

and40percentof our first-term soldiersto maintain aviable force,and right nowwe’re nothaving anytrouble doingthat. Still,we’rewatchingreenlistmentrates very

closely. Insummary, Ithink that thequality of thesoldiers willstay the same,or possiblyincreasebecause ofsuperioreducation.Idon’tseea

dramatic

change in thetechnology ofourequipment,though I dosee anevolutionarychange. TheRAH-66Comanchehelicopter, ifwe have it inthe force bythen,will be avery

significantchange on thebattlefield interms ofexpanding thethirddimension.Thiswillallowus to seebetter, and toorganize a lotof our combatcapabilityaround that

aircraft,because it willbe able todigitallytransmitenemylocations, andorganizetargeting andresponses tothe enemythreats. Thatwill be a verysignificant

change.I would

expect that themissions ofXVIIIAirborneCorpswillalsostay the same.We’regoingtobe a crisis-responseforce,ready toanswer the

nation’sneeds.By then we’llbeusingtheC-17GlobemasterIII heavytransportaircraft as thecore of ourstrategic airliftforce, whichwilldoubletheloadcapability.

We’ll be ableto project thatcombat powerfaster becauseof the C-17,and to shorterairfields [lessthan 3,000feet/914meters] thanexistingheavy-liftaircraft. Rightnow, with our

existing forceof C-141BStarlifter andC-5 Galaxyaircraft, wealways lookfor the longestand biggestairfields. Withthe C-17,though, awholerangeofshort/undevelopedairfields will

be availablefor our use.Thiswillallowus to get ourcombat powerforward faster,and with lesslikelihood ofinterdiction byenemyforces.In addition,

the nation isbuying a force

of nineteenlarge MediumSpeed Roll-On/Roll-Off[LMSR] shipswhereweusedto have eightFast SealiftShips [FSS]and ninety inreserve. Theincrease incargo stowageof these

LMSRs willgive us anadditional fivemillion squarefeet of sealiftcapacity. Thisis becauseeach LMSRhas 300,000square feet ofcargo space,where theolder FSS hasonly 150,000

squarefeetpership. This willallow theArmy andother servicesto morerapidly projectour heavycombat forcesandkeep themsustained. Soin terms ofpowerprojection, our

capability isactually goingto increase.We havebegun to solvesome of theairlift andsealiftchallenges thatwererecognized bysenior leadersat theconclusion of

the Gulf Warin1991.Once that

army is on thebattlefield,andXVIIIAirborneCorps isdeployed, theinformationtechnologyexplosion willenable the

pieces andparts of thatarmy tocommunicatemuch moreeffectivelythan it’s doingnow, andwe’re alreadydoing aremarkablejob.Iseeallofthat as anatural

evolution interms ofwhat’s takingplace in theworld today.Themissionofthecorpsisnotgoing tochange. Ourorganizationwill probablygo throughsome changes,and our

capabilitieswill certainlyincrease. Andwe will bethere in 2010,as we havealways beenthere in thepast.

As we prepared to leave,

GeneralKeanesharedwithussomeofhispersonal feelings

about the force that hecommands, and about beingthe nation’s seniorparatrooper.

Tom Clancy: One lastquestion.Areyouhavingfuninthisjob?

General Keane: Yeah! Ifyou’re not having fun doing

this,there’ssomethingwrongwithyou.I’vegotthebestjobin the United States Army,hands down. Some people Iknowwhohavemoremoneythan me would like to havethisjob,becauseitissomuchfun! It’s also a humblingthing too. Remember, Istartedoutasa2ndlieutenantdown the street here at FortBragg in 1966, and I neverthought I would wind updoing something like this

three decades later. So youremind yourself of that fromtime to time. You have tofocusproperlytoo.Withover85,000soldiersout there, I’lltell you that I’m alwaysworkingtodowhat’srightforthe teamand it’s a heckof ateamtobepartof!

Given the pace of world

events, it ismore likely thannot that sometime during his

tenure, he will have tocommitelementsofhiscorpsto action somewhere in theworld.Thiscertainlywas thepattern for the twomenwhopreceded him in the job,Generals Luck and Shelton.Luckily, the Army hasmadeapointofputtingwarriorsofquality in the job. Thattradition has been sustainedwith General Keane at thecontrols of the XVIIIAirborneCorps.

FortBenning:TheParatrooperFactory

I am anAirbornetrooper! APARATROOPER!I jump byparachutefromany plane in

flight. Ivolunteered todo it, knowingwell thehazards of mychoice. I servein a mightyAirborneForce—famedfor deeds inwar—renownedfor readinessin peace. It is

my pledge inallthatIam—inallthatIdo.I am an elitetrooper—a skytrooper—ashock trooper—a spearheadtrooper. Iblaze the wayto far-flunggoals—behind,before, abovethe foe’s front

line. I knowthat I mayhave to fightwithoutsupport fordays on end.Therefore, Ikeep in mindand bodyalways fit todo my part inany Airbornetask.Iamself-reliant and

unafraid. Ishoottrue,andmarchfastandfar. I fighthardandexcelin art andarticle of war.I never fail afellow trooper.I cherish as asacred trustthelivesofthemen withwhom I serve.

Leaders havemy fullestloyalty, andthose I leadnever find melacking.IhaveprideintheAirborne!Inever let itdown!

In peace, I donot shirk thedullestofduty,not protest thetoughesttraining. Myweapons andequipment arealwayscombatready. I amneatofdress—military incourtesy—proper in

conduct andbehavior. Inbattle, I fearno foe’sability, norunderestimatehis prowess,power, andguile. I fighthim with allmy might andskill—everalert to evadecapture or

escape a trap.I neversurrender,thoughIbethelast. My goalin peace orwar is tosucceed inanymission of theday—or die, ifneedbe,inthetry.Ibelongtoa proud andglorious team,

the Airborne,the Army, mycountry. I amits chosen,with pride tofight whereothersmaynotgo—to servethemwelluntilthe finalvictory.Iamatrooperof the Sky! I

am myNation’s best!In peace orwar I neverfail.Anywhere,anytime, inanything—IAMAIRBORNE!The AirborneCreed

What kind of person jumpsout of a perfectly functionalaircraft loadedwithover150lb/68 kg of weapons,explosives,andotherassortedsupplies and equipmentstrapped to their body? Thisisthebasicquestionthatmostfolks ask when they firstconsider the idea of being aparatrooper. Personally, I

only know that my personalanswer is, “Not me!” Forother people, though, theyfind the concept of jumpinginto a war zone intriguingenough to ask some otherquestions. Sometimes, theanswers are so fascinatingthey can send an inquisitoroff on a quest which willultimately lead down a roadin Georgia to a place whichwillchangehimintoaspecialbreedofAmericanwarrior:a

paratrooper.Whenasoldiersignsupto

go into airborne training, heorsheistellingtheworldandtheirfellowsoldiersthat theyarecutfromadifferentcloth,andaretakingadifferentpathin life. One that will markthem as part of a small andelite group, which doessomething difficult anddangerous,justtogotowork!Theparatroopersareclearlya

breed apart from their Armybrethren, and I hope to beabletoshowyouwhy.Mostspecialforcesclaima

unique ethos.11 Many otherbranches of military servicehave tried toclaim theirowncode: one that is special tothem. Trust me: In mostcases, the people doing theclaiming are full of crap. Inthe whole of the Americanmilitary, only a handful of

groups are truly worthy ofsuch a distinction—theMarineCorps,certainspecialforces units, and of course,theairborne.Theairborneethosisatthe

very core of eachparatrooper’s being. Theundeniable heart of theairborne philosophy istoughness. It’s essential thateachmember of the airbornemust be both physically and

mentally tough. If you try tomakeananimalsuchasadogor horse jump into water orover awide ditch, they balk.The natural instinct of anyanimal, including humans, isto avoid danger. The humananimal is different, however.Only we can rationalize andassess risk. Inshort,wehavethe mental capacity toovercome instinct, and dothingscommonsense tellsusnot to. Things like jumping

outofairplanes,andgoingtowar.The typeofpersonwhocanrationalizesuchideashasto be more than justphysically qualified. Theymust also have a mentalabilitytosetasidethedanger,and see the rewards ofparachuting behind enemylines into a combat zone.Some might call it cavalier,or reckless. I think it’s justplaintough.

Now, it may be that I amoversimplifying thementalityof paratroops just a bit, butthe central theme of almosteverypartof their lifestyle istoughness. From their earlytraining to how they actuallydeploy and fight, they do sowith a mental and physicaledge that is franklyastounding.It also can be a little

frightening. You notice their

collectivewillwhenyou talktopeoplelikeGeneralKeane.A lieutenant general (threestars)andinhisfifties,hestilljumps in the first positionfrom the lead aircraftwhenever he can. He ishardlyunusual,though.Thereis a popular notion in theAmerican military thatparatroopers are short littleguys with bad attitudes.Actually, they come in allshapesandsizes,and inboth

sexes.In the 82nd Airborne

Division, every personassigned must be airbornequalified at all times. Thismeans that everyone in thedivision, from thecommanding general to thenurses in the field hospitals,must have a current jumpqualification, no matter whattheir job is. In a worst-casescenario, every person

assigned to the82nd, aswellas every piece of theirequipment and all supplies,might have to be parachutedinto a hot drop zone (DZ),since air-landing unitswouldbedifficultorimpossible.Letmeassureyou,everyonewitha jump qualification in theU.S.Army is tough, becausejust getting through airborneschoolrequiresit.There is one other basic

characteristic you noticeabout paratroops as a group:They are in incrediblephysical condition. Being inshapeisanobsessionwiththeparatroopers. Not just hardliketheMarines,butakindoflean and solid look that youexpect in amarathon runner.Inaddition,thereisadashofraw power to a trooper’sbody, mostly in the upperbody and legs, whereparatroopersneedit.

Physical strength comes inhandy,especiallyduringdropoperations. An average 180-1b/81.6-kg trooper gettingreadytojumpfromanaircraftwill likely be saddled downwith a load equal to orexceeding their own bodyweight. Consider thefollowingaverageloadoutforacombatjump.Thetrooper’sT-10 main/reserveparachute/harness assemblywill weigh about 50 lb/22.7

kg. American paratroopersthen add a rucksack(backpack) loaded with foodand water (for three days inthe field), clothing andbedding, personal gear,ammunition(includingtwoorthree mortar rounds andpossibly a claymore mine ortwo), and a personalweapon(such as an M16A2 combatrifle or M249 squadautomatic weapon [SAW]),with a weight of up to 130

lb/60 kg! They must walk(more of a waddle, actually)withthisincredibleburdenupthe ramp of a transportaircraft, if they are to evenbegin an airborne dropmission. Later, they have tostandup,andjumpoutofthatsame airplane flying at 130kn, and land with much ofthat load still attached. Onceon the ground, they drop offtheirloadofheavymunitions(mortar roundsandmines)at

an assembly point. Finally,they must heft what remainsin their rucksack (probablyloaded with more than 100lb/45.4 kg of supplies,equipment, and ammunition)around a battlefield. All thewhile fighting their way totheirobjectives,whatever theopposition. If that is nottough,Idon’tknowwhatis!Thenumberofpeoplewho

have both the physical

strength and endurance forsuch exertions is small, andthe mental toughness neededto go with it is rare. That’swhy there are so few folkswhowear theairbornebadgeinanarmyofalmost500,000soldiers.Sowhygotoallthetroubleand risk to selectandtrain a group of people likethe paratroops? The topairborne leaders like GeneralKeanewouldtellyouthatweneed paratroops to establish

American presence, and towin the first battles of ourconflicts.The basic objectives of

airborne training are definedby these goals: tosuccessfully parachute intoenemy territory, and to fightto the objectives. The firstchallenge, to teach people tothrow themselves out of anaircraft, into a dark andempty night sky, to enter a

battlefield hanging from afabriccanopy,istheeasyone.The second challenge is toteach the troopers to fightuntil their objectives aretaken no matter what theodds. This is perhaps themost difficult set of trainingtasks that any school in theU.S. military has to teach.Lessons like this require aspecial school with the bestteachers available. In theairborne, it is called Jump

School,andislocatedatFortBenning,Georgia.

FortBenning:TheCradleoftheAirborne

FortBenningislocatedinthesouthwest corner of Georgia—anareanobody justpasses

through. You have to reallywant to get there. You startby flying to Atlanta’smiserable Hartsfield Airport,though I highly recommendthat younot do it on the lastnight of the 1996 SummerOlympiad as I did! Then,after renting a car, you headdown Interstate 85 towardMontgomery, Alabama, andthe heart of the oldConfederacy. At La Grange,you take a hard turn to the

south onto I-185. Fiftymileslater, after you have passedthrough the town ofColumbus, Georgia, you hitRoute27andthefrontgatetooneof theU.S.Army’smostimportant posts. It is literallyattheendoftheroad,butit’sthe beginning of the journeyforthosewhowanttobecomeairbornetroopers.FortBenningisarelatively

old post, dating back to just

afterWorldWarI.Inspiteofitsage(someofthebuildingsaremorethanfiftyyearsold)and remote location, it is thecrossroads for the Army’sinfantry community. Locatedon the post are such vitalfacilities as the U.S. ArmyInfantry Center and theSchoolofInfantry.ThisistheinstitutionalhomeforinfantryintheArmy,andtheprimarycenter for their weapons andtactical development. If a

system, tactic, or procedurehas anything to do withpersonnel carrying weaponsinto battle, the InfantryCenterwillinsomewayownit.The Center’s

responsibilities have rangedfrom developing thespecifications of the M⅔Bradley Fighting Vehicles tothe development of tacticaldoctrine for the employment

of the new Javelin antitankguidedmissile. Fort Benningis also home to a number oftraining facilities, includingthe notorious U.S. ArmySchool of the Americas.Known ruefully as theCollege of the Dictators(Manuel Noriega of Panamawas one of its more notablegraduates), it has providedpost-graduate military studyprograms for officers ofvarious Latin American

nations for decades. FortBenning is a busy place, andit is here that our look atairbornetrainingbegins.Inthemiddleofthepostis

a large parade area with anumberofodd-lookingpiecesof training equipment. Theseinclude three250-ft/76-mtalltowers that look like theywere plucked from afairground (they were!), aswell as mockups of various

aircraft. Tucked over to oneside of the parade ground isthe headquarters of the 1stBattalion of the 507thAirborne Infantry Regiment(the1/507th),which runs theU.S. Army Airborne JumpSchool.There are ghosts here,

though you have to knowmoretoseethem.Closeyoureyes, and travel back overhalfacenturytoatimewhen

America had no airborneforces.It was 1940 and America

was desperately trying tocatch upwith the astoundingcombat achievements of theGermans, Russians, andItalians. Already, the Nazishad used airborne units totake Norway, Denmark, andthe Low Countries ofWestern Europe with greatsuccess. This was one of

many German innovationsthathadbeendemonstratedinthefirstyearofWorldWarII,andtheleadershipoftheU.S.Armyhadtakennotice.Therewasasmellofwarintheair,and more than a few Armyofficers knew that Americawouldeventuallybepartofit.The question for them waswhetherairborneforcescouldprove useful for the growingAmerican Army that wasbeginningtobeassembled.It

fell to a small group ofvisionary Army officers onthis very field to prove thatAmerica both needed andcould develop airborneforces. At the heart of theeffortwasamanwho,thoughhehimselfneversawcombatwith the American airborneforce, would be honored astheir institutional father: BillLee.Major General William

Carey Lee, USA, started lifeas a native of Dunn, NorthCarolina.Aveteranofservicein the Great War, he was acitizen soldier (a graduate ofNorth Carolina StateUniversity,notWestPoint)inthetraditionofofficerslikeJ.J. Pettigrew.12 Lee was anofficer with a vision for thepossibilities of warfare, andwas always looking for newand better ways for

technology to be applied tobattle.AfterWorldWarI,heserved in a variety of postsaround the world. At onepoint, he was the occupationmayor of Mayen, Germany.Laterhewouldserveatourofduty in the Panama CanalZone.Itwasinhisserviceasa lieutenant colonel in theOffice of the Chief ofInfantry in the WarDepartment(theoldnamefortheDepartmentof theArmy)

that he rendered his mostvaluable service to Americaanditsarmedforces.Major General William Lee,USA. General Lee was theinstitutional father ofAmerican Airborne forcesand the first commandingofficer of the 101stAirborneDivision.OFFICIAL U.S. ARMYPHOTO

Duringtheinter-waryears,he had taken a great interestin the idea thataircraft could

deliver troops to the modernbattlefield.Suchthinkingwashardly popular at the time,especially after the court-martial of Billy Mitchell forspeaking out against theArmy’s lackofvisionon theuses of airpower. Armygenerals were moreconcernedwithholdingontowhat little they had in theway of bases, men, andequipment thanexploring thecrackpot ideas of airpower

zealots like Mitchell. Still,Leewatchedthedevelopmentof the airborne forces ofRussia, Italy, and Germanywith great interest, and hebegan to think about howAmericans might useparatroops in their ownoperations.Then came the German

assault on Scandinavia andthe Low Countries in thespringof1940.Theparachute

and air-landing troops led byGeneral Kurt Student werethe spearhead of the Naziinvasion in Western Europe.This made everyone in theU.S. Army take notice, andLee was well positioned tomake use of the excitement.Less than two months afterthe Germans attacked in theWest, Lee was assigned tostart a U.S. Army project tostudy and demonstrate thepossibilities of airborne

warfare.Bylate1940,hehadformed a small group ofvolunteers known as theParachute Test Platoon atFort Benning. Their job wasto evaluate and developairborne equipment andtactics, and do it in a hurry.This small group of airbornepioneers was to do in just afew months what had takencountrieslikeGermany,Italy,andtheSovietUnionyearstodevelop. In those few short

months, the test platoondemonstrated almost all ofthekeycapabilitiesnecessaryto effectively drop combat-ready units into battle.Numerous parachute designswere tested and evaluated,along with lightweightweapons,carryingcontainers,boots,knives,andavarietyofother equipment. They wereracing against time, sincePearl Harbor and America’sentry into the SecondWorld

Warwerejustmonthsaway.Along the way, they

frequently applied a bit ofYankee ingenuity to theirproblems, with sometimessurprising results. Whenseveral of Lee’s officers sawtowers with parachute-droprides at the New YorkWorld’s Fair, they felt thatthe towersmight be of valuein training paratroopers. Sowhen the fair closed down,

theArmyacquired them,andmoved the 250-foot /76.2-meter-tall towers to FortBenning.Todaythreeofthemsurviveontheparadeground,and are still used by traineeswhoattendJumpSchool.The results from Lee’s

early testsweresopromisingthat by early 1941, he hadbeenauthorizedtoenlargehistestgroup to172prospectiveparatroopers. His leadership

abilities were so wellrespected that he had over1,000 volunteers for theenlargedgroup.BillLeewasa man with a vision whorecognizedthequalitiesofthemen who would be his firstparatroopers. He encouragedtheirswaggeranddashbyhisown example, leading fromthe front and never askingthem to do anything that hehimself would not do. Thatwaswhy,at theageof forty-

seven, he made his firstparachute jump. At an agewhen most other Armyofficers might be thinkingabout retirement, he wasbuilding a new combat armforthenation.By 1942, the Army had

seentheworthofLee’sideas,andwasendorsingthemfully.Nowafullcolonel,hehelpedstand up the first twoparachute regiments (the

502ndand503rd)inMarchofthatyear.Threemonthslater,he was a brigadier generalcoordinating plans with theBritish for future airborneoperations. Then, in Augustof 1942, the realbreakthrough came when theU.S. Army decided to formtwo airborne divisions fromthe shells of two infantrydivisions,the82ndand101st.Commandofthe101stfelltoLee, now a major general.

Overthenextyearandahalf,Bill Lee worked himself andthe 101st into combat shape.Seeing the need for thedivision to have heavierequipment, he added glidersto the101st, and laidout thebasic airborne plan forOperation Overlord, thecoming invasion of France.Unfortunately, ill health keptGeneral Lee from fulfillinghis personal dreams ofleadingthe101stintocombat.

He suffered a debilitatingheart attack in February of1944, and was sent home torecover. Disappointed, hehandedovercommandof theScreaming Eagles of the101st to General MaxwellTaylorfortheinvasion.Inhishonor, though, when thetroopers of the 101st jumpedinto the night skies overNormandy on June 6th, theyreplaced their traditional warcry of “Geronimo!” with

“Bill Lee!” Though Bill Leenever fully recovered, anddiedin1948,hehadcreatedalastinglegacyfortheairborneforces. It’s still out there, onthe training ground at FortBenning, where new youngmen andwomen still use thetools that Bill Lee built forthemhalfacenturyago.For today’s student

paratroopers, very little haschanged since Bill Lee and

his test platoon first jumpedatFortBenning.Surprisingly,most of the course andequipment at the U.S. ArmyJump School would still befamiliar to those earlyairborne pioneers. For theyoung men and women whocomeheretobetested,itisajourney to someplace specialin the Army. On this sameparade ground, all the greatnames in airborne historyhave passed: Ridgway,

Taylor,Gavin,Tucker,andsomany more. The studentsknow this, and realize thatthey have started down adifficultroad.Threeweeksonthe Fort Benning traininggroundatthehandsofthe1stofthe507thfrequentlybreaksmen and women who trulybelieved that they had thestuff to be a paratrooper.Somedo,andit is theirstorythatwearegoingtoshowyounow.

TheSchoolhouse:The1stBattalion,507thParachuteInfantryRegiment

Forover fiftyyears therehasbeen a paratrooper JumpSchool at Fort Benning.While some elements of thetraining have been altered inthe course of a half century,

the core curriculum isessentially unchanged fromWorldWar II. The course istaughtandmaintainedby the1st Battalion of the 507thParachute Infantry Regiment(1/507th). The staff ofthe1/507thactsastheArmy’sparachute schoolhouse,maintaining a trainingcurriculum that has trainedparatroops from all over theworld. Also,1/507th providesthese training services for

morethanjusttheU.S.Army.Since other parts of the U.S.military require parachute-trained personnel (NavySEALs,MarineForceRecon,AirForceSpecialOperations,CoastGuardAir-SeaRescue,etc.),the1/507thprovidesthetraining to certify theirpersonnel as jump-qualified.As an added responsibility,numerous other nationsfrequently send their soldiersto Fort Benning to become

paratroopers.The 1/507th is currently

commanded by LieutenantColonel Steven C. Sifers,with Command SergeantMajor William Cox as hissenior enlisted advisor. The1/507th is composed of aheadquarters company andfour training companies(Companies A through D).Within the headquarterscompany are brancheswhich

controlthecurriculumfortheBasicAirbornecourse.Theseinclude ground tower andjump training, as well asseparate curriculums for thejumpmaster and Pathfindercourses, which are alsomanaged by the 1/507th.There is a separate supportunit (Company E) whichprovides maintenance andpacking services for thebattalion’spoolofequipmentand parachutes. The 1/507th

also controls a commandexhibition parachute team(the SilverWings), does off-site (non-resident) jumpmaster and Drop ZoneSafety Team Leader(DZSTL) training, certifiesairborne instructors,conductsairbornerefreshertraining,aswell as writing andmaintaining the Army’sstandard airborne trainingdoctrine.The1/507thhas theenormous job of training up

to 14,000 jump-qualifiedpersonneleveryyear.That’salotofwork!Atthecoreofthe1/507th’s

missionistheBasicAirborneCourse (BAC) program ofinstruction, what the Armyand the students call JumpSchool. The course ofinstructionisshortandtothepoint. It teaches the studentshowtojumpsafelyoutofthetwo primary classes of cargo

aircraft,andthenhowtolandsafely with the basic T-10-series parachute system.JumpSchoolalsoisdesignedto test the physical andmental toughness of theprospectiveparatroopers.

A fully loaded paratrooperduring a demonstration atFort Benning, Georgia.Troopers jumping intocombatfrequentlycarryloadsofover1001bs/45.5kgs.JOHND.GRESHAMTheclass runsover a total

of 125 classroom hours (notincluding physical training)overjustthreeweeks.Week1

involves training on theground, familiarizing thestudent with their newequipment and the basicphysical skills required tooperate it safely.Week2hasthe students training on avariety of towers, includingthe 250-foot/76.2-meter-tallWorld’s Fair units. Finally,Week3involvesthestudentsjumping a total of five timeseach from actual Air Forcetransport aircraft, and

obtaining their final jumpcertification.All this is in addition to a

rigorous regimen of physicaltraining or PT (that’s Armyfor running in formation). Alot of running! In fact, it isthePT that usually results ina student failing or beingdroppedfromJumpSchool.Eachyear,the1/507thruns

a total of forty-four BasicAirborne School (BAS)

classes, each of whichcurrently contains some 370students.Thiscouldcreate,ifall of the studentsprogrammed were tograduate, a pool of some16,200 new paratroopers peryear.Anumberfail todoso,through dropouts andrejections, so this generatesthe approximately 10,000jump-qualifiedpersonnel thatare needed each year. Thisnumber is going down,

though, as budget cuts andpersonnel drawdowns taketheir effect. Current Armyplans have the number ofstudents per class going tojust 307 in FY- 1998,dropping the number ofpossible paratroop graduatesto just 14,300. Surprisingly,most of the students whoreport for Jump Schoolactually pass. Over the pasttwo years (FY-1994 and-1995), of the 31,976

personnel who reported forairborne training, 27,234successfully completed thecourse,anaverageofover85percent.Still, the staff of the

1/507th continually worriesabout the ones who don’tmakeit.Ifyouarewonderingjust how the dropouts aredistributed, the followingtable shows the tale of justwhomakesitinJumpSchool,

andwhodoesnot.U.S. Army ParachuteSchoolEnrollment/GraduationData

Asthetableshows,womenstudentsarethreetimesmore

likely to drop out than theirmale counterparts. This maybe skewed somewhat by thefact that the male studentsoutnumber females by aboutfifteen to one, though. Thevarious reasons for thedropouts are quite obviouswhenyoulookatthem.Jump School Attrition byCause

As the table shows, thevastmajority of the dropoutsare a result of medicalproblems. These range fromsimple sprains and fractures,totheheatinjuriesthatareso

common to Fort Benningduring the terriblemonths ofsummer. Failed PT runs andadministrative problemscover the majority of theremaining dropouts, withother causes (failed landingfall and jump qualifications,etc.)makingupjust5percentof the rest. Therefore, thehigh overall rate ofgraduationfromJumpSchoolis a tribute to theprofessionalismofthestaffof

the1/507th.That professionalism is

most embodied in a smallgroup of noncommissionedofficers (NCOs) who makeup the basic instructor cadreof the 1/507th.These are theBlack Hats, the NCO drillinstructors(DIs)whoperformthedrillingandgenerallycarefor the welfare of the JumpSchool students. While theirheadgear is less imposing

than the Marine Corps DIs’Smoky Bear campaign hats(they wear black baseballcaps), they are just as caringand protective of theircharges.LiketheMarineDIs,the Black Hats provide aninstitutionalmemoryandglueto the Jump School. TheBlack Hats are the tribalelders of the paratroopers,and the keepers of theirtraditions.

JumpSchool:ThreeWeeksatHell’sGate

“Is everybodyhappy?” criedthe sergeantlookingup,Our Herofeeblyanswered,“Yes,” andthentheystood

himup,He leapedright out intothe bast hisstatic lineunhooked,Heain’tgonnajumpnomore!Gory, Gory,whatahelluvawaytodie!Gory, Gory,whatahelluvawaytodie!

Gory, Gory,whatahelluvawaytodie!Heain’tgonnajumpnomore!—TheAirborneMarchingSong “BloodUpon theRisers” (Sungto the tune of“The Battle

Hymn of theRepublic”)

NobodyintheU.S.Armycanbe ordered to go to jumpschool, and everyone whodoesisavolunteer.Still,FortBenning has an excess ofqualified volunteers for thespaces at Jump School, socovetedis theairbornebadgewithin the ranks of the U.S.military. Strangely, the

qualificationstogetinarenotthattough.Youstartbybeingin the Army, and must havecompleted basic training orhave been commissioned asan officer. A potentialairborne trooper must alsohave their firstspecialty/technical school,which defines your basicMilitary OccupationalSpecialty (MOS) code. Thismeansthatastudentcouldbeabrand-newprivatefirstclass

(PFC) who has justcompleted training as aninfantryman or acommunications technicianandthengoesimmediatelytoJumpSchool.Otherthanthis,thequalificationstobecomeaparatrooper are surprisinglyeasy. There are no particularjob specialty requirements,norisrankaconsideration.Student Handout (SH) 57-

1, the basic Guide for

Airborne Students, lays outthe following requirementsthatmustbemetbyasoldierforentryintoJumpSchool:• Volunteer for the BAScourse.

•Belessthanthirty-sixyearsofage.

• Pass the Army PhysicalFitnessTest(APFT).

ApassingscoreontheAPFT

is almost absurdly easy toachieve. It involvessuccessfully completing justthree events (a timed 2-mile/3.2-kilometer run, push-ups, and sit-ups). A healthyperson in even moderatelygood shape canpass this testwith ease. The followingtable summarizes theminimumpassingscores.Therun times are expressed inminutesandseconds,withthepush-ups and sit-ups in

numbersofrepetitions:

APFTScoringChart3

Other than these basic

qualifications,nothingelse isrequired to enter theparatroops. Prospectiveparatroops make anapplicationtotheschool,andare selected on the basis ofmerit and their need for ajumpratingintheircurrentorprojected billet. As wementioned earlier in thischapter, the82ndAirborne ismade up of thousands ofpersonnel with hundreds ofdifferent MOSs. While most

are line infantry and artillerypersonnel, there are alsocooks, doctors, truckmechanics,andclerks.Allofthemmustbejump-qualified.Generally, though, mostapplicants tend to be fairlyyoung, and probably a bitmorecareer-oriented.Once soldiers have been

selected, they report to FortBenning for the three-weekcourse of instruction that is

the Basic Airborne Council(BAC),orJumpSchool.Withforty-four such classes peryear, there isa lotofoverlapbetweenclasses,andwewereable to see BAC students inall three weeks of theircourse. Each Jump Schoolclass is composed of some370 candidate students,though thisnumberwilldropto307by1998.Mostarriveaday or two early to get usedto theweather (whichcanbe

wicked in the summer!), andarehoused in thehugegroupof visitor-billetingdormitories on the easternside of the base. These areSpartanlittlerooms,thoughithardly matters. The BACstudentswillspendverylittletimeintheirrooms.To show us around, Ms.

Monica Manganaro, the FortBenning Public AffairsOfficer (PAO),hookedusup

with Major Rob Street, theOperations Officer (S-3) ofthe1/507th.Theytookmetosee the various phases ofJump School, while doingtheirbest tokeepmealiveinthe killing heat of August1996.Each BAC class starts

earlyonaMondaymorning.Isay early, since the studentsmust be ready for their firstPT run of the day by 0600

(that’s6:00AM,folks).BACstudentsareexpectedtoshowup in exceptional physicalshape, and are tested fromtheir first moments with theBlack Hats. Earlier we toldyou how easy the physicalqualifications to enter BACwere, and they are. But thephysical strength andendurance to stay in andfinish are somethingcompletelydifferent.

Each day starts with agrueling run, which everystudentmustcompleteiftheyare not on some sort ofmedicalwaiver.Someofyoumight think that starting theday with a nice run is awonderful idea, but at FortBenning, it is anything but.Most of the year, butespecially in the summermonths, the sunrisetemperatures are above 80°F/27° C, with humidity

frequently in the 80 to 90percent range. Heat indexesinexcessof100°F/38°Carenot only common, butexpected. This makes themorning runs a thing to bedreaded by every student. Ifyou fall out of even just onemandatoryrun,youareoutofJumpSchool.Justthatquick!The runs start out at 2.4miles/3.86 kilometers inlength, and are graduallylengthenedoverthecourseof

the threeweeks training to 4miles/6.4 kilometers. Each isdone in formation, with theBlack Hats setting a nine-minute-per-mile/five-and-one-half-minute-per-kilometer pace through achorusofcadences.13

BAS students hate the PTrunsforgoodreason.Eveninthepre-dawnhours,thathalf-hour run soaks the traineeswith sweat. Their muscles

begin to ache and bind up.Thereallybadnewsisthatifyou don’t fold up one day,youmay do so the next day.The runs are an extremelyhigh-impact form of exercisethat is very tough on jointsandmuscles.Thepoundingisprogressive, and it eithertendstobuildaperson’sbodyup,orwreckit.Asyousawinthe table earlier, failed PTruns account for almost 20percent of the dropouts and

are a secondary cause ofmanyother injuries.RunninginthehighheatandhumidityofFortBenningisacauseoffrequent heat injuries,including rapid dehydrationand possible heat stroke. Inparticular, ifstudentssufferajump injury in another phaseof training, like a sprainedankleorfoot,thereisnowaythat theywill beable tohideit on the following day’s PTrun. If the students submit

themselves to the infirmary,and they receive a profile (adoctor’s order limitingphysical activity), dependingon the severity of the injury,theymaybedroppedfromthecourse or recycled (sent toanothertrainingcompany).While this may sound

rather unfair, the PT runsserve a variety of purposes.First, the runs verify that thestudents are in proper

physical shape for thechallengesthattheymayfaceintheairborne.TherunsalsoprovidetheBlackHatswithagauge for measuring thephysical toughness of thefuture paratroopers. Theairborne lifestyle is rough onaperson’sbody,anditisbestto find out one’s durabilityearly. Since an airbornerecruitisonlyallowedtomissone run (unless they presentthemselves as injured to the

medical department), thosewho are brittle or weak tendto fall out early. The BlackHats like to say that if youcan survive BAC and yourfirst few years of airborneduty without a major injury,you will probably stay thatwayforyourwholecareer.Right after eachmorning’s

run, the recruits aremarchedover to the mess hall, wheretheyaregiventheirchoiceof

breakfast, and a fewminutesto catch their breath. Asmight be expected of anArmypost in theheartof theold Confederacy, the menucontains such favorites asgrits (yuk!), biscuits andgravy, and other “classic”Army fare such as “SOS.”14There also is lighter fare,acknowledgment that timesand dietary preferences arechanging. Whatever their

choice, the BAC studentswolf down their food, eatinghearty and drinking all thecoffee they can hold. Theywill need the energy andfluids, because they areheadedbackoutside, into theheat and humidity, wheremost of Jump School takesplace.After breakfast each day,

the BAC class is marchedovertotheparadegroundfor

training.OnthefirstMonday,though, the class is marchedover to the parade areamentioned previously, fortheir first introduction to theparatrooper world. Seated inbleachers,theyarethengivena combination pep talk andprimeronwhatwillhappentothem in the coming threeweeks. Called the “Airborne5,000,” the presentationshows the BAC students allof the skills that theywillbe

required to learn anddemonstrate.In addition, they are given

a good dose of what theBlack Hats call “HOOAH”talk.15 This is delivered byboth the commanding officer(Lieutenant Colonel Sifers)andcommandsergeantmajor(Sergeant Major Cox) of the1/507th,andisbothinspiringanddaunting.Usingthegoodcop-bad cop method of

communication, they tag-teamthenewBACclasswiththegoodnews(mostof themwill be airborne trooperssoon) and the bad news (therestwon’t) about the comingthreeweeks.Inparticular,thesergeant major drills homethepoint that there aremanyways to flunk out of BAC,most of them just plainstupid. Failing to followorders, ignoring a safetyregulation, not completing a

run,orjustgettingdrunkonaday off are all reasons forbeing expelled fromBAS. Inparticular,hemakesthepointthat just making all the runsand completing five jumpsdoes not make a student aparatrooper. Only his say-soand that of the Black Hatsgive Jump School candidatestheirairbornecertification.The whole presentation is

like something out of the

openingof themoviePatton,and is designed to have thesame effect. There is apositiveairofexcitementandesprit in the air, even in theway students are expected torespond to the Black Hats.Whenever addressed by aBAC cadre member, theappropriate affirmativeansweris“Airborne,Sir!”

SergeantMajorWilliamCox,the Senior Non-CommissionedOfficer of the

1/507th. He supervises thetrainingofstudentparatroopsforthebattalion.JOHND.GRESHAM

Student paratroops at FortBenning, Georgia, yell ahearty, “Hu Ahhh!” during

the Airborne 5,000DemonstrationOrientation.JOHND.GRESHAMFollowing another healthy

round of shouted“HOOAHs,” the class isshown a series ofdemonstrations of variousairborne techniques that theywill have to master. Skillslike parachute landing fallsand exit tucks are shown tothe trainees to give them

someideaofwhatistocome.Theyarealsoshownsomeofthe training apparatuses thatthey will use during thefollowing few weeks. Theseinclude everything fromswingharnessesandstandstoteach aircraft exits andlandings, to the 34-foot/10.4-meter and 250-foot/76.2-meter drop towers. It is anexcitingpresentation,andyoucan feel the growingenthusiasmintheyoungmen

andwomen as they sit there,watching intently. You alsosee them sweat, which isgoing to be one of theirprimary occupations in thedays to come. That’s notsurprising since most of theBAS classrooms are merelyopen-air sheds, with littlemore than a wooden roof tokeepthesunandrainofftheirheads.During all ofmy touroftheBASfacilities,Isawnoair-conditioned classrooms.

This is a truly brutal way tolearn, but what you have toendure if you aspire to theairborne.Following the Airborne

5,000, the BAS students andtheir Black Hats get rightdown to business. The firstclasshas thestudent learningto do mock exits from asimulated aircraft fuselage.Other drills and classesfollow, anddon’t let upuntil

graduation, three weekshence. The BAS coursegenerally follows thecurriculumshowninthetablebelowfor the restof the firstweekofBAS:Basic Airborne CourseTrainingSchedule—Week1

Week 1 has the BAC

students becoming familiarwiththeirnewequipmentandwith basic exit/landingprocedures. Their trainingfocus,otherthanthegruelingprogram of PFTs, are thevarious PLFs, or ParachuteLanding Falls. These areessentiallytumblingexercisesdesigned to allow a loadedparatroopertosafelylandinavarietyofdifferentconditionsandterrains.Forexample,theproper PLF for landing on

soft dirt or grass is to landwith your legs bent, and torollintothedirectionthattheparachute is drifting. ThePLFs are necessary to a safeand successful landing.Attempting to land straightand rigid will only result inbroken bones and uselesscasualties, burdening anairborne task force in theirLZ.Along with the PLF

training, the BAC studentsspendalotoftimeonthe34-foot/10.4-meter trainingtowers. These are three-storytowers much like the onesused by U.S. Park ServiceRangers to watch for forestfires. The 34-foot/10.4-metertowersareusedtofamiliarizethestudentswithsomeoftheforces and feelings that theywill experience when theystart jumping out of actualaircraft.

All kinds of jumptechniquesarepracticedfromthese towers. These includeeverything from single-person exits to getting a fullstickoftroopers(uptoeight)out as quickly as possible.The students’performance inthese exit drills are scored,and become a part of thequalifications that they mustpass if they are to completeBAC.

My researcher, JohnGresham,volunteeredtogivethe 34-foot/10.4-meter towera try, andBlackHats startedbyfittinghimwithasix-pointharnessandsetofrisers.Theharness is a tight fit,especially around the crotcharea.Thistightfitisessentialto avoid a debilitatingpersonal injury to the malestudents, if you get mymeaning! Once John wasfitted, hewaddled up several

flights of stairs to the top ofthe tower. There, the BlackHats attached the risers to aspecialwire,whichrunsfroman exit door on the tower tothebaseof a large steel poleapproximately 100 feet/30.5metersaway.TheBlackHatsnow toldhim tostepoff,nottojumpfrom,theedgeoftheplatform,whilefocusingonalandmarkinthedistance.

A student paratrooper duringtraining jumps from one ofthe thirty-four-foot towers.

The student troops use thisand many other trainingdevicesduringjumpschool.JOHND.GRESHAMLooking a little nervous,

John approached the doorexit, and stepped off intospace.Asweallwatched,hedropped about 10 feet/3meters; then the riserssnapped onto the guy wire,and John was off on a rapidridedownthewiretothebase

of the steel pole. He wasbouncinglikeaminnowonafish line, but rapidlystabilized and reached up tograbtherisers,ashehadbeeninstructedby theBlackHats.My immediate relief at hisnot having fallen over threestories to the ground wasrapidly overtaken by therealizationthathewasheadedstraighttowardthesteelpole!Before I could voice myconcern, his risers hit a stop

in the wire, swinging himhigh in the air, but stoppinghim before impacting thepole. As he swung backdown,twoBlackHatswereatthereadytograbhimandgethimdown.A few minutes later, I

joinedhimat thebaseof thetowertohearhisimpressionsoftheride.Heconfirmedthatthings had happened so fastthathewasalmosttothepole

before he knew what wasgoing on. He also confessedthat the harness, while tightandsomewhatconfining,washighly effective in spreadingthe loadsof the risers evenlyoverhisbody.Thisisjustoneof themany experiences thatBAC students have in theirfirst five days at FortBenning.The end of the first week

comes none too soon for the

BACstudents,mostofwhomspend the coming weekendsleeping and healing fromany minor injuries that theymight have acquired duringthe week. By this time, theyhave probably made a fewmajorrealizationsaboutJumpSchool.One is thatBAChasvery little do with combat.Those skills will come withtheir assignment to anairborne unit later. Rightnow, toughness, endurance,

and the ability to work withequipment thatwillkill themif used improperly are thekeys to finishing BAC withthe coveted paratrooper’sbadge.Forsomestudents,though,

the weekend can bring thepacking of bags and thebeginning of a long drive upthe road toAtlanta, andbacktowherevertheystartedfrom.These are the BAC trainees

that have failed to make thecut somehow, and have beenforced to drop the course.Most dropouts occur in thefirstweekofBAC,andthosewho do drop out are bitterlydisappointed. For those whohave survived the firstweek,though, Week 2 brings awhole new series ofexperiences.Monday of the second

week brings a new start, and

new challenges. By now, thePT runs are 3.5 miles/5.6kilometerslong(bytheendofthe week, they will be aneven 4miles/6.4 kilometers),and the tower jumps arealmost eight times higher!Thestudentsalso spenda lotof the week in swingharnesses and other devicesto teach them about thedynamics of descending tothegroundunderaparachutecanopy.

Along with the towertrainingandendlessPT runs,there also are some indooracademics during Week 2.These are geared towardgetting the students ready tohandle an actual parachuterig.Thingsarerapidlygettingserious now, because thefollowingMondaywill bringwith it the first real jumpsfrom aircraft. It is somethingto think about as they enjoytheir secondweekend at Fort

Benning. Week 2 is a busytime, and the following tableshowsitscurriculum:Basic Airborne CourseTrainingSchedule—Week2

Along with more work onthe 34-foot/10.4-metertowers,thestudentsgettodoa drop from the big 250-foot/76.2-meter towers, toteachthemaboutthefeelingsof falling free and thendescending under a nyloncanopy. These towers havebeen used for over fivedecadestoteachtheskillsandsensations of a parachuteopening and then descendingto the ground. Getting the

students comfortable withthese things is essential,because the followingMondaywillseethemputtingon a live parachute rig andjumping from an aircraft forthefirsttime.For the BAS students, a

250-foot/76.2-meter towerdropbeginsbybeingstrappedintoaharness/riserensemble,which hangs from a fullydeployed parachute. This

parachute is held above thestudent by an umbrella-shaped mesh fitting, whichhangsfromoneoffourmetalsuspensionarmsat thetopofthe tower. When the studentis firmly strapped in, and theBlack Hats are satisfied thatall is ready, a signal isgiventothetoweroperator,andthewhole assembly—student,harness, and parachute—ishoistedupsome250feet/76.2meters. When the assembly

reaches the top of the tower,onelastsafetycheckismade.This done, the operatorreleases the assembly, anddown the studentgoes.Sincethe parachute is alreadydeployed in the containmentcage, the student descends atacomfortablesinkratetotheground inalmost totalsafety.About theonly thing that thestudent has to do right is aproperPLFontheplowed-upareaaroundeachtower!

The thirdMondayofBACis a watershed for thestudents: their first jumpswith real parachutes fromaircraft.Bythistime,though,whatever terror there mighthave been for the students isprobably gone. Daily 4-mile/6.4-kilometer PT runsand the training of theprevious two weeks havebegun to make them feeluntouchable,and theirbodiesarebecominglikerocks.It is

amazing what just fourteendays of heavy physicalactivity can do to a person.When they arrived at FortBenning, they were justsoldiers.Nowtheyarewithinjust days of achieving analmostmythical statuswithinthe Army: airborne. Thecurriculum for this third andfinal week of Jump Schoollookslikethis:Basic Airborne Course

TrainingSchedule—Week3

Student jumpers during atraining jump from one ofFort Benning’s 250-foottrainingtowers.Thesetowersoriginally were used as ridesduring the 1939-1940 NewYorkWorld’sFair.JOHND.GRESHAMAs you can see, the entire

scheduleforthethirdweekofBACisdesignedtoprovideatleast five opportunities foreach student to jump from

actual aircraft. The jumpsmustincludedropsfrombothC-130 Hercules and C-141BStarlifter transport aircraft.The jumpsmust also includeamixofdayandnightjumps,with single and mass jumpscenariosmixed in.AllBACjumpsaredonewiththebasicT-10 parachute system at anearby DZ just over theAlabamaborder.16KnownasFryar DZ, it is a fairly large

DZ (over a mile/almost twokilometers long) that is bothwide and soft (the ground,that is!). Italso is less thanafive-minute flight from theairfield at Fort Benning,minimizing the turnaroundtime between trainingmissions.ThethirdMonday,Week3

ofBAS,beginswiththenow-standard 4-mile /6.4-kilometer PT run, followed

byanindooracademicperiodtopreparethemfor theirfirstjump. This includes aparticularly terrifying safetyfilm on how to deal withparachute malfunctions.While unusual these days,such emergencies do takeplace.With the finish of thesafety film, the students arebused over to the equipmentshed for the issue of theirparachutes and otherequipment.

These are supplied byCompany E of the 1/507th,which provides packing andmaintenance services for theJump School. Theseparachutes are lovinglymaintainedinashedneartheairfield by an expert staff ofparachute packers. Inside theshed are a series of longtables, where enlistedtechnicianslayouttheT-10s,fix any problems, and hand-pack every one. This matter

ofhand-packingisimportant,since a fabric device ascomplex as the T-10 simplycannot be assembled andpacked by a machine. Onlyhuman hands and eyes havethe sensitivity to feelinconsistencies in the canopyfolds,ornotewearonshroudlines. Parachute packing isnot somuch a skill as an artform, and the personnel ofCompanyEknowthat.

Packing a T-10 maincanopy starts with the riggertaking a previously jumpedparachute from a recoverybag, and spreading it alongone of the long packingtables. Once the chute isspreadandinspectedforwearortears,theriggermakessurethattherearenotanglesintheshroud lines, and begins tofoldit.FoldingtheT-10maincanopy takes only a fewminutes, with the rigger

basically doing the exactreverseofwhattheslipstreamdoes when the parachutedeploys. The packinginvolves a lot of folding,kneading,andtyingoffcordstogettheparachutedowntoatiny fraction of its inflatedsize.Oneoftheoddestthingsabout parachute packing isthe practice of securingvarious flaps and parts withwhat looks like shoestringsand rubber bands. These are

frangibleties,whichareusedto hold parts of the T-10 inplaceuntil theyaresubjectedtospecificloadsuponreleaseof the static line. Once thestatic line yanks the T-10canopy free, the cords andbands break, releasingvarious parts of the canopysystem, allowing it to inflatesafely. This assumes, ofcourse, that the riggers havedone their job properly. Itonly takes a skilled rigger a

few minutes to fold a T-10and secure it to its backpackbag.Once the packing job iscompleted, the rigger signsthe parachute log, certifyingthatitissafetouseandreadyto be issued. This is doneregularly because a T-10,properly packed andmaintained, isgood forup toonehundredjumps.Wewereinvitedtowatcha

groupofWeek3BASstudent

go through their first jumps,and were excited at theopportunity. Around noon,Monica Manganaro andMajor Rob Street drove usdown to the flight line tofollow the students throughwhat would probably be oneof the most memorableexperiences of their lives.When we arrived, the BASstudentswere already gettingready for their jumps.Dressed in standard battle

dress uniforms (BDUs),Kevlar “Fritz” helmets (alsocalled “K-Pots”), and jumpboots,theywouldjumptodaywithout any loads. Jumpslater in theweekwouldhavethem carrying simulatedloads, similar to what theywould carry on operationaldrops.Oncethetraineeswerein their harness/parachuterigs, they were bused to adilapidated old shed on theedge of the airfield to wait

their turn to walk onto anaircraft for their first jumps.Theshed,whichdatesbacktoWorld War II, has no air-conditioning,andwasblazinghot and deathly humid. Wewatched the first group ofstudents waiting to walk outto their assigned aircraft,lookingalittlenervous.Onlylarge fans did anything tokeep the airmoving, and thestudents saton longbenches,sweating and checking each

other’sgearastheywaited.

A parachute rigger fromCompany E, 1/507thParachute Infantry, finishespacking a T-10M mainparachute canopy. A goodrigger can repack severaldozen such parachutes perday.JOHND.GRESHAMAt 1400 (2:00 PM) it was

time for the studentparatroopstoloadup.OutontherampwereaC-130anda

C-141. The BAS studentswere led rapidly out to theirrespective aircraft, and theplane engines started soonafter. Watching the lines ofyoung troopers marching upthe ramps of the transportaircraft was impressive. Thisday, Major Street wouldhimself make a proficiencyjump (to help keep his jumpqualification current) fromthe C-141 with an MC1-1steerable parachute. He

wouldbe the first oneout oftheStarlifter.As the two aircraft taxied

off towards the runway, Ms.Manganaro, John, and Ihopped into our car(thankfully air-conditioned!),andheadedovertheAlabamastate line to theFryarDZ, towatchthedrops.Ontheleadaircraft(theC-

141Starlifter),theshortflightto the DZ gave the

jumpmasters and loadmastersjustbarelyenoughtimetogothrough an abbreviated pre-drop checklist. As the flightcrews established an orbitaroundtheDZ,theygavethejumpmastersawarningtogetready, and the jumpmasterswenttowork.Attenminutesto drop, the BAC studentswere ordered to get ready.First the personnel sitting onthe outboard seats wereorderedtostandup,followed

by the inboard group. Onceeveryone was standing, thestudent paratroops nowformed into a pair of 16-person lines (called“chalks”)running down the port andstarboardsidesoftheaircraft.Orderedtohookupthestaticlines of their parachutes to awire (the anchor line cable)running the length of thecargocompartment,theyeachdid so, then gathered up theslackandbegantheshortwait

until the jump. At fiveminutes to go, the studentswereordered to“checkstaticlines” tomake sure that theywere clear of obstructions,and then to check the rest oftheir equipment. This done,the jumpmaster had eachjumper sound off an “OK!”signal. By now thejumpmasters had opened theside jump doors, and theflight crew had slowed theaircraft to130knots andhad

beguntowatchfortheDZ.Atthis point, the aircraft startedtheapproach leg to theFryarDZ.17

It was almost 1430 (2:30PM), the planned time-on-target(TOT)forthefirststickof students, by the time wereached the Fryar DZ. Thesun was blazing downviciously with thetemperatures near 100°F/37.8°C.Withthehumidity

over 80 percent, this gave usa heat index of over 115°F/37.8° C. That is a killingheat which can cause heatstroke or exhaustion in amatterofminutes.Toprotectus, the medical corpsmanassigned to the DZ safetyvehicle immediately gaveeach of us a plastic waterbottle,andorderedustostartdrinkingitasfastaswecouldcomfortably do so. He alsotold us that when it was

empty, we were to refill itfroma large cooler andkeepdrinking.So rapidlywerewesweating off moisture fromourbodies that itwas almostimpossible toavoidat leastaminor case of dehydration.Along theDZ, several dozenBlack Hats were gettingready for the first jumpersoftheafternoon.

Jump school trainees sweatand wait prior to their firstairborne training drop.

During the wait, they areconstantly checking theirequipment.JOHND.GRESHAMThentheDropZoneSafety

Officer (DZSO)called,“Fiveminutes!” meaning that thefirst stick of student trooperswould jump shortly. Theaircraft steadied up at analtitude of 1,000 feet/305meters,anddroppedspeed to130 kn/240 kph. About this

time, we heard the four jetengines of the Starlifterheading into the DZ. Up inthe C-141, the jumpmastersordered the jumpers at theheadof the lines tostandby.First up would be MajorStreet with his steerableparachute. Standing in thestarboard side door, RobwatchedastheDZcameintoview, waiting for the signallighttogogreen.Atthesamemomentthatthelightflashed,

thejumpmasteryelled,“Go!”andRobwasoutthedoorinaflash. His static linedeployed,openinghisMC1-1steerable parachute, and hewas on his way down to theDZ. Back in the aircraft, thejumpmaster was yelling“Go!”tothestudentjumpersin each chalk at a slow,regular pace designed toprovide a good separationbetweenstudentjumpers.Theidea was to minimize the

chancesofamidaircollision.Tighter mass jumps withloads and at night wouldcome later in the week forthis class. For now, though,this jump was beingconducted in daylight withextremesafetymarginsforallconcerned.This turned out to be an

excellent idea, because wegotachancetoseeoneofthemore bizarre anomalies that

canoccur in theworldof theairborne. Earlier in thischapter we discussed thehuge loads that tend to becarried by combat jumpers.During early training jumps,though, some jumpers canactuallybetoolightlyloaded.Someofthesmallerstudents,particularly the female ones,are so light that theirparachutescanactuallyriseinastrongupdraft!Wesawthishappen several times in the

horrible August heat, andwere amazed that it tooksometimes five minutes forthese jumpers to reach thesafetyoftheground.The C-141 was able to

drop thirty-two studentsduring thefirstpassonFryarDZ,thenbankedlefttosetupfor another run. With acapacity of over a hundredjumpers,itwouldtakeatleastfive runs to empty out the

backendoftheStarlifter.ButbeforetheC-141couldreturnforanotherrun,theC-130wehadseenontherampzoomeddownanddumpedabouthalfofitsloadofstudenttroopersonto the DZ. Other C-130sbegan to enter the pinwheelof airplanes around the DZ.Forthenexthourorso,abigAirForcetransportwouldlaydown another stick or chalkof students for the first jumpoftheirArmyAirbornecareer

abouteverytwominutes.A “chalk” of studentparatroopers boards an AirForceC-141Starlifterpriortotheirfirsttrainingjump.Eachstudent must complete fivesuch jumps to receivecertification as an ArmyParatrooper.JOHND.GRESHAM

Down in Fryar DZ, wewatched asMajor Street andthe student jumpers came

downalongtheroadthatrunsdown the centerline of theDZ, which constituted theiraimpoint. Major Street wasthe first down, hitting thegroundwithinyards/metersofthe personal point of impactnear the DZSO’s HMMWV.Once on the ground, hereported to the DZSO to lethim know about the windconditions as well as thevicious thermal that wascreating severe updrafts for

some jumpers at the lowerend of the zone. Along theroad, Black Hat instructorswere coaching the studentsdown during the final phaseof their descent. As eachstudent neared the ground,BlackHatsurged themtosetup for a good PLF position.Most seemed todowell, andno injuries were suffered bythe almost three hundredjumpers who would hit thesilkthatafternoonforthefirst

time.This isnotalways true,though. Landing injuries arecommon in the airborne, anda loss of 3 to 5 percent ofpersonnel to broken legs andsprained ankles and backs ina combat jump is common.Today’s jump was perfect,except for the heat. As soonas they hit the ground, eachstudent gathered up theparachute canopy, stuffed itinto a large green aviator kitbag,droppeditatacollection

point for return to CompanyE, andclearedoutof theDZto board buses back to FortBenning.Forallconcerned,itwasagoodday.In the four remainingdays

of BAC, the students wouldjump four more times. Eachjumpwould be progressivelymoredifficult,requiringmoreof each student to completethe exercise successfully. ByThursdaynight,except in the

event of a weather delay orphysical injury makeup, thestudents would have all butfinished Jump School. Theywould have turned in theirequipment and practiced fortheir graduation parade, andwould be packing theirpersonal gear for the trip totheir next assignment post.All that is really left at thispointisthegraduationparadeand ceremony. At thiscelebration, each BAC

graduate is awarded theparatrooperwings that are soprizedby their owners.Laterthatsameday,theywillheaddown the road to their newlifeintheairborne.Theywillhavejoinedanelitefewinthemilitary forces of the UnitedStates and the rest of theworld. And no matter whatthey may do, or what theirfuture in the Army is, theywill always be paratroopers.However, from the point of

view of the 82nd AirborneDivision back at Fort Bragg,the job of making theparatrooper is only half donewhen they graduate fromBAS. While Jump Schoolteachesskillsandhardensthemind and body, it doesnothing per se to make thestudents better warriors intheir chosen MOS. The restof what makes a paratroopertough happens when theycomethroughthegatetoFort

Bragg.Major Rob Street, theOperations Officer of the1/507th, leads a “chalk” ofstudent paratroops on theirfirst training jump. He isusing a steerable MC1-1canopy, as opposed to thenormalT-10C(non-steerable)unit being used by the otherjumpers.JOHND.GRESHAM

Tothe82nd:Dutyon

theLine

Sincetherearerelativelyfewjump-capableunits left inthepost-ColdWarU.S.Army, itis likely that any newlyfrockedparatrooperswillstarttheirairbornecareersat82ndAirborne. The 82nd, at FortBragg,NorthCarolina, is theone division-sized unit of itstype still left, and every

paratrooper spends at leastsome time assigned there.Mostnewparatroopersgoingtothe82ndwindupatoneofthe division’s three airbornebrigade task forces. Thesethreeunits, eachbuilt arounda reinforced parachuteinfantry regiment (the 504th,505th, or 325th), comprisethe bulk of the 82nd’s massand strength, and are wheremostairbornetrooperschoosetospendtheircareers.It isin

these three brigades that thefinal job of polishing andfinishing new paratroopers isaccomplished. Jump Schoolmayteachtheskillsofhowtoenter a battlefield byparachute, but the esprit decorps thatmakes an airbornetrooper a lethal weapon ofnationalpolicy is instilledbythevariousunitsofthe82nd.Alltoooften,peoplefixateonthe delivery method ofairborne troops, and forget

that they need to fight oncetheyaresafelyontheground.Often alone, cold, hungry,and scared, these troopersmustfighttotheirobjectives,no matter what the odds. Inshort, they need to be taughtthemeaningof“AlltheWay”(the official paratroopermotto), and LGOP (littlegroupsofparatroopers).Now, let us suppose that a

new paratrooper (in this case

an infantryman) has joinedone of the infantry units of1st Brigade/504th ParachuteRegiment. Following in-processing, the young man(only males are currentlyallowed by law in front-linecombat units) will probablybe assigned to an infantryplatoon within one of thebrigade’s three battalions.Oncesettledinhisnewhome,he’s thrown into the fire ofairborne life with the 82nd.

This includes the eighteen-weekalertcycle,aswellasalot of training and numerousfieldexercises.Student paratroopscompleting their first landingat Fryar Drop Zone. The“black hat” instructors arecoaching the students intogoodlandingfallpositionstoavoidinjuries.JOHND.GRESHAM

It is these last two pointsthat the 82nd uses to helpmake a new paratrooper intoausefuldeviceofwar.Trainand exercise. Train andexercise. Train and exercise.By the time a paratrooperfinishes his first tour of dutywith the82nd,he’llprobablyboth love and hate thesewords. Love because theseare the things that a soldier

goes into the Army to do.Hate because they take thatsoldier away from his homeand family. However, theseare the things that theydo togetandremaincombatready.Thetrainingschedulefora

combat paratrooper isimpressive. The morning PTruns that started at JumpSchool are still there, andrunning at Fort Bragg is justas challenging as at Fort

Benning. General Keane(whowemet in the previouschapter) hasmade a point ofemphasizing the need formore physical fitness withinthe units of XVIII AirborneCorps in general, and the82nd in particular. Everymorning and evening, eitherinformationoralone,youseetroopers running to cadencearoundtheposttostayfitandtough.Alongwithstayingfit,there is weapons and tactics

skillstraining.ItisamatterofsomediscomforttotheArmyleadership that the Marinestendtoestablishandmaintaintheircombatskillsearlierandat a higher level thancomparable Army units. Theonerealexceptiontothisruleis the airborne. Because ofthe necessarily high level ofreadiness associated withtheir forced-entry missions,they must be trained as wellas,ormaybeevenbetterthan,

their Marine counterparts.This means that shootingskills,alwaysaweakpointinaverage soldiers, is heavilyemphasized inairborneunits.Rather than hosing down atargetwithburstsoffirefroman M16 or M249 SAW, theairbornepreferstheirtroopersto focus on single shots orshort bursts to conserve vitalammunition that might havetoberesuppliedviaairdrop.

Paratroops of the 82ndAirborne Division out on afield exercise. The 82ndregularly exercises theirpersonnel to build combatskillsandesprit.JOHND.GRESHAM

The leadership within the82nd is similarly fanaticalabout developing othercombat skills ranging fromland navigation in darknessand poor weather, to cross-training on heavy weaponslike machine guns, mortars,and antitank missiles. Therealso are plenty of assaultdrills inFortBragg’scombattown (an urban-warfaretraining facility) and fieldsimulation areas, as well as

all-night forced-marchtraining.Somewhere in all of this

training, the new paratrooperis also indoctrinated withsomething of the tradition,history, and folklore of theunit that he has joined. Eachof the brigades has a proudairborne combat historyrangingfromWorldWarIItoDesert Storm. Before long,the new trooper will have

bonded with his fellowparatroops, his units, and thelegendthatistheairborne.Heisnowoneofthem.Allthat’sleftnowistotest

the new trooper. Seeing thatcombat is both a rare andpotentially disastrous way todo this, the leadership of theArmysees to it that the82nd(oratleastsomepartofit)isincluded in almost everymajorfieldexercisebeingrun

around the world. From theJoint Task Force Exercises(JTFEX) supervised by U.S.Atlantic Command(USACOM) to the annualBrightStarmulti-nationalwargamesruninEgypt,the82ndis almost always there. Infact, a new 82nd trooper canprobably count on beinginvolved in at least three tofoursuchexerciseseachyear.These exercises are theclosestthingtoactualcombat

that a typical soldier willexperienceinhisorherArmycareer. Tops among theseexercisesisatriptotheJointReadiness Training Center(JRTC) at Fort Polk,Louisiana. Structured muchlike the National TrainingCenter (NTC) at Fort Irwin,California, it is designed togive the infantry the samekinds of force-on-force andlive-fire training experiencesthat armored units get at the

NTC.Allthisisinadditiontothe other training and alertduties that the young trooperwillbeinvolvedin.It probably takes between

twelve and eighteen monthsfor the brigade to get a newtrooper fully combat ready.But when they are finallyfinished, it is time to dosomething to enhance thecareer of the paratrooper.Sometimes this means

promotiontoahigherrankorposition of responsibility.Most times, though, theprocess of enhancementinvolves sending the trooperoff to school somewhere toimprove professional skillsand chances of promotion.From the standpoint ofairborne operations, themostinteresting of these schoolsare the Pathfinder andjumpmaster training schools,which teach advanced

airbornewarfareskills.

AdvancedSchools:PathfinderandJumpmaster

When looking at airbornewarfare, some folks focusupon theairbornedeliveryofparatroopersattheexpenseof

fighting skills. This is notwithoutreason.Ifyoucannotget a unit and their gearsafelyontheground,thenthewhole exercise of a combatairdrop will have beenwasted.Unfortunately, the

individual skills taught atJump School are just thebeginningof theequationforputting airborne units safelyon the ground. When the

BAC studentswewatched atFortBenningmade their firstjumpsintotheFryarDZ,theydid so into a well-controlledand surveyed area which isused regularly. Wartimedrops are hardly like thoseinto the Fryar DZ. Ifexperience tells us anything,it is that the process of anairborne unit jumping intocombat is barely organizedchaos. From the Germanassault on Maleme Airfield

on Crete, to the 82nd and101st Airborne fighting inhedgerows behind theNormandy beachhead, DZshave been places that fewparatroopers look upon withfond memories. It thereforemakes sense that you needprofessionals tominimize theproblems of jumping out ofaircraft and into a DZ. Thefolks who make this happenare known as jumpmastersandPathfinders.

Jumpmasters superviseboth the loading and riggingof personnel, equipment, andsuppliesontoaircraft,andtheactual jump/drop operation.They work closely with AirForce loadmasters and Armylogisticians to maximize theeffectiveness and safety ofeach airdrop sortie. On theflip side, Pathfinders are thefolks who go into a field orother open space, and thensurvey and set it up for a

parachute drop or air assaultby helicopters. The Armymaintains special schools forboth jobs at Fort Benning,andwe took the time to lookatthembothduringourvisit.Run by the 1/507th, bothcourses are designed to trainofficersandNCOstobecomethe supervisors or middlemanagement of airborneoperations. The folks whoattend these schools alreadytendtobehighlyproficientin

the technical aspects ofairbornewarfare,andwanttoknow more. In particular,they are soldiers thatunderstand the necessity of asmall cadre of airbornetroopers being able tointernally run theiroperations, without outsideinterference or influence thatmight prove disastrous insome dark DZ on the otherside of the world. You needspecial training to be able to

coordinateactivities like this,andFortBenningistheplaceforthoseclasses.Actually there are two

Jumpmaster Schools. The1/507th runs one at FortBenning, and the other islocated at Fort Bragg. Bothutilize the same coursematerial. The JumpmasterCourse is run over a two-week period, and includessome ninety-four hours of

classroomandfieldexercises.Each year about 1,200personnel enter the course,though only 60 percentactually graduate. It is atough course, with a lot ofsupporting academics anddocumentation required tocomplete it successfully.Each class is made up ofbetween 26 and 50 students,though this number isdropping, much like BACclasssize.Infact,only1,000

students per year areprogrammedtotaketheclassfromnowon.Itisanexcitingand cerebral kind of class.One that appeals to theacademic and tinkerer inmany paratroopers. I reallylikethiscourse!The core curriculum

teaches the students how topackage, rig, and loadpersonnel, supplies, andequipment onto aircraft for

deliveryintoaDZ.Thismaynot sound overly difficultuntilyouconsiderthevarietyof stuff that an airbornedivision like the 82nd cantake with it into combat.Everything from food andwater, to field hospitals and,of course, paratroops. All ofthese things need to bedelivered safely, and theJumpmaster School is whereone acquires the knowledge.Forexample,thereareovera

dozen personal weaponscontainersthatcanbejumpedby paratroops into battle.These are padded containerrolls, which help protect atrooper’s personal weaponsload during a jump andlanding. The most commonone fits the basic M16A2combat rifle that is issued tomost of the personnel in the82nd. There are others,though. These includecontainers to carry mortars,

lightmachineguns,andevenguided missiles. In fact, thenewestcontainer,forthenewJavelin antitank missile, wasjust being qualified for useduringoneofourearlyvisitstoFortBragg.Thelargestandmost difficult container tohandle is the one for theStingerman-portablesurface-to-air missile (SAM). Youhave to be at least 5 feet10/1.75 meters tall to jumpwithit.Eachcontainer,pallet,

andloadisadifferentloadingand rigging challenge,though, and a qualifiedjumpmaster must know howtohandlethemall.While the Jumpmaster

Course sits at the technicalextreme of airborne warfare,the Pathfinder programteaches more in the way offield skills. Back in WorldWar II, Pathfinders were theeliteof theairborne,dropped

in prior to combat jumps tomark the drop zones andprovide scouting.Today theydoasimilar job, thoughtheirtools and procedures are farmore advanced than those oftheirWorldWar II brethren.It should be noted, though,that not all the Pathfinderstudents are paratroopers. Infact, a large percentage ofPathfinders are assigned toairmobile and air cavalry(helicopter) units, since they

also use landing zones (LZ)for their operations. Overall,thePathfinderCourseteachesthefollowingskills:• The technical expertise toplan and execute airmovements, air assaults,airborne and air resupplymissionsforeitherfixed-orrotary-wingaircraft.

• Preparing air mission andbriefingdocuments,aswellas being able to support

theater-level air taskingorders.18

• Controlling and executingDZ and helicopter LZoperations.

• Performing sling-load andother loading/unloadingoperations.

• Acting as part of an AirForce Combat ControlTeam(CCT).

• Conducting DZ/LZ areasurveys.

• Controlling and certifyingother personnel as DZ/LZsupportpersonnel.

The Pathfinder Course istaught in 165.6 hours ofinstruction at Fort Benningover three weeks. While aBAS certification is notrequired to take thePathfinderCourse,itisabusyand highly physicalcurriculum nevertheless. A

great deal of field work iscarried on during the course,and severely taxes theendurance of even veteranparatroops.Only618officersandNCOsareallowedtotakethe course each year, thoughthegraduation rateofaround82 percent means about 540newPathfinderseachyearforthe Army. Each class (thereare thirteen each year) ismade up of between 24 and48 students. It is a tough

class,butthehighgraduationrate tells a lot about theprofessionalismofthe“BlackHats”thatrunthecourse.

Conclusion

The training that we havediscussed in this chapter isreally just a small slice ofwhat the people within the

82ndAirbornereceiveduringtheir careers as soldiers.Nevertheless, I think thatwehave focused on the specificthingsthatmakeparatroopersunique in a world crowdedwith folks who wearuniforms. Airborne troopersare special, much like theMarinesandothereliteforcesthat I have spent time withovertheyears.Aspartofthesmall group of personnelentrusted with forced entry

ontohostileshores,theyhaveaspecialtrustinthemindsofthe National CommandAuthorities and the hearts oftheAmerican people. This iswhy you almost always seeparatroopers there first whena crisis erupts overseas. It’swhattheyhavetrainedtodo.

ToolsoftheAirborneTrade

Asyouhaveprobablyalreadyguessed from the previouschapters, the airbornetroopersofthe82ndAirborneDivision are generallythought to be the elite ofAmerica’sinfantryforces.As

the best of the half-dozen orso infantry divisions in U.S.service, they are equippedwith the best and latestweapons and systems thatallowthemtoplytheirdeadlytrade.Butthereismoretothecombat power of an airborneunit than just a count of therifles, artillery tubes, andmissilelaunchers.Imakethisstatement based upon theknowledge and convictionthat in infantry units, the

soldiers themselves are thecombatpower.Men,wieldingthe deadly tools of theirprofession, are the primarymaneuver units of theinfantry, and this has bothbenefitsanddetriments.On the plus side, well-led

infantry troops are the literaldefinition of “presence” inboth political and militaryterms. Air and naval powerzealots may try to say that

theirparticularinstrumentsofwar give the effects ofpresence, but they pale incomparisonwiththepowerofmenwithgunsontheground.Infantry units have mass

andcoverarea.Theyactuallytake, hold, and live on theground that politicians andnations covet. It is this onecharacteristicthatwillalwaysmakeinfantrythemostusefulof ground units.

Unfortunately, with thesesterling qualities comeliabilities. Hard as armieshave tried, it is as yetimpossible to make aninfantryman who isbulletproof and still able tomove and fight. Also,infantrymen’s mobility andcargo capacity are frequentlybased upon the strength oftheir own legs and backs.This limits how much theycancarry,aswellashowfar

and fast. It also makes themterribly vulnerable comparedtotheircounterpartswhorideintobattleinarmoredfightingvehicles, armed helicopters,or warplanes. Skin and boneare a poor match for themodern bullet and otherantipersonnel devices, andinfantry units tend toaccumulatecasualtiesquicklyas a result. These casualties,in the form of flag-drapedcoffins on the tarmac at

DoverAFB inDelaware, arethe nightmare of everypoliticianwho has aspired tohigh office. Nothing turnspeople against a militaryintervention quicker thanseeing lines of suchcontainers on the eveningnews. Lyndon Johnson andBillClintonfoundthisoutthehard way in Vietnam andSomalia, and the specter ofsuch visions guided GeorgeBushinbothPanamaandthe

PersianGulf.Infantry, therefore, is a

double-edged sword; giftedwith presence and flexibility,but fraught with humanfrailty and costs. In ademocracy which valuesindividualhumanssogreatly,the risks can sometimesparalyze our leaders intoinaction.However, there are things

thatacountrycandotomake

infantry more capable andsurvivable, and thesefrequentlyrevolvearoundtheequipment that is issued tothem.TheUnited States getsmixed marks on this.Throughout Americanhistory, the Department ofDefense (and itspredecessor,the War Department) hasfrequentlyfailedtosupplythetroops with adequatefirearms, clothing, andsustenance. One Civil War

story had the WarDepartmentbuyingcardboardboots, which promptly fellapart when worn! Morerecently, there was theVietnam-era scandal duringtheinitialfieldingoftheM16combat rifle.19 However, theweaponsandotherequipmentcurrently supplied to today’stroopersaregenerallyofgoodquality and design. Notperfect, but pretty good.

Someoftheitemsarethebestof their kind in the world,particularly those involvingelectronic and imagingtechnology.Others,likebootsandrations,stillrequiresomework tomatch thoseofotherarmies. It sometimes seemsthat theUnited States spendsmillions on high-technologyweaponssystems,but fails toput any significant fundstowards keeping troopsproperlydryandshodincold

andwetweather.Things are changing,

though. As we head into the21st century, the U.S. Armyis finally investing seriousfundstoupdatethebasicgearof the infantryman throughthe Force XXI program. Butforthenextdecadeorso,thetroopersofthe82ndAirborneand the other infantrydivisions will have to makedo with versions of what is

already out there. There willbe some limitedmodernization of somesystems,but thingsaregoingto be tight for a long time,giventheneedtobalancethefederalbudget.What follows is a short

description of the numerousitems that American infantryforcesusewhen theyoperateinthefield.Ihopethatasyouread it, you will get some

feeling not only for theweapons, but also for thelifestyleofthefieldsoldier.Itis decidedly different fromthat of Marines on ships oreventhearmoredunitsoftheU.S. Army. No part of ourarmed forcesmore resemblesthe forces that won andprotectedourfreedomsinthe18th and 19th centuries thantoday’s infantry. In today’sinfantry,youcanstill see theadaptability and toughness

that won battles likeYorktown and Gettysburg. Itisatoughlifestyle,morethanjust camping in conditionswhereyoucanshoottheothercampers! You have to reallywant to be an infantryman,which is perhaps why theyfascinatemesomuch.

TheSoldier’sLoad:

PersonalInfantryEquipment

Recruitsshould becompelled.frequentlyto carry aburden of uptosixtypoundsand to marchwith themilitary step,

sinceon toughcampaignsthey face thenecessity ofcarrying theirprovisions aswell as theirweapons.Vegetius,MilitaryMatters, 4thCenturyAD

The only trulylight infantryare thosetroops who goout for a dayor two ofpatrolling andcarry minimalloads(weapons andammo, acanteen or

two, somefood,ablanketandwaterproofsheet, etc.).Even this lightload canweigh thirty toforty pounds,minimum.—JimDunnigan,Digital

Soldiers,1996

To start our look at infantryequipment,itisappropriatetolookatthegearthatasoldiercarries on his person. Thiscan be a considerable load,and is only growing as timegoes on. Such has alwaysbeen the lot of the groundsoldier in history, as the

followingexampleshows.Soldiers in ancient Rome

were not big men, but theyroutinely carried loads ofsixty or eighty pounds onmarches through the frozenforests of Germany or thehellishdesertsofSyria.Afterthe reforms ofMarius in the1st century BC, the Romanlegionary (nicknamed“Marius’s Mule”) was themost formidable foot soldier

on Earth, a position he helduntiltheheavycavalryoftheGoths trampled the EmperorValens and his legions atAdrianople in 378 AD. Thelegionary’s heavy load ofpersonal equipment was aburden, but for centuries itmadehimunbeatable.When today’s American

paratrooper jumps intocombat, he probably carriesthe heaviest average load of

personal equipment of anywarrior in history. Averageloadsofbetween80and120lb/36.3 and 54.4 kg arecommon during combatdrops. Imagine carrying theequivalentofabagofcementon your back as you try tomarchoveradozenmilesintoa combat zone!So let’s lookat “the soldier’s load,” togetsome idea of the challengefacedbytoday’sinfantry.

A fully loaded paratroopershowing off his load.Airborne troopers typically

jump into combat with loadsof between 80 and 120pounds/36 and 55 kilograms,which they must carry intobattle.JOHND.GRESHAM

Clothing/BodyArmor

We’llstartourexaminationof soldiers’ personal gearwithwhat theywearon theirheads: the helmet. Back in

ancient times, the Romanlegionary’s head wasprotectedbyabronzeor ironhelmet, often decorated withdistinctive plumes or ahorsehaircrestsothatofficerscould identify theirownmenin the confusion of battle. Itprovided a minimum ofprotection against the shockof being clubbed or choppedat, and would hardly do onthebattlefieldsoftoday.

Today’s standardAmerican “Fritz” or “K-Pot”helmet is made of DupontKevlar, a synthetic fibermaterial stronger and lighterthan steel. It greatlyresembles the helmets usedbyGermanforces throughoutthiscentury,andprovidesthebest level of cranialprotection available.There isan elaborate internalsuspension system of strapsand padding, and a

replaceable fabric cover thatprovides for attachingcamouflage to make thesoldiermoreinconspicuousinbattle. The K-Pot weighsabout 31b/1.35 kg, and issecured by a chin strap. Forthe paratroops, this is tightlyfastenedbeforeajump.(Thisisonepieceofgearyoudon’twant coming loose in a 130-knot slipstream!) Manyarmies have issued specialparatroop helmets (designed

withextrapadding,orspecialcompact shapes to reducefraying or possibleinterference with parachuteshroud lines), but the U.S.Army considers the standardinfantry helmet, correctlyworn,tobeperfectlygoodforjumping.There are two other items

of headgear carried byparatroops. The soft cottonBattleDressUniform (BDU)

hatisnormallywornoutdoorsinnon-combatsituations.Theother hat is the famousmaroon airborne beret, madeofwoolfeltandadornedwitha regimental badge. This istypically worn on formal orceremonial occasions, or inbarracks. The floppy butdashing beret is thetraditional hat of the Basquepeople, tough mountain folkwho live in the Pyreneesbetween France and Spain,

andwas adopted longagoasa distinctive emblemby eliteFrench Alpine troops. Whenthe first British parachuteregiment was established in1940, it selected the maroonberetasitssymbol(theRoyalTankRegiment alreadyworeblack berets). U.S. ArmyAirborne troops adopted thecustomafterWorldWarII.Moving down from the

trooper’s head,wewant now

toexaminetheclothingwornintobattle.At first inRomantimes, the legionary’s legswere usually bare in allweather. But in the 5thcentury AD, the Romansadopted trousers from theirbarbarian foes and allies.Since that time, uniformshave evolved from aceremonial decoration to apracticaldeviceforprovidingboth protection against theelements and a bit of stealth

fortheinfantry.The modern U.S. BDU is

the product of decades ofresearch and engineering.There are three weights,depending on climate, andseveral camouflage colorschemes: forest green, deserttan, and brown (the troopscall them “chocolate chips”);white and gray formountain/arctic conditions;and a dark, rarely seen

night/urban pattern. Thelightweight shirt and trousersare 100 percent cotton; theheavier weights are 50percent cotton/50 percentsynthetic fiber.BDUsarecutlarge for easy movement, sothey look baggy. Airborneunits, though, with theirtradition of pride in lookingsharp, manage to wear theirBDUswithalittlemorestylethan most Army outfits as aresult of tailoring and

starching.The BDU shirt, usually

wornoveracottonundershirtof standardArmyolivedrab,has reinforced elbows,adjustable cuffs, and fourbutton-down “bellows”pockets for ammunition,food, and other essentials.Thetrousershavetworoomyside pockets, along with theusual frontandbackpockets.Adjustable waist tabs and

drawstring ties at the anklesensure a tight fit around theboot tops. In general, theBDUs are quite comfortableand wear well. In moretemperate climates, troopscarrythewonderful4-1b/1.8-kg “field jacket,” acomfortable and versatilegarment with an optionalbutton-in liner and anattached hood that stowsinsideacleverzippedpouch.

Basedlargelyinthemuggysouthern United States, withmuchofitsrecentoperationalexperience in desert andjungle conditions, the U.S.Army has been slow todevelop good cold-weatherequipment. Back in thesavagewintersof theKoreanWar (1950-53), the Army’soutfits were inferior evenwhen compared to the crudequilted jackets and fur hatsworn by the Chinese

Communistforces.Mostcoldweather injuriesandfatalitiesare not due to frostbite, butrather to hypothermia(excessively low body coretemperature) caused by lossofheatthroughwetgarments.ThenewU.S.ExtendedColdWeather Clothing System(ECWCS) finally reflects thelessons learned by the Armyin Alaska, the U.S. Marinesin Norway, and generationsof research and development

by civilian mountaineeringand camping equipmentsuppliers.Much of the creditfor the success of the newECWCS clothing goes to aremarkable synthetic fabriccalled Gore-Tex. Thislightweight material“breathes” throughmicroscopic pores (9 billionper square in/1.4 billion persquare cm), allowing bodymoisture to escape, butkeepingwarmairinandcold

out. A layer of Gore-Tex issandwichedbetweenlayersofnylon tomake up a light butwarm outer garment. TheInuit (“Eskimo”) peoples ofthe Arctic discovered thisprinciple centuries ago,wearingtheirsuperblycraftedmulti-layer furgarmentswiththe fur on the inside towickmoistureawayfromthebody.The ECWCS includes ahooded parka, gloves, andouter trousers. Gloves are a

toughdesignchallenge,sincethesoldierneedstobeabletofire his weapon, operate aradio, and perform otherprecise tasks without losingany fingers to frostbite. Thecurrentstandardcold-weatherglovesaremadeofleather,inthree sizes, with separatewoolenliners.To a soldier, any soldier,

there is no more importantpiece of personal gear than

boots. You can be starknaked, and still live to fightanotherdayifyouhavebootsto protect your feet as youwalk to shelter. Thelegionary’s feet were shodwith leather sandals, studdedwith iron hobnails fortraction. Two thousand yearslater, there is still no moreflexible and durable basematerial than leather forfootwear. This means thatmost boots still have leather

“uppers.” However, themodern rubber-soled jumpboot does have a steel insertfor protection against punjistakes and similar battlefieldhazards.20 The highlypolished black jump boot isthe revered symbol of theU.S. Airborne forces, evenmore than the beret or thewinged parachute emblem.Any non-airborne-qualifiedsoldierwhoappearsinpublic

wearing jump boots will bepolitely asked (once!) toremove them. The currentjump boot is tall, providingstrong and heavily paddedanklesupport.Thisisvitalinhelping heavily loadedparatroops avoid seriousinjuriesduringlandings.Likea hockey skate, it is tightlybound with “speed laces,”secured by blackened brassfittings.Apairofjumpbootsweighsabout41b/1.8kg,and

several highly regardedmanufacturers, includingDanner and Corcoran,producethem.It is a matter of some

interest that the only really“new” piece of personalequipment that has beenissued to the infantry in thelast half century is bodyarmor (the famous “flakjacket”).Backintheolddays,our legionary’s torso was

protectedby thirtypoundsormore of flexible armor, thelorica (originally made ofchain mail, later fromsegmented steel platesfastenedtoaleatherharness),which was worn over apaddedlinenorwoolentunic.Today’s flak jacket protectsthesamevitalareaswithlessweight and greatereffectiveness through acombination of advancedsynthetic materials (mostly

Kevlar) and metal/ceramicinserts.As thenamesuggests, flak

jackets were originallydevelopedinWorldWarIItoprotect bomber crews fromantiaircraft shell fragments.An improved model waswidely used by Americantroops in Vietnam, where itwas credited with savingthousands of lives. Thecurrentprotectivevestweighs

about 20 1b/9.1 kg, and isdesigned to stop a 7.62mmround at short range. Thebullet may knock you down,or even crack a rib (it willdefinitely leave you severelybruised!), but you will bealive.Airborne troopsdonotnormally jump wearing flakjackets—theweightissimplytoo great. The troops’protective vests are droppedseparately, and are normallywornonpatrolsorwhenclose

combat is expected. Thegreatest complaint about thecurrentvestisthatitistorturein hot weather, since it doesnot “breathe.” For thesereasons, the Army iscontinuing research anddevelopment toward lighter,more breathable protectivegear.The design of effective

body armor depends on aprofound understanding of

the gruesome science of“wound ballistics.” Unlike atank, it is not practical toprotect the soldier’s bodywith a thick mass of dense,rigidmaterial. However, youcan make a flexible (thoughbinding vest) by building updozens of layers of Kevlarfabric running in differentdirections, reinforced withoverlappingmetalor ceramicplates at key points. Thisspreadsouttheimpactenergy

ofabulletorfragmentoverawider area, preventing apotentially lethal penetration.Body armor is particularlyvaluable inpeacekeepingand“operations other than war,”where the hazards are sim-ilarto those encounters bycivilianlawenforcement.Justaskany city cop if he thinksprotective vests are forsissies!

ChemicalProtectiveGear

Since the first use ofchlorine gas as a crudechemical weapon on theWestern Front in 1916,armies have struggled toprovide soldiers witheffective protection fromincreasingly horriblechemical and biologicalthreats. The two recentPersian Gulf Wars haveproven to everyone that the

threat of chemical andbiological weapons is stillvery real, and the 82ndAirborne troopers have to beready for it. To survive, letalonefight,inanenvironmentthat may be contaminatedwith persistent nerve gas,lethal aerosol viruses, orradioactive fallout is aformidable challenge. Thegoal is to completelysurround the soldier with aportable, flexible barrier

through which only sound,light,andfilteredaircanpass.The long-term problems ofeatingandeliminatingbodilywaste make this virtuallyimpossible, so the practicalobjective is to survive longenoughtocompleteamissionand reach a safe area wheretroops who have been“slimed” (exposed tochemical agents) candecontaminate themselvesand their equipment. This

problem has been reducedslightly, since U.S. tacticalvehicles and many items ofequipmentarepaintedwithacostly Chemical AgentResistant Coating (known as“CARC” paint) that does notabsorb toxic agents, andstands up to the harshchemicals needed todecontaminatesurfaces.21

The basic piece ofnuclear/biological/chemical

(NBC) protective gear is theM40 protective mask carriedby every U.S. infantryman.TheM40 isa silicone rubbermask that fits tightly againstthe face. Large binoculargoggles provide goodperipheral vision and can becovered with removabletinted inserts. A flexible“voice emitter” covers themouth area (this allows theuse of voice communicationsgear), and there is adrinking

tube designed for a specialcanteen adapter. Areplaceable filter canisterscrews into the left or rightside,usuallytheoppositesidefromwherethesoldierwouldhold his personal weapon toaim it. The filter canisterscontain layers of elementsthat trap the mostmicroscopic airborneparticles and droplets. Thisincludes activated charcoal(this absorbs many toxins),

treatedpaperandfabrics,andother components that theArmy would probably rathernotdiscuss.Along with the mask, a

rubberizedfabrichoodcoversthesoldier’sheadandneck—the normal “Fritz” helmet isworn over the hood andmask. In a riot-controlscenario, with simple tear(CS) gas or other irritants inuse, themask could beworn

byitself,buttroopsexpectinga significant NBC threatwould normally supplementthe protective mask with acomplete disposable outergarmentof rubberized fabric.Called a “MOPP suit” (forMission-Oriented ProtectivePosture), it has a charcoal-linedinnerlayer,andincludesover-boots and thick rubbergloves. The full MOPPensemble is heavy and hot,but does provide a good

degree of protection. Part oftheMOPPoutfit is a strip ofchemical indicator paperwrapped around the upperarm.Thisstripissupposedtoturn red in the presence ofdangerous concentrations ofnerve or blood agents.Combat units have a limitednumber of battery-operatedhand-held Chemical AgentMonitors (CAM) used todeterminetheeffectivenessofdecontamination and the

limitsofacontaminatedarea.An82ndAirborneTrooperinfull MOPP-IVChemical/BiologicalProtectiveEnsemble.Thoughheavy and hot, this suit willprotect againstmost kinds ofchemical and biologicalagents.OFFICIAL U.S. ARMYPHOTO

Reliable detection andwarning of attack by

biological agents and toxinsremains an urgent researchpriority. During DesertStorm, every AmericansoldierandMarinewhowentover the berm into Iraq andKuwait wore MOPP suits,albeit with the hoods andmasksoff(thoughnearbyandreadyforuse).Luckily,itwasactuallycoldandrainyduringthe February 1991 groundwar,andmosttroopsactuallystayed warm by keeping the

suitsonthroughouttheentire“Hundred-Hour War.”However, normal summerdesert conditions wouldprobablylimitwearingofthefullMOPPensembletojustafew hours at most. Clearly,more work is still needed tomake the American soldierproof against the variety ofNBCthreats.

PersonalStowage

Besides the clothes on hisback, the soldier must carryall the essentials of militarylife around with him. EventheRomans had the problemof carrying their “stuff.” Onlong marches, the legionaryoftencarriedhisfood(usuallybread, cheese, smoked meat,and onions), clothes, andother possessionswrapped ina bundle and tied on the endof a stick, much like thefabled “hobo rig.” Today’s

airborne troopers have asomewhat more difficult setof stowage and carryingproblems to deal with. Theymust jump heavily loadedinto a 130-kt/241-kphslipstream from an aircraftwith everything they willneed. Then, once on firmground, they must live andfight with just what they arecarrying for up to three daysof operations. This is animpressive luggage design

problem, one that haschallenged engineers forseveralmillennia.The modern equivalent of

the Roman stick and bag isthe “rucksack,” a largebackpack originally made ofcanvas. Current models arenow composed of syntheticfabric over an aluminumframe, with a suspensionsystem of padded webbingstraps designed to support

heavy loads in reasonablecomfort. The officialacronym for this system is“ALICE,” which stands forAll-purpose, LightweightIndividual CarryingEquipment. Obviously, theparatrooper cannot wear abackpack over his mainparachute,soforjumping,therucksackisstrappeddanglingbetween the jumper’s legs,secured on a length ofwebbing that is released just

before landing to reduce theforce of impact. This ratherawkward arrangementrequires a “chalk” ofparatroopers to waddle orshuffle out to the aircraftwhen boarding, rather thanmarching.One of the important

lessons that every airbornetrooper has drilled into hishead early in training is thenecessity of getting his

weapons ready for action assoon as he hits the ground.Evenbeforehegetsoutofhisparachuteharness,thetrooperis expected to have hispersonal weapon locked andloaded in case a fightdevelops on the drop zone.Consequently,itwouldnotdofortheparatroopertohavetogofumblingthroughatightlypacked rucksack for aweapon and ammunition.German paratroops ofWorld

War II, using a one-pointsuspension harness that lefttheir hands free, couldtheoretically fire theirsubmachine gun as theydescended. This rarelyhappened in practice. TheFallschirmjager’s individualweapons were packed in acontainer that was separatelyparachuted from the aircraft,and many troopers werekilled as they struggled toretrieve and unpack their

weapons.Also, thedesignofmodern parachutes, whichhold the jumper rigidlyupright, along withelementarysafetyconcernsinmassed jumps, makes firingintheairimpractical.To accommodate the dual

requirements of safelydelivering a weapon andmaking it easy to get intoaction, the U.S. airbornecommunity has developed a

series of weapons-carryingcases. These resembleoversized padded gun casesfor wrapping and packagingindividualweapons to ensurethey remain attached to theirsoldier (always on the leftside)andarriveonthegroundready to shoot. Every man-portable weapon carried intobattle by the airborne has atleast one such case. In theevent that a heavy weaponlike the 60mm mortar or

Javelin antitank missilesystem is too large to becarried in one case, it isbroken into separate loadswhicheachgointotheirownspecially designed case. Thebiggestoftheseisthecaseforthe Stinger man-portablesurface-to-air missile (SAM)system,which isso long thatyou have to be at least 5’8”/1.73 meters tall to use itsafely. In addition to itsdesigned load, each heavy

weapons case can carry apersonal weapon, like thelightweightM4versionoftheM16A2combatrifle.Onceonthe ground, the paratrooperrapidly assembles hispersonal weapon, loading itwith amagazine stashed in apocket in the carrying case.Then, grabbing up hisrucksack, personal weapon,and heavy weapons load (ifany),heisreadytogo.

Orishe?Aswementionedearlier, the last thing that aparatrooper running into asudden firefight wants tohave to do is go rummagingaround, frequently in thedark, into his rucksack for afresh ammunition magazineorgrenade.Therefore,certainessential items of gear aremoved out to a specialharness mounting on theoutside of the BDUs. Calledweb gear or load-bearing

equipment, this isabeltwitha suspenders-style set ofpadded straps. Using specialmetal clips, you can attach avariety of different bags,pouches,andothercontainersto the belt and straps. Theseinclude canteen pouches(usually two are carried onthe belt), ammunitionpouches (these hold threeloaded thirty-round M16A25.56mmmagazinesandapairof M49-series grenades),

flashlights, and even holdersfor cellular phones. The ideais that in the event of asudden close-combat action,the trooperswoulddrop theirheavy rucksacks and fight“light,” with the equipmenton their web gear. In thisway,theirmobilityunderfireismaximized until such timeas the situation has beenresolved,theparatrooperscanretrievetheirpacks,andmoveontotheirnextobjective.

PersonalWeapons/Tools

The reason that you dropparatroops onto a target is totake it, usually by some sortof potentially lethal force.More often than not, thatforce will be based upon thepersonal weapons of thosesame troopers. The Romanlegionary’s only weaponswere a short, straight-edgedsword (with a blade 18inches/.46meterslong)anda

couple of javelins. Bycomparison, today’s airbornesoldier carries an amazingarray of personal firepowerandtools.Whilesomepeoplemight admire the elegantsimplicity of the legionary’sweapons, you have toremember that moderninfantrymen face an array ofenemies and targets unlikeanything imagined twothousandyearsago.Whilethelegionnairemighthavehadto

face another pikeman ormounted soldier, today’ssoldier might be asked todestroy a tank or bunker, orshoot down an airplane orhelicopter. This is anenormousgroupoftasks,andobviously requires aversatilearray of tools to accomplish.Fortunately, the U.S. Armyhas done an above-averagejob of equipping him for thetask.22M16A2 Rifle.

Historically, airborne troopshave often been armed withsubmachine guns (like theBritish Sten, or the GermanMP38, misnamed“Schmeisser” by GIs), orshort-barreled folding-stockversions (“carbines”) ofstandardinfantryrifles.Thesearenotonlylighter,buteasierto manage in the crampedconfines of a troop carrieraircraft. The U.S. Army,however, equips its airborne

infantry with the standardM16A2, preferring thebenefits of standardizedtraining, logistic support, andsuperior accuracy from alonger-barreledweapon. Thisisthestoryofthatweapon.Americans love rifles.

Without the firepower andlethality of the famous“Kentucky” rifle (developedby German and Swissgunsmiths in Pennsylvania),

there would be no America.The Indians would havewiped out the strugglingcoloniesinMassachusettsandVirginia in the 17th century,or the English would havedefeated them in theAmerican War ofIndependence. The intimateconnection between theAmerican rifle andAmericanhistory makes militaryfirearms a volatile andcontroversial topic, and no

rifle in history has causedmore passionate controversythan the M16. When it wasfirst issued to U.S. troops inVietnam in 1966, it gained areputation for jamming.Soldiers whispered rumorsabout a Marine platoonoverrun by the Viet Cong inwhich every dead riflemanwasfoundwithacleaningrodinhand,desperately trying toclear a stuck cartridge case.(TheMarineCorpsHistorian

told me that there is noevidence that this everhappened!)The problems stemmed

largely from the Army’s useoflow-gradepropellantintheammunition, against theadvice of the manufacturer.The inferior powder causedexcessive fouling andcorrosion. This would nothavebeen sobadexcept thatdue toa shortageofcleaning

kits and lubricant, troopsthought that the M16 was a“self-cleaning weapon.”Unliketheindestructiblebolt-action riflesofWorldWar IIthattheveteransergeantshadhandledall their lives, agas-operated automatic like theM16 is a precision machinethat requires meticulous andthoroughcleaningafter firingto ensure continued reliableoperation. When propercleaning kits were provided,

and troops were trained tomaintain the weapon, theM16 proved to be absolutelyreliable. To improve theweapon even further, thechamber was chrome-platedto resist corrosion, and asturdy manual bolt closinglever was added, to forcehome any cartridge thatbecame stuck (this istypically caused by a dentedcartridge case, which nevershould have been loaded in

the magazine in the firstplace).For over two decades, the

basic M16 (as well as theimproved M16A1) served inthe armed forces of the U.S.and many of our allies.However, by the 1980s, anewversionwasneeded,andthis became the second-generation M16A2.Manufactured by Colt inHartford, Connecticut, the

M16A2isanair-cooled,gas-operated, magazine-fedassault rifle firing a 5.56mm(.223-caliber) bullet to amaximum effective range ofabout 600 yards/550 meters.The weapon weighs 8.9lb/4.05 kg loaded with athirty-round magazine. Aselector switch togglesbetweensafe,singleshots,orthree-round bursts. The full-automatic (“rock and roll”)modeofearlierM16models,

which could empty an entireclip ina fewsecondsofwildinaccuratespraying,hasbeeneliminated.Airborne troopersare trained to extend theirammunition even further bylimitingthemselveswheneverpossible to single, aimedshots. Another keyimprovement to the M16A2was themuzzlecompensator,an ingenious gas deflectorthat counteracts themuzzle’snatural tendency to climb

during a burst. The weaponcan also be quickly adaptedfor left-handed shooters(about 15 percent of troops)by switching the side towhich spent cartridge casesare ejected. Generally, theM16A2 is an excellentcombat rifle, and is amongthebestofitsclasstoday.Beretta M9 PersonalDefense Weapon. Anincredibly small percentage

of combat casualties areinflicted by handguns.Underthestressofcombat,eventhebest-trained pistol shootersare unlikely to score first-round hits on an alertedopponent at ranges beyondfive yards/meters! Normally,military combat pistols areonly issued to officers,military police, aviators, andsoldierswhosedutiespreventthem from using a rifleeffectively but who still

require a lethal close-combatweapon. For the U.S. armedforces,thatweaponistheM9Beretta Model 92F 9mmhandgun. The choice of a“foreign” weapon to replacethe classic Colt M1911 .45-caliberautomaticwasbitterlycontroversial in 1985, butM9sfor theU.S.Departmentof Defense are actuallyassembled in Accokeek,Maryland.

The Beretta’s basic designdates from the1930s, thoughit packs anumberofmodernsafety and firing features.Advantages of this 9mmweapon are its large fifteen-roundmagazine(comparedtojust seven in the M1911A1ColtandonlysixintheSmith& Wesson .38-caliberrevolver), light weight (1.15kg/2.61b with a fullmagazine), and superiorcontrollability, especially for

troopswith small hands.Thebarrel is 125mm/almost 5 inlong, giving a nominaleffective range of around 50meters/55 yards.Realistically, though, mostshooters are trained to workout to about 25 meters/27.5yards.Overall, the M9 is an

excellent weapon, albeit onewith more in the way ofsafety features than I

personally prefer. Theweapon is normally issuedwithacleaningkit,andthereare a variety of holsterdesigns, depending on thesoldier’s uniform. Normally,the M9 would be carried,along with several spareloaded magazines, on thetrooper’swebbelt.M203 Grenade Launcher.The practical limit forthrowing a hand grenade is

about30meters/33yards,andthe accurate limit isconsiderably less. DuringWorldWar I, various armiesexperimented with “riflegrenades” that used specialcartridgesormuzzle adaptersto launch an impact-fusedexplosive grenade from astandard infantry rifle.Whenproperlyemployed,theywereeffectiveouttoarangeof100meters/110 yards or more.The rifle grenade was

particularly useful in streetfighting, where a skilledgrenadier could put anexplosive round over a wallor through a window. TheU.S. Army never took muchinterest in rifle grenades,preferring the greaterfirepower of light mortarsoperated by specialist crews.InVietnam,however,ashort-barreled 40mm grenadelauncher, the M79 “thumpgun,” proved its worth,

becoming a standard squadweapon. The only drawbackwas that thegrenadierhad tocarrytheadditionalweightofhis ownM16 rifle, switchingweapons according to thetacticalsituation.The M203 is a clever

compromise, fitting a stubbypump-action 40mm grenadelauncherunderthebarrelofastandardM16A2.Onemaninevery four-man fire team is

equippedwith anM203.Thegrenadelauncheraddsonly31b/1.36 kg to the weight ofthe weapon. It consists of ahand guard and sightassembly with an adjustablesight, and an aluminumreceiver which houses thebarrel latch, barrel stop, andfiring mechanism. Thelauncher fires a variety oflow-velocity 40mmammunition. These includehigh-explosivefragmentation,

smoke, tear gas, andillumination rounds.Illumination grenades, whichare fired at a high angle todeployadazzlingmagnesiumflare on a miniatureparachute, are particularlyuseful to the 82nd Airborne,which prefers to fight atnight. Each illuminationround is good for about aminute of fairly brightvisibility.“Non-lethal”plasticand foam-rubber “beanbag”

rounds have also beendevelopedforriotcontrolandpeacekeeping. The launcheralso has a quadrant sightwhichmaybeattachedtotheM16A2 carrying handle andused when precision isrequired at longer ranges.Maximum effective rangeagainstanareatargetis1,150feet/350 meters. Against apoint target the practicalrange is about 490 feet/150meters. The minimum safe

range for combat is 100feet/31 meters. This is animportantweaponforthefireteam, providing a base ofheavyfireattheveryheadofaninfantryassault.M249 Squad AutomaticWeapon.Late inWorldWarI the German Army realizedthat the light machine gun,carried and operated by oneman,was akey ingredient toanew,aggressiveapproachto

small-unit tactics. The newtactics were based upon theseamless integration ofinfantry firepower andmaneuver. This tacticaldoctrinewaslaterrefinedandperfected in World War II,and the light machine gunthatmadeitpossiblefounditsultimate expression in theMG-42. This light machinegunwassogoodthattheU.S.Army adopted it, withminor“improvements,” as the

7.62mm M60. The powerful7.62mmroundwasalsofiredby the M14 rifle.Unfortunately, with theintroduction of the M16(which fired a 5.56mmround),theM14wasrenderedobsolete.23ThislefttheArmywithout a “rifle caliber”combat rifle, and nowrequired the carrying of twoseparate sizes of ammunition(5.56mm and 7.62mm) by

U.S. rifle units. This washardly a desirable situation,andeffortswerebeguntofinda light machine gun thatcould use the same 5.56mmammunitionastheM16.After many years of trials

and experiments, the Armyadopted a design called theFNMinimi,developedbythefamed Belgian arsenalFabrique National, as theM249 Squad Automatic

Weapon (SAW). This gas-operated weapon weighs16.31b/7.4 kg, measures 41in/103 cm in length, and hasan effective range of 800meters/875yards.Therateoffire is an awesome sevenhundred to one thousandrounds perminute, but SAWgunners are trained to fireshort bursts to conserveammunition. The M249 isnormally fired from a proneposition,supportedbyfolding

bipod legs and the soldier’sshoulder. The SAW uses atwo-hundred-round plasticbox magazine (it weighs6.91b/3.1 kg) for itsdisintegrating-link-beltedammunition, but can alsoaccept standard thirty-roundM16 magazines from thelower receiver. A hingedplate covers the belt-feederwhen amagazine is inserted,or covers the magazineopening when the belt is

loaded. The M249 is amongthe best light machine gunsever produced, and hasproven popular among rifleunits. In particular, they likehaving all the personalweapons ina fire teamfiringthe same 5.56mm ballammunition. Tested manytimes in combat, the SAWhasalwaysperformedwell.Cutlery, Ammunition,Mines, and Grenades.

Importantasfirearmsaretoaparatrooper, he would nevergo into action without animpressive collection ofcutlery. The government-issued knives include abayonetfortheM16rifleandarigger’sknife.Thislastisaspring-loaded folding bladedesigned to cut away theshroudlinesofaparachuteinan emergency, such as a treelanding. In addition, asurvival/combatknifeisoften

worn in a scabbard strappedto one leg. Then there is thematterofpersonalknivesandtools.While most paratroopsstillpackthetraditionalSwissArmyknife,somethingelseistakingtheplaceofothertoolsthat might be needed inairborne operation. Ratherthan lugging around a boxfull of tools, mostinfantrymen are todaycarrying “multi-tools.” Thesearefoldingpliersthatcontain

a number of other differentand useful tools(screwdrivers, wire cutters,etc.). Various models madeby Gerber and Leathermanare favored, and actuallyquiteuseful.Today’sairbornesoldier also carries a foldingentrenching tool with asharpened blade that doublesasanastyweaponinhand-to-hand combat. An improvedFighting Position Excavator(IPV-government for

“shovel”) is underdevelopment. While all ofthismay seem excessive, trytelling that to a youngparatrooper jumping into adark night, knowing nothingof what may be out there.Remember, these knives andtools may mean thedifference between missionfailure and success for anairbornetrooper.Alongwith all the cutlery,

aparatrooper typically jumpswith six M16 5.56mmammunition magazines(loaded with thirty roundseach)andfourM49grenades(a mix of explosive-fragmentation, flash-bang,andsmoke,dependingon themission).Thesearecarriedinapair ofpouches attached tothe web gear. In addition,eachtrooperinafireteamnotequipped with an M203 willusually carry an extra two-

hundred-round M249 SAWmagazine. If necessary, theSAW magazine can bebrokendowntoreloademptyM16 clips. For the M203-equipped trooper, there willlikely be a stock of varioustypes of 40mm grenades,depending upon the mission,threat level, and rules ofengagement. Also towedaway in therucksackmaybea claymore or otherantipersonnel mine or a few

rounds of 60mm mortarammunition for thecompany’s heavy weaponsplatoon. Usually, the mortarrounds are dropped off in anassembly area, prior to theparatroopsstartingofftotheirobjectives. All told, a U.S.paratrooper is probablycarrying over 40 1b/18.1 kgof ammunition andweapons.Itisaheavyload,butonethatmust be borne if themissionof the airborne is to be

accomplished.Sensors andCommunications Gear. Ifthere is any single area ofmilitary science that theUnitedStatesleadstheworldin, it must be the use ofadvanced electronics toovercomenight darkness andthegeneral“fogofwar.”Theelectronics revolution haseven reached down to touchthe individualparatrooper, as

youwillshortlysee.Two thousand years ago,

our Roman legionary waslucky to see at night by thelight of a few smoky torchesaround the perimeter of hiscamp,orbya tinyclay lampinsidehistentfueledbysomeof his precious olive oilration. Today, everyparatrooper carries a coupleof personal flashlights(usuallyoneinapouchonhis

web gear and a spare in hisrucksack). These areminiature “Maglites,” thesamekind you can buy fromany camping-supply mail-order catalog. In the field,though, theymust be cappedby a pack of red and yellowfilter inserts.Red light is notnormallyvisibletotheenemyatlongrange,anditdoesnotimpair troops’normal nightvision.Besides,ifyoushowawhite light at night around

airborne troopers, you arelikely to get shot—by them!However, today’sinfantryman has a lot morethan just a flashlight to seehis way on the nightbattlefield.Every four-man fire team

willnormallyhaveoneortwosetsofNightVisionGoggles(NVGs). Optical devices ofthistypearesometimescalled“starlight scopes.” Originally

developedduringWorldWarII, starlight scopes for manyyearswere “black”weapons,shrouded in secrecy andissued mainly to snipers andcovert intelligence agents.During the Vietnam Warfirst-generation scopes weremass-produced and widelyissued to U.S. soldiers. Thescope uses reflectedmoonlightorstarlightatnightand can amplify dim imagesup to fifty thousand times.

Civilianhunterscannowbuyexcellentnight-visiongogglesof thisgeneral type (made inRussia,noless!)forlessthan$800.The most common U.S.

model of NVG is theAN/PVS-7B, which is basedon a third-generation image-intensifier tube, whichamplifies even the smallestamount of available lightfrom stars ormoonlight. The

AN/PVS- 7B represents the1996stateoftheartinNVGs,and is a significantimprovement over earliersystems. The single-tubeimage intensifier uses prismsandlensestoprovidetheuserwith simulated binocularvisionwithnomagnification.Through the dual displays(the NVGs are mountedeither on a “Fritz” helmet orhead harness) you see agreenish, monochromatic

view of the world withoutperipheralvision,soyouhaveto scan continuously, left toright, up and down. It takestrainingandpracticetomove,search, and engage targetswearing NVGs, but thetrouble they cause is worththe effort. A fast-acting“blooming”protection circuitprevents the user from beingdazzled if a flare, vehicleheadlights, or other brightlight appears in the 40°

circular field of view. Instarlight (with no moon) aman-sized target can bespotted at around 100meters/109.4 yards. In fullmoonlight that same man-sized targetcanbe spottedatover 300 meters/328 yards,and vehicles out to 500meters/547 yards. TheAN/PVS-7B operates for upto twelve hours on a singlebattery, and weighs only 24oz/.68 kg. Unit cost is about

$6,000, and production isdual-sourced by ITT andLitton. Once a soldier isequipped with NVGs, thereare other pieces of gear thatcanhelphimdohisjob.Fitted to his weapon, the

soldier may carry anAN/PAQ-4CInfraredAimingLight, nicknamed the “deathdot.”This is a lightweight (9oz/.255 kg), low-cost,Helium-Neon infrared laser

which is invisible to thenaked eye. However, theinfrared“deathdot”showsupbeautifully when wearingNVGs. Once the beam isboresightedtotheweaponfora “point of aim/point ofimpact,” the firer simplyplaces the pulsating spot onthe target and shoots. Thisaiminglighthasbeenadaptedfor use with the M16 rifle,and can be fitted to theM60machine gun, M2 heavy

machinegun,orM249SAW.Teamleaderscanalsousethelaserspottodesignatetargetsor movement directions fortheir soldiers out to amaximum of 200 to 300meters /219 to 328 yards,depending on the level ofambientlight.One other small but vital

piece of night-visionequipmentisthe“chemlight.”This is a liquid-filled plastic

stick that glows for up totwelve hours when crushed.They are used at night forsilent signaling and markingpositions. Chem-lights comein various colors (green,yellow, red, white, etc.),includingonetypethatglowsonlyintheinfraredspectrum,visible only to night-visiondevices such as NVGs andthermal sensors. All of thesedevices make Americaninfantry the most capable

night fighters in the worldtoday. Because of advancedtechnology and a littleYankee ingenuity, our troopstruly “own the night” on thebattlefield.Another area where

advanced electronics areserving the paratrooper iscommunications. Thisrepresents a vastimprovement over ancienttimes. Back in Roman days,

every legion had a unit oftrumpeters who stood by thecommandinggeneraltosignalhisordersdowntothecohortsandmaniplesbyblowingpre-established calls. Given thenoise of battle, though, thesewere probably limited to“advance, withdraw, flankleft, and flank right.” If acenturion in a tight spotneeded to urgently requestreinforcements, the onlywaytodoitwastosendarunner.

Evenbetter,tworunnerswiththe same message, bydifferent paths, in case onetookajavelinintheback.Bythe time of the AmericanCivilWar(1861 to 1865) theelectric telegraph wasbeginning to influenceeventson the battlefield, but thetechnology of small-unittactical communications didnot change much until theU.S. Army introduced thehandheld, battery operated

“walkie-talkie” duringWorldWar II. Its rangemight havebeen only a few hundredyards/meters, but it wasenough to allow a platoonleader to talk tohiscompanycommander,whohimselfhada radioman lugging a forty-poundtransmitter-receiversetto pass the word up to thebattalion headquarters.Strangely, today is littledifferent from five decadesago.

Now, you might wonderwhy, in an age where everycity cop has a two-pound“brick”radioonhisbelt(andeverydrugdealerhasanevensmaller cellular phone orpager in his pocket), everysoldierdoesn’tgetapersonalcommunications device. Theanswer is explained in justoneword: security.Anythingthat transmits in the radiofrequency spectrum can belocated by an enemy. Even

more dangerous is the factthat anything that can belocated can be targeted andkilled.Moderntacticalradiossuch

as the U.S. Army’s “SingleChannel Ground-Air RadioSystem”(SINCGARS)24 stayone jump ahead of this grimfactbycomplextechniquesof“frequency hopping” and“spread spectrum”transmission.Sincevoiceand

datatransmissionshavetobe“scrambled” or “encrypted,”thereisanadditionallayerofadministrativecomplexity forcontrolling and distributingthe code keys. Even if thecon-tentof the message isscrambled by encryption, theenemycanstillextractusefulinformation by analyzing theradiotrafficpattern.Sinceweknow this, our Signal unitsdeploy special teams togenerate bogus traffic, to

confuse enemy analysts, andtheirSignalguysdothesamething, and so on. If this isgivingyouaheadache,you’rebeginning to understand thefundamentals of tacticalcommunication. Since thereareonlyafewusabletacticalfrequencybands,anda lotofpeopleonbothsidestryingtotalk at once, armies havedeveloped rather rigidcommunications doctrines.This prevents mutual

interference with detailedrules governing who cantransmit what, where, when,andhow.For our paratroops, the

smallest of the Army’scurrent SINCGARS tacticalradios is the backpack-sizedAN/PRC-119, which weighs221b/10 kg. The -119 is anFMtransceiver(i.e.,thesameunitcantransmitandreceive,but not simultaneously)

operating in the VHF band(between 30 and 88 MHz),hopping among 2320different frequencies! Fivewatts of radiated power givethe unit a range of 2.5 to 5mi/4 to 8 km, depending onterrain, weather, and otherconditions. This is still aterribly heavy load for asoldier to carry, andadditionalworkisgoingontoreduce the size of theSINCGARS units. Racal,

Inc., has developed aSINCGARS radio (the PRC6745 “Leprechaun”) thatweighs only 3 1b/1.35 kg.Describedas“ruggedizedandimmersible,” it sounds like aparatrooper’s dream.Radiated output is selectablefrom .5 to 5 watts, toconserve power and adjustthe range. It has a jack thatcan connect to a satelliteGlobal Positioning System(GPS) receiver, so thatwhen

you hit the PTT (“press-to-talk”)button,itautomaticallytransmits your location overthe radio net. You can plugthe Leprechaun into yourlaptop computer, or power itfromavehicleadapter.Whenthe Army finally buys suchSINCGARS units, you canbet that the 82nd Airborne’sSignal Battalion will be nextinline,rightaftertheSpecialForcesguysgettheirs.

There is one other type ofsensor which commonlyprovides data to theparatroops: navigationalinstruments. These days, thismeans a miniatureNAVISTAR GPS receiver.Today, at least one man inevery infantry squad willhave a Small LightweightGPS Receiver (SLGR—called a “slugger” by thetroops; it is produced byTrimble Navigation) or the

newer AN/PSN-11 PortableLightweight GPS Receiver(PLGRor“plugger,”whichisbuilt by Rockwell Collins)carefully stowed in hisrucksack. The PLGR is ahand-held device about thesizeofabrick,weighinglessthan31b/1.5kg. It isa five-channelGPSreceivercapableofPrecisionCode(“P”Code)and “Y” Code (encrypted PCode) reception. These tinydevices represent a truly

revolutionary innovation.Knowing exactly where youareandwhereyouwanttogois a significant developmentinwarfare, and in thehumanconditioningeneral.Thisstilldoes not guarantee thatsoldiers will not get lost.Troops will still have todevelop their navigationalskills to effectively use GPSas a field tool. However, aslong as the supply of freshbatteries holds out, no

Americanunitwilleverhavean excuse to be lost on thebattlefield again. This isparticularly critical inairborneassaults,whereunitsmaybescatteredoverawidearea.An Air Force technicianusing a Trimble Small,Lightweight GPS Receiver(SLGR) todoa survey.Tensofthousandsoftheseunits,aswell as the Rockwell

Portable, Lightweight GPSReceiver (PLGR) are inservicewithmilitary units ofmany nations around theworld.OFFICIALU.S.AIRFORCEPHOTOVIATRIMBLENAVIGATION

The PLGR and SLGRreceive data from aconstellation of twenty-four

GPS satellites and displayyour exact three-dimensionallocation in militarycoordinates, or latitude andlongitude,anywhereonearth.How “exact” is consideredsensitive information, butpublished sources indicatethat theencoded“PY”signalisaccuratewithin3meters/10feet. As an added bonus,PLGRalsodisplays the time,accurate withinmicroseconds. During Desert

Storm the GPS signal wasparticularly hard to jam, andit will be many years beforeany likely opponent deploysananti-GPSsatelliteweapon.One feature of the GPSsystem, called “selectiveavailability,”canbeactivatedinwartime or during a crisisby Air Force groundcontrollers to degrade theaccuracy of the GPS signalforalluserswhodonothavea military GPS receiver.

Unless thereceiver isprimedwith the proper daily “Ycode” key, the receiver willnot generate accuratepositionaldata.However, theNational CommandAuthorities have never seenfit to activate “selectiveavailability,” and hopefullynever will. GPS has becometoo valuable a public service(some think of it as a newkindofpublicutility)foranysortofextendeddisruptionto

betoleratedforlong.Civilianapplications are growingexponentially in numberevery year, and GPS willsoon be the air navigationalsystemfortheworldinjustafewyears.Youcanevenbuya GPS receiver for yourself.Today, sophisticatedminiaturized GPS receiversliketheTrimbleScoutcanbemail-orderedforabout$500.Lastbutnotleast,thereare

a couple of other itemscommonlyusedbyparatroopsto navigate their way aroundthe battlefield. Even in theage of satellite navigationsystems,acombatsoldierstillneeds a map and compass.For one thing,GPS receiversdon’t work well in built-upareas, or in deep ravineswhereyoucannot seeawideexpanseofsky.Thestandard-issue Army magneticcompassweighs 5 oz/.14 kg,

and comes in a nylon casethat clips to your web gear.The pointer glows incomplete darkness, thanks toa tiny amount of radioactivetritium.Many troopersprefera commercial magneticcompass (like the fluid-filledmodels made by Silva) withmore features that assist inmap reading. This matter ofmaps is worth a shortdiscussionaswell.

Today, American soldiersare privileged to have a vastavalanche of mapping andphotographic data availablefortheiruse.Underthenewlyformed (as of October 1st,1996) National Imaging andMapping Agency (NIMA),mapsofeveryscaleanddetaillevel are being produced foruse in the field. Drawndirectly fromsatellitephotos,these maps provide theground soldier with an

unparalleled level ofsituational awareness.Today,when the 82nd AirborneDivision deploys overseas, ittakes along literally tons ofsuch documents for use bytroopers down to the fire-team level. Down at thetrooper level, there is analmostartisticskill tocuttingthe maps and pasting theminto small, easily stowedpackages foruse in the field.Foldingplasticmapcasesare

seen in abundance, and mapskills are essential for anysort of understanding ofevents on the modernbattlefield. Luckily, theUnited States has done anadmirablejobofsupplyingitssoldiers with the finest suchmaps and navigational toolsinthehistoryofwarfare.Food and Water. It is anobviousfactthatsafesuppliesoffoodandwaterarevitalto

anysortofmilitaryoperationin the field.Back in the18thcentury, Napoleon wascredited with the statementthat “an armymarcheson itsstomach,” and he was right.Today,anyforcethatanationcan field will fold up in amatter of days without food,and just hours without freshwater.

Withthisinmind,theU.S.

Army has come a long wayfromthe“C”and“K”rationsof the Second World War.Today, the Army’s standardfield/combat rations arecalled MREs (Meals, Readyto Eat). An MRE is acollection of wet, dry, andfreeze-dried food packs,along with eating utensils,condiments, and papernapkins, sealed in an almostindestructible brown plasticpouch. There are twelve

different basic MRE menus,one of each packed togetherin a carton, without muchdistinctionbetweenbreakfast,lunch,anddinner.EachMREweighs about 21b/1kg,containsaboutthreethousandcalories (each soldier isallocated four MREs perday), and is nutritionallycomplete. In fact, if youconsume everything in theMREs, which troops rarelydo, you will actually gain

weight, even with strenuousexercise. MREs haveexcellentshelflifeundereventhe worst of conditions, butthe basic diet is stillsomewhatbland.The following listings of

MRE contents should giveyou some idea of what theyarelike:• Menu #2: Corned beefhash, freeze-dried pears,crackers, apple jelly,

oatmeal cookie bar,powdered fruit drink,powdered cocoa, a plasticspoon, and AccessoryPackage “C” (freeze-driedcoffee, non-dairy creamer,sugar,salt,pepper,chewinggum, hand cleaner, andtoilettissue).

• Menu #4: Omelet withham, potatoes au gratin,crackers, cheese spread,oatmeal cookie bar,powdered fruit drink,

spoon, and AccessoryPackage“C.”

• Menu #7: Beef stew,crackers, peanut butter,cherrynutcake,aminiaturebottle of Tabasco sauce(these are particularlycoveted by the troops),spoon, and AccessoryPackage “A” (coffee,creamer,sugar,salt,pepper,chewing gum, matches,hand cleaner, and toilettissue).

• Menu #11: A favorite ofmine, this is chicken andrice, crackers, cheesespread, chocolate-coveredcookie bar, powdered fruitdrink, Starburst candy,spoon, and AccessoryPackage“A.”

MREsarerelativelymessytoeat. (A hint: Use your SwissArmy knife or multi-tool toslit the wet-pack bags the

longwaytoreducethemess.)All the packaging materialproducesalotofwetgarbage,which is not just anenvironmental nuisance. Itforces paratroops behindenemy lines to carry theirtrash with them, or riskrevealing their path andnumbers.Alongwiththebasicdozen

MRE menus, there are otherpre-packagedrationsinArmy

issuetoday.SinceWorldWarII, the Army has tried tosupply soldiers of the Jewishfaith with approved koshermeals. There also is anincreasing requirement toaccommodate the religiousdietary beliefs of MuslimsandstrictvegetarianssuchasHindusandBuddhists.Inlate1993, a new series of ready-to-eatvegetarianMREsbasedon lentils, rice, beans, andpotatoes were produced and

issued. Amazingly, theyproved highly popular withmainstreamsoldiers,manyofwhom found the new rationsmore tasty and health-conscious than the regularmenus. Later, with thecoming of widespread reliefoperations like those in Iraqand Bosnia, the vegetarianMREs found a new andpoliticallyuseful role.Sealedinto bright yellow pouchesandairdroppedas emergency

humanitarian relief rations torefugees, these “politicallycorrect” MREs have provenextremely popular, andpolitically beneficial.Distributing plenty of suchhumanitarian rations tocivilianscaughtinthecombatzone is a good way to winfriends and influence people.The Defense PersonnelSupport Center, Directorateof Subsistence, inPhiladelphia, proudly claims

that it can procurehumanitarian rations that are“culturally, ethnically,regionally, nutritionally, andreligiously acceptable” foranyscenario.The Army’s next

generationofcombatchowiscalled the Family ofOperational Rations (FOR),designed to overcome someoftheproblemsofMREs.Forfieldoperations,theemphasis

is on reduced packaging andweight, with ready-to-eatentreesthatcanbeheldinthehand and eaten on themove,like sandwiches or burritos.For a generation raised on adiet of pizza, burritos, andhamburgers, this is far moreacceptable than stuff youhave to spoon out of a bag.Another ration issue is thematter of troops in barracks.Combat troops deployed todistant contingencies spend

muchoftheirtimeincamporgarrison situations, so thenew FOR includes self-heating group meals,packaged with disposableplates and utensils. This hasbeen found to be a greatmorale booster, certainlycompared to spooning stuffout of a plastic bag.Unfortunately, the Army hasrevealed no plans to developan air-droppable, laser-guided, self-chilling keg of

beer!

A packaged humanitarianmeal ready to eat (MRE, onleft),withthecontents(right).Millionsoftheserationshavebeenproducedanddistributedto refugees in places likeHaiti, Rwanda, Bosnia, andnorthernIraq.JOHND.GRESHAMThe other vital area of

sustenance is freshwater.As

mentioned earlier, personnelexposed to the extreme heatof your average desert in thesummerwilllastjusthoursifthey are not properlyresuppliedwithfluids.Tothisend, each trooper will carryabout 6 quarts/5.7 liters intwo canteens, and a pair offlexible bladders in hisrucksack. In temperateclimates,thisisenoughforupto three days. In higher heat,though,itmayonlylastafew

hours. To augment theselimitedsupplies,manytroopsarebuyingtheirownpersonalwater carriage systems.Called “Camelbacks,” theseareflexiblebladdersthatridebetween the troopers’ backsandtheirALICErigs.Ahosefeeds the water to thesoldiers,sothattheycantakea drink whenever possible.Beyond what a single mancan carry, the 82ndAirborneDivision is set up to receive

bulk water supplies viaairdrop,aswellascreatingitsown fresh water whenreverse-osmosis equipmentcan be air-delivered into thecombat zone. As an interimmeasure, troopers arefrequently supplied withpurification chemical tabletsto make local water sourcespotable.Putting all of this together

means that, in theory, an

airborne trooper should carryenoughfoodandwatertolastthreedaysinthefieldwithoutresupply. In a pleasantclimate, this would meancarryingtheaforementioned6quarts/5.7 liters ofwater andadozenMREs:atotalweightof over 361b/16.4 kg!Alongwith the basicweapons/tool/ammunition/clothing/electronicsload,whichisalreadyover50lb/22.7 kg, this means that aparatrooper’s basic load

(before any personal gear) israpidly approaching 100lb/45.4kg.Asa result,manysoldierscuttheloadofMREsinhalfinthehopeofanearlyresupply. Also, they load uponall thewater that theycanpossiblycarry,sincetheywilldie of dehydration longbefore the effects ofstarvationcantakeeffect.Allof this affects the final itemsthat will be going into thesoldier’s basic load, his

personalequipment.

PersonalEquipment

Back in the Roman days,an armyon themarchwouldhalteveryafternoontobuildafortified camp for the night.The legionary often had tocarryaspadeorpickaxandacouple of sharpened woodenstakes, along with a thickwool blanket that doubled as

a cloak in cold weather. Inrainy weather he got wet,unless the ox-drawn baggagewagons made it through themudwiththeircargoofheavyleathertents.Today,though,thingsarea

bitdifferent.Aftereverythingthat we have mentionedearlier, it is hard to imaginethat there will be room foranything else in aparatrooper’s ALICE pack.

However, don’tunderestimate the ingenuityof the American airbornetroopsor, for thatmatter, thestrengthoftheirbacks!Whenfully loaded, a paratroop’srucksackwillbe stuffedwithrain/cold-weather gear, achange of underwear, freshsocks, the rations and waterforatleastthreedaysthatwementioned earlier, a first-aidkit, and a fewpersonal items(likeashavingkitandmaybe

a paperback book to readduring the flight to the dropzone). With these and othersimple items, you might besurprised just howcomfortable paratroopers canmakethemselves.For example, almost every

soldierpacksa stainless-steelcup and someutensils. Someevenbringalongtinyportablecamp stoves, fueledby smalltanks of liquid propane, to

heat water for coffee orreconstituting freeze-driedrations. The soldier alsocarries a tightly rolledsleepingbagandawaterproof“poncho,”aversatilehooded,sleeveless raincoat. For coldweather, there is a blanket-like poncho liner. Manytroops also carry a “SpaceBlanket.” This is a layer ofMylar(aluminumbondedtoathin plastic sheet) with asturdyquiltedcoverforuseas

a ground cloth. Using thesethings, a trained trooper canusually get a warm night’ssleep in anything exceptarcticormountainconditions.Another tiny but importantitem is a kit of camouflagemakeup,or“facepaint.”Thehuman eye and brain haveevolved to recognize humanfaces at long range, and theface and hands are normallythe only part of the soldiernot covered by the BDU.

Thereareaboutfivedifferentcolors of face paint, suitablefor camouflaging light-skinned or dark-skinnedsoldiers.The idea is to applya pattern that breaks up thenormal outlines recognizableas a face. You can use amirror,orhaveabuddyapplythestuff.Thesoldier’srucksackwill

also contain a shaving kit,footpowder, anda coupleof

clean towels (also coloredolive-drab!). There may alsobe two small plastic vials,issued with the approval ofthe unit’s medical officer.These are “go” and “stop”pills. This is a controversialsubject, but a familiar one tocombat veterans. “Go” pillsare basedon amphetamine, adrugdiscovered in the1880sand widely used by theGermanArmy inWorldWarII to keep troops awake and

alert for extended periods.“Stop” pills are a fast-actingbarbituratedesignedtoinducerapid sleep.The rationale forusing such drugs is obvious.In combat, since airbornetroops may have to stayawake and alert for up toseventy-twohours, “go”pillscanprovideavitaledge.Thisis because after three dayswithout sleep, even superblyconditioned troopswill beginto drop out, hallucinate, or

just generally becomecombat-ineffective. On theflip side, it may also beimpossible for troops undercombatstress(nottomentionjetlagfromtravelinghalfwayaroundtheworld)toestablishnormal sleep patterns. Thusthe need for the “stop” pills.Suchchemicalscanhelp,andin an Army with zerotolerance for drug abuse,thereislittledangerthattheywill be used in an

inappropriatemanner.Never travelfar without arope! And onethat is long,andstrongandlight.Sucharethese. Theymay be a helpinmanyneeds.—J.R.R.Tolkien, Lord

of the Rings,II:8

One last item that

paratroops always carry isrope,sinceoneofthegreatesthazards of parachuting is atree landing.All jumpers areissued a coil of green nylonrope, just in case they needhelp getting down from afouled canopy. Usuallyairborne troopers carry more

rope and cord, just in case.Even if they were raised inthe city, most soldiers knowenough field craft to bringalong plenty of extra linestowedintheirrucksack.Allofthisaddsuptoaload

easily approaching 120lb/54.4 kg.Add it to the 50-lb/22.7-kg weight of the T-10M main/reserve parachutesystem,andyoucanseewhyparatroops have to waddle

just to get up the ramps oftheir drop aircraft.Unfortunately, there is littleprospect that the paratroop’sload is going to decreaseanytime soon. Despitegradual but impressiveimprovements in lightweightmaterials, the Army alwaysfindsnewwaystoloaduptheparatroops. So much so thattoday’stroopersjumpheavierthan their World War IIcounterparts. The coming of

new electronic gadgets thatimprove the infantry’scombat power and efficiencyhas added even more weightand complexity to thesoldier’sload.The approaching 21st

centuryisunlikelytoimprovethe trooper’s lot, since thefolksattheArmy’sbattlelabskeepforgettingthatmenhavetocarryall this stuffon theirbacks,notonsomelabbench.

The best that the troopers ofthe82ndcanhope for is thatthe top generals whothemselves wear the silverwingswill rememberwhat itwas like to once lug asoldier’s load around thebattlefield, and will keep the“labweenies”incheck.

PrimeMovers:

HummersandTrucks

Forall thatwehave toldyouabout the strength andendurance of the paratroops,they do not go into battlewithoutsomeassistancefromautomotive power.When the82nd Airborne drops intoaction, it does so with arelatively large and diverse

fleet of wheeled vehicles toprovidemovement for heavyand support weapons, and tomove supplies and troopsacrossthebattlefield.Thekeyto this has been thedevelopment of severalfamilies of wheeled vehiclesthat can not only survive therigors of the battlefieldenvironment,butstilloperateafter being parachuted out ofa perfectly good airplane! Infact,thefirstvehicles,usually

armed with heavy infantryweapons, will already be inthedropzonebefore thefirstparatroopergoesoutthedoor.Later, all kinds of wheeledvehicles will appear in thedropzone,helping toexpandthe airborne toehold into afull-blown airhead forsupportingthedivisioninthefield. Let’s take a brief lookatsomeofthemajorvehiclesinthisarmada.

M998High-MobilityMultipurpose

WheeledVehicle(HMMWV)

It was a tall order toreplace the Army’s vauntedJeep. However, theHMMWV,alsoknownasthe“Hummer,” has more thanfilled these large shoes. The

M998 series of four-wheel-drive trucks is the bread andbutter of the Army’s light-truck fleet. TheHMMWV isusedforpracticallyeveryroleimaginable for a vehicle,includingoperatingasatrooptransport, antitank andsurface-to-air missile carrier,and ambulance.Manufactured by the AMGeneralCorporationinSouthBend, Indiana, theHMMWVis the most widely used

vehicleintheU.S.military.The basic model of the

M998 is the cargo/troopcarrierwhichcancarryup toten seated troops. Thepayload for the HMMWV is2,500 1b/1,134 kg, and themaximum towed load is3,400 1b/1,542 kg. TheHummer is fittedwith aGMV8 6.2-liter engine withdiesel fuel injection whichproduces 150 horsepower

driving a three-speedautomatictransmission.ManyothervariantsoftheHummerarealsoinserviceandgreatlycontributetotheeffectivenessof the 82nd Airborne. Thesevariants includeanarmamentcarrier which can be fittedwithheavymachinegunsoraMk 19 40mm automaticgrenade launcher, a TOW-2antitank-missile-carryingversion, and ambulancevariantswhichcancarryfour

litters or eight ambulatorypatients. There are alsovariantswhichhavebeenup-armoredtoprovidemaximumprotectionforcrewmembers.Theseare justa fewversionsof the HMMWV, and itseems that every time youtake another look, AMGeneral has produced a newvariant to fill yet anothersolution.As important as the

usefulness of the HMMWVvehicleis,itisnevergoingtobeanairbornefavoriteunlessit is light and easilytransportable. Thus it is amatter of great pride to AMGeneralthatwithaweightofaround 10,000 lb/4,535 kg,theHMMWV can be carriedby a single UH- 60LBlackhawk helicopter.Additionally,anArmyCH-47Chinook can carry two ofthem, and a C-5 Galaxy

heavy transport can carry upto fifteen, fully loaded forbattle! As an interesting sidenotewhichalsohappenstobeof great importance to the82nd Airborne Division,nearly all models of theHummer can be deployed byconventional cargoparachutes in order to givethe 82nd some help in those“not so friendly” landingzones.Thisisbecomingmoreimportant as armed

HMMWVstakeovermoreofthe direct fire-supportmissions that had beenplannedforthenow-canceledM-8ArmoredGunSystem.

M9395-TonTruck

While theM998 is a goodall-around vehicle, it is notheavyenough to fulfillallofthe Army’s transport needs.Thevehicleonesizeupfrom

the HMMWV is called theM939,andisoftenreferredtoas theArmy’s standard5-tontruck. Technically speaking,the M939 is a 6x6 wheeledtactical cargo vehicle. Thenewest model now enteringserviceistheM939A2,whichhas earned an excellentreputationasareplacementtotheArmy’slegendary“deuce-and-a-half” series of trucks.ThefirstM939sbeganrollingoff the production line in

1982 with tens of thousandsbeing produced. Since thattimetheM939hasbeengiventwo major upgrades and hasalso beenwidely exported toAmerica’s allies. The firstmodificationtotheM939wasknown as the M939A1, butonly a limited number ofthesevehicleswereproducedcompared to the manythousands of other variants.The M939A1 models werefitted with several types of

tire modifications.Production, however, soonshiftedtoanewermodel.In 1989, the M939A2

begantoenterservice.Oneofits best traits is a high-techcentral tire-inflation systemwhich allows the crew toincrease or decrease the tireair pressure in order toimprove the M939A2’smobility in soft soil or mudconditions. It’s all as simple

as flipping a switch frominside the truck’s cab. BuiltbyBMYCorp.ofMarysville,Ohio,theM939A2hasa240-horsepower CummingsDieselenginewhichprovidesa top road speed of 55mph/88.5kphanda rangeofabout 550 miles/880kilometers.Mostimportantly,the M939A2 is capable oftowing loads in excess of20,000 lb/9,071kg.This factalone makes the M939 very

“sexy” to many Armylogisticians.To the front-linetroops, though, this is their“heavy” prime mover ofweapons, equipment, andsupplies.

HeavyExpandedMobilityTacticalTruck

Not everything that theArmy needs to transportweighs seventy tons like an

M1A2 Abrams main battletank. On the other hand,neither can everything in the82nd’s inventory betransported by 2.5- or 5-tonvehicles like the M998 andM929A2.TheOshkoshTruckCorporationcameupwithananswer to this mediumtransport void, and wasawarded the contract for theHeavy Expanded MobilityTactical Truck (HEMTT)family of trucks. This family

ofvehiclesutilizesacommonchassis and cab to provide avariety of transport services.Thisincludeseverythingfromfueldistributiontotractorandvehicle wrecker/recoveryservices.Oneofthemoreinteresting

variants is the PLS orPalletized Loading System.The PLS is a basic HEMTTchassis also being fittedwithspecialized material-handling

equipmentaswellasawinch.The PLS weighs over130,000 lb/58,966 kg, is 59feet/18meterslong(includingtruck and trailer), and iscapable of carrying 16.5tons/15 metric tons ofpalletized cargo. Powered bya 500-horsepower DetroitDiesel engine, the PLS is avery big truck. The primaryload for this large vehicle isthe massive quantities ofammunitionneededtokeepa

moderncombatunitinaction.When ammo, gas, or almostanything gets transported outonto the modern battlefield,you can bet that somewherealong theway, itwas carriedbyanHEMTTtruck.

Helicopters:Airpowerforthe

Airborne

You might be surprised tofind that in a parachute unitlike the 82nd AirborneDivision, there are a largenumber of helicoptersassignedtoprovidefirepowerand support. These aircraftare normally flown into thedivision’s airhead as soon asthedropzoneisfullysecured.Once there, they areassembled and flown to aforward fueling and armingpoint (FFARP) which they

operate from. This gives thedivision commander anorganic, brigade-sizedaviation unit to provideattack, reconnaissance, airassault, transport, andelectronicwarfaresupport,allof which makes the 82nd’saviation brigade one of thecrown jewels of its combatforce.As of 1996, the 82nd

Aviation Brigade has been

fully modernized withairframes of relatively newproduction. Gone are theVietnam-era AH-1F Cobraattackhelicopters,OH-58A/CKiowa scouts, and UH-1“Huey”utilitybirds.Nowthebrigade has brand-new OH-58D Kiowa Warriorscout/attack helicopters, aswell as UH-60L versions ofthe provenBlackhawk utilitychopper.The82nd’s aviationbrigade provides the division

withbadlyneeded firepower,scouting, and transportservices. Given the “leg”mobility of the rest of thedivision’s fighting units, youcanunderstandwhyIwanttospend some time showingtheiraircrafttoyou.

Bell-TextronOH-58DKiowaWarrior

The OH-58D Kiowa

Warrior is the lightattack/scout helicopter thatequips the scout/attacksquadron of the 82ndAirborneDivision’sAviationBrigade. The basic airframe,which first flew in 1966 asthe Bell Model 206 JetRanger,isusedinthecivilianworld for television trafficandnewsreporting,aswellasbusiness/VIP transport. In1996 theOH-58Dentered itstwelfth year of production,

withover250unitsconvertedfrom earlier configurations.The Army’s “procurementobjective” is a total of 382,including those used intrainingunits atFortRucker,Alabama, and Fort Eustis,Virginia. Maximum grossweight of this agile littlehelicopter is 5,500 lb/2,495kgwithacrewoftwo.The crew sits side by side

in a fairly tight cockpit,with

the pilot on the right andobserver on the left. As inmost Army helicopters, thecontrols are duplicated, butonly thepilot has aheads-updisplay (HUD). A singleAllison T703 turboshaftengine, rated at 650 hp (485kw), drives a four-bladedmainrotorandthetwin-bladetail rotor.Maximumspeed is127 kn/237 kph in a “clean”configuration, withoutarmament. Typical cruising

speed is 110 kn/204 kph. Aremovable armament pylonon each side of the fuselagecanbefittedwithavarietyofweapons, depending on themission. Against a heavyarmored threat, you wouldcarry up to four laser-guidedAGM-114 Hellfire missiles(two on each side). Againstan infantry or low-intensitythreat, you might carry aseven-round pod of70mm/2.75” rockets on one

side and a .50-calibermachinegunpod (on the leftpylononly).Iftheenemyhashelicopters, you might evencarryatwo-roundStingerair-to-airmissilelauncher.

A cutaway view of the BellTextron OH-58D KiowaWarrior Scout/Light AttackHelicopter.JACKRYANENTERPRISES,LTD.,BYLAURAALPHERThe most striking feature

of the OH-58D is theMcDonnell Douglas/Northrop mast-mountedsight (MMS), which looks

ratherlikethebloatedheadofa long-necked, three-eyedspace alien, stuck on top oftherotorhub.TheMMSisanamazing piece ofmechanicaland electro-opticalengineering.Therotorhubofahelicopter in flight isaboutthe nastiest vibrationenvironment you canimagine, unless you happento live inside a washingmachine. However, the TVcamera, laser range

finder/designator,andthermalimager inside theMMSmustnot only be in perfectalignment with one another,theyhavetobe“stabilized”tomaintainarock-steadylineofsight,nomatterhowviolentlythe helicopter is jinkingthrough the air. The MMSdoes all this and more. It isintegrated with a fire-controlcomputeranddisplaysystemsthatallow thecrew to locate,designate, and prosecute

targets at night, in fog, duststorms, smoke, or in justabout any combination ofabominable flying conditionsyou care to imagine. Fornight operations, the crewswear night-vision goggles.One of the less pleasantfeatures of the aircraft is thelack of air-conditioning. Inhot weather, crews often flywith the doors off. Thisimproves the ventilation, butincreases the drag and noise

levels.

A cutaway of the AGM-114HellfireAnti-TankMissile.JACKRYANENTERPRISES,LTD.,BYLAURAALPHERFor the 82nd Airborne

Division, the neatest thingabout the OH-58D is howeasily itcanbepackedintoacargoplane,andhowquicklyit can be unpacked uponarrival. The rotor disc is 35feet/10.7 meters in diameter,but the four rotor blades can

befoldedtolieparalleltothefuselage.TheMMScan thenbe removed or installed inabouttenminuteswithsimplehandtools.AC-141cancarryup to four Kiowa Warriors,andaC-130Herculespair.In the 1991 Gulf War,

Army OH-58Ds, developedforspecialmissionsunderthepreviously “black” PrimeChance program, were starperformers.25Operating from

Navyships,theyliberatedthefirst Kuwaiti territory,shooting up the hapless Iraqigarrisonof tinyQurah Islandand landing troops to roundup prisoners. They knockedout numerous Iraqi patrolboats,oilplatforms,andcoastdefense missile sites. Inaddition,older(andunarmed)OH-58Dswere the tip of thepoint of the spearhead,leading the 2nd ArmoredCavalry’s advance into Iraq,

providing critical real-timeintelligence that helped torout Saddam’s “elite”RevolutionaryGuards.Alongwith providing laserdesignation for precisionweapons like Hellfiremissiles,155mmCopperheadguided projectiles, and AirForce Paveway-series guidedbombs, they performedsuperbly in the oldest aerialcombatmission,conventionalartilleryspotting.

The Army hopes toeventually replace KiowaWarrior with the Boeing/Sikorsky RAH-66Comanche, a stealthy, all-digital, high-performance,and fearsomely expensivesystem, with an initialoperating capabilityoptimistically scheduled forJuly 2006. However, giventhe near-cancellation of theComanche program severalyears ago, and the excellent

value and popularity of theKiowa Warrior, plan onseeing the OH-58D inproduction for some years tocome.

SikorskyUH-60LBlackhawk

Blackhawk is the Army’sall-purpose utility helicopter,replacing the classic UH-1“Huey.”26 The Army lost

several thousand helicoptersin Vietnam, and in theprocess learned a great dealabout how to makehelicopters survivable. Everyone of those lessons wasincorporated into the designof the UH-60 Blackhawk,which entered service in1978.Allcriticalsystemsarearmoredorredundant,andtheairframe is designed like aVolvotocrushonimpactinaway that protects the crew

and passengers. Maximumgrossweight for theUH-60Lis 22,000 1b/10,000 kg. It ispowered by two T-701engines, each rated at 1,940shp. These drive a singlefour-bladed main rotor 53.6ft/16.36m in diameter and afour-bladed tail rotor. Therotor blades and tail can befolded,sothattheUH-60willfit in a variety of transportplanes. About 1,400 havebeendelivered,andtheArmy

isstillbuyingabout60ofthe-Lmodelsperyear.The Blackhawk’s basic

missionishaulingpeopleandstuff around the battlefield.The people ride inside: twopilots, an enlisted crew chiefwho doubles as door gunnerwhen required, and up to afull squad of eleven combat-equipped troops.27 The stuffusually dangles off a hookunder the fuselage as a sling

load of up to 9,000 lb/4,090kg.ThismightbeaHummer,a 105mm artillery piece, acouple of fuel bladders, or apalletofrations,ammunition,or other vital supplies.Another vital mission is“medevac,” picking upcasualties and deliveringthem to the nearest fieldhospital. Knowing thatmedevac helicopters are onlyafewminutesawayisoneofthe greatest single morale

boostersfortroopsincombat.Also, at least one utilityhelicopterwill probably be aflyingcommandpostforeachbrigade commander, or hisdeputy. This provides instant“high ground” when thecommander needs to see thebattlefield. One otherimportant role is that ofelectronicwarfare (EW).The82nd’s Military IntelligenceBattalion is assigned threeEH-60 Quick Fix EW

helicopters to providecommunications directionfinding and jammingservices.A Sikorsky UH-60LBlackhawk Helicopter. The82nd Airborne Division’sAviationBrigade is equippedwith thirty-six of thesecapable aircraft fortransportingtroopsandcargo.JOHND.GRESHAM

HeavySupportWeapons

Formostsoldiers, thereisnoweapon like a heavyweaponifyouhaveatoughobjectiveto take or hold. Under suchconditions,havingamachinegun, grenade launcher, ormortar can make all the

difference between taking anobjective or suffering abloody repulse.Theweaponsthat we are about to look atall provide such services forinfantry forces, though someare so heavy that anHMMWV weapons carrierwillberequiredtomovethemaround the battlefield. Still,these are essential tools forany infantry force tryingestablish a base of fire tosupportcombatoperations.

BrowningM2HB.50-caliber(12.7mm)Machine

Gun

The heavymachine gun isa specialist weapon, foundmainly in theheavyweapons(“Delta”) company of aninfantry battalion.A burst ofheavy machine gun fire canshredawoodenbuildingoratruck, and penetrate the sideor rear of many armoredvehicles at short range. The

“fifty” or “deuce,” as it isknown, isa rugged,accurate,and reliable recoil-operatedweapondesignedbyJohnM.Browning. “Recoil-operated”means that an ingeniousmechanism of levers, cams,andspringscaptures someofthe recoil energy or “kick”from the powerful cartridgein order to extract and ejectthespentcartridgecase,cockthe firing pin, advance theammunitionbelt,andfeedthe

next round. The “fifty” wasoriginally built as a water-cooled heavy machine gun,and entered service with theU.S.Armyin1919,justabittoo late for the First WorldWar. The air-cooled HB(heavy-barrel) model wasdevelopedduringthe1920s.During the Second World

War, the M2 was the mainarmament of many Alliedaircraft, andwasmountedon

every class of Navy ship, aswell as on a wide variety ofArmy vehicles and groundmountings.Afterthewar,theArmy used it mainly as ashort-ranged antiaircraftweapon. By itself, the gunweighs84lb/38kg,andeach100-round box of beltedammunition weighs 35 lb/16kg. The rate of fire is animpressive 550 rounds perminute. The theoreticalmaximumrangeis4.2mi/6.8

km, and theM2 has actuallybeen used for indirect fire athigh angles of elevation tocreatea“fire-beatenzone”onthe far side of a hill. Thepracticalmaximum range foraimed direct fire is about 1mi/1.6km.Thecopper-platedsteel.50-caliberprojectilehasa superb aerodynamic shape,and there are many kinds ofammunition, including ball(solid), armor-piercing,tracer, armor-piercing

incendiary, and blank (fortraining). In the 82ndAirborne the M2 is mainlyusedonapintlemountontopof theHummer light vehicle.It also backs up the Stingermissiles in the turret on theAvenger air defense vehicle,anditisoftencarriedinapodmountonthesideofOH-58Dscouthelicopters.Amazingly,after seventy years, the M2remainsinproduction.Thisisin spite of the fact that

although the gun itself neverwears out, we need tomaintain the tooling andindustrial base to producespare parts and barrels. Thecurrent contractor is SacoDefense, Inc., in Maine, andthe 1996 unit cost for a newonewas$14,000.

M-240GMediumMachineGun

TheM607.62mmmachinegun,basedontheWorldWarII German MG-42 design,gave the U.S. Army manyyears of good service, but itwas mechanically complex,andprone to jamming. It hasbeenreplacedinactiveArmyunits by the M240G, aground-based version of theoriginal M240 manufacturedby the Belgian FabriqueNationale firm as a coaxialmachine gun for tanks and

other armored vehicles. Thecyclic rate of fire is 650 to950roundsperminute(rpm),but there are settings for200rpm (“rapid fire”) and 100rpm (“sustained fire”). Theeffective range is 1.1 mi/1.8km. TheM240G ismodifiedfor ground use by installingan “infantry modificationkit,” comprising a flashsuppresser, front sight,carryinghandleforthebarrel,buttstock, pistol grip, bipod,

and rear sight assembly. Theweight (without ammunition)is only 24.2 1b/11 kg. Themain ammunition types areball, tracer, andblank. In the82ndAirborne,theM240Gisnormally found in the heavyweapons platoon of the riflecompany. The M240G canalso be rigged as a door gunontransporthelicopters.Theimproveddurabilityof

the M240 system results in

superior reliability andmaintainability compared totheoldM60. In thewordsofone Marine officer, “Unlikethe M60, this gun works.”During field tests,more thanfifteen thousand roundswerefired through each prototypeM240,withveryfewjamsorbreakdowns. The M60, incontrast, required barrelchanges every hundredrounds.

Mark19Mod.340mmMachineGun

Originally developed toarm river patrol boats of theU.S. Navy in Vietnam, theMk 19 is actually a fullyautomatic 40mm grenadelauncher. After a long andtroubled development period(itwasnicknamedthe“DoverDog”), the Mk 19 enteredservice in 1981. The Armytookovermanagementofthe

program in 1988, andgradually the level ofreliabilityhasgrown.TheMk19wasdesigned to fiton thesame mountings as the .50-calibermachinegun,andfiresthe same 40mm ammunitionas theArmy’sM203orM79single-shot grenadelaunchers.Thestubby,belt-fedMk19

weighs72.5lb/33kgandusesthe simple “blowback”

principle to feed theammunition.Thishastheboltand receiver assemblyrecoiling against a heavyspring, catching the nextround and firing it on therebound. The cyclic rate offire is over 300 rpm, but thepracticalrateisabout40rpmin short bursts.Against pointtargets, like vehicles orbuildings, the maximumeffective range is around1,500 meters/1,640 yards.

Against area targets, like anentrenched enemy position,themaximum range is 2,200meters/2,400 yards. Theexplosive fragmentationround can kill or woundexposed personnel for aradius of 5 meters/16.4 feet,and the antiarmor round canpenetrateupto2in/51mmofarmor plate. In the 82ndAirborne,theMk19isfoundmainly in the weaponsplatoon of the infantry

company, mounted on theroof of a Hummer. It is alsomounted on the 5-ton truck,andcanbefiredfromatripodmountontheground.

Mortars

Mortars are the infantrycompany and battalioncommander’s personal “vest-pocket” artillery. Unlike thebig guns, which traditionally

require meticulousproceduresforplottingfireinadvance,observingthefallofshots, and adjusting fire,mortarsare“shootandscoot”weapons. Not very accurate,but they stay close to theaction, and move with thetroops. Modern armies(including ours) deploy“mortar locating radars”whichcantrackthetrajectoryofamortarshell,computetheposition of the mortar, and

direct artillery to saturate theareawithcounter-batteryfire,so the need to “shoot andscoot”canbequiteurgent.Most mortars are terribly

simple to use. Once theweapon is set up and aimed,you simply drop a rounddownthebarrelandgetoutofthe way. A firing pin at thebottom of the tube strikes aprimer in the base of thefinnedprojectile.This ignites

a charge of fast-burningpropellant, and the round ison its way. Since thepressures and velocitiesinvolvedare relatively low,amortar shell can be thin-walled and packed with aheavychargeofexplosive.Inthe 82nd Airborne, the mostcommon use of mortarswould likely be to put upillumination rounds tosupport night attacks and tolay down smoke to blind an

enemyposition.However,thevarietyofotherpossibleusesmakemortarsavaluableassettoanyinfantrycommander.M224 60 mm Mortar. TheM224 60mm LightweightMortar is a smooth-bore,muzzle-loading, high-angle-of-fire weapon.“Lightweight” is a relativeterm, since the completeweapon weighs 46.51b/21.11kg, and is typically a two-

man drop load. One mancarries the tube, whichconsistsofabarrel,basecap,andfiringpin.Theothermancarries the mount, whichconsistsofabipodandabaseplate with elevating andtraversing screws. Maximumeffective range is 2.2miles/3,490 meters. Amaximum rate of fire of 30rpm is possible, and 20 rpmcan be sustained if there isenough ammunition. There

are six different ammunitiontypesfortheM224,includinghigh-explosive, incendiary(white phosphorus), andillumination. The range canbe extended by adding extracharges, which are U-shapedchunks of propellant that fitaround the shaft of theprojectile.Forcorrectingfire,an M64 optical sight isattached to the bipodmount.An additional short-rangesight can be attached to the

base of the cannon tube forfiringthemortaronthemoveandduringassaults.This isanifty little weapon that isnormally found in heavyweapons squads of infantryplatoons.M252 81mm MediumExtended Range Mortar.This crew-served, mediummortar ishighlyaccurateandprovides a greater range(4,500to5,650meters/4,921

to 6,179 yards) and lethalitythantheearlier81mmmodel.Theweaponbreaksdownintofour man-pack loads whichareshowninthetablebelow:

The tube has a crew-

removable breech plug andfiringpin(thisisahandywayto disable the weapon if youhave to abandon it incombat).Themuzzleendhasataperedfunnelwhichactsasablastattenuator.Thebreechend is finned for coolingduringheavyfiring.Thismortar uses the same

M64 optical sight as the60mm mortar, and themunitionstypesincludehigh-

explosive, smoke,illumination, and incendiary(white phosphorus). Thehigh-explosive round weighs4.2kg.Inservicesince1986,theM252 is an adaptationofa British 81mm mortardevelopedinthe1970s.Inthe82nd Airborne division, theM252 is found in a separatemortarplatoon that is part ofthe heavy weapons companyof each rifle battalion. Atrainedcrewcangetoffthirty

rounds per minute for twominutes, and then sustain upto fifteen rounds per minuteas long as the ammunitionsupplylasts.

HeavyDirect-FireWeapons

As with any military unit,airborne troops face threats

from the entire spectrum oftechnology. The primaryenemies to these soldiers(other than enemy infantry)are twofold: armor, whichincludes tanks and armoredvehicles, and aircraft, whichincludes both fixed-wing androtary-wingtypes.During the Cold War, the

West held a generalsuperiority in aircraft, andmany felt confident that the

air forces of the NATOnations would be able toestablish air superiority overthe battlefield if hostilitieswere to have erupted in aNATO/Warsaw Pact clash.This was not the case,however, with tanks. TheWarsaw Pact armies ingeneral and the RussianArmy in particular held sucha vast numerical superiorityover the NATO nations intanks that there was little

doubt that the AmericanArmy would be in deeptrouble in any battle. Tocounter these threats, theAmerican military began tobuild up an enormousstockpile of antitankweapons.Today, these same

weapons provide the 82ndAirborne with its last heavydirect-fire capability. This isbecausetheM-8AGS,which

was to have replaced theaging M551 Sheridan lighttank, was canceled in 1996.Then the Sheridan itself wasordered taken out of service.These measures were basedupon a need to reprogrammodernization funds foroperational contingencies,which is a fancy way ofsaying “the BosniaPeacekeeping Force.” Assuch, it is the lighter XVIIIAirborne Corps formations

like the 82nd Airborne andthe 2nd Armored CavalryRegiment (Light)whichhavepaid the price for these ill-considered budget decisions.It remains to be seen if thatprice will involve deadtroopers.

BGM-71TOWAnti-TankMissile

The first major break for

theU.S.Armyin thefieldofantitank missiles was theTOW (Tube-Launched,Optically Tracked, Wire-Guided) antitank missile.Manufactured by HughesAircraftCompany, andgiventhe codenameBGM-71, thisheavy antitank missile firstenteredservicein1970.Sincethen, TOWhas continued onasthepremierheavyantitankmissileoperatedbytheArmy.What the TOW did for the

Army was enable any smallvehicle, from a jeep to anarmored personal carrier, toengage and defeat an enemymainbattletank,thuseveningthe balance of power forallied land forces. Today’sversion of the TOW is verysimilar to those used incombat in Vietnam (1972)and the Middle East (1973),with several notabledifferences.

All TOW missiles haveremarkably similarcharacteristics, with thebiggestdifferenceresultinginwarhead size and operation.The current model is theTOW-2, of which the Armyhas three variants: TOW-2(BGM- 71D), TOW-2A(BGM-71E), and TOW-2B(BGM-71F). TOW-2 wasfirst introduced in 1983, andrepresented the first majorimprovement to the missile

system since the ImprovedTOW missile, BGM-71C(ITOW),arrivedonthesceneseveral years earlier. Amongthe improvements from theoriginalTOWmissileswereahardened guidance system toresist electro-opticcountermeasures, aredesignedstandoffprobe,animproved flightmotor, and amuch larger and heavierwarhead thaneither thebasicTOWorITOWAsaresultof

the improved flight motor,while the overall TOW-2missile is heavier than theearlier models, flightperformance for the TOW-2is not degraded. The newversion,ofwhichover75,000have been produced, isprobably best known for itsheavier warhead which addsdramatically to the stoppingpower of the missile. Thisnew TOWmissile had a 13-lb/5.9-kg high-explosive

antitank (HEAT) warheadwhich was capable ofpenetrating over 35 in/900mm of armored plate on atank or other armored-vehicle. When compared totheoriginal,basicTOW, thiswasavastimprovement.As the Russians began

equipping their tank forceswith better and better tanks,theyalsobeganthedangerous(from an American point of

view) practice of usingexplosive reactive armor toprotectthem.Reactivearmor,first invented by the Israelis,posed a serious problem forWestern antitank weaponsdesigners.Thebasicprinciplefor reactive armor is simple.Small boxes of explosivewere fitted in a fashion sothat theycoveredthepartsofa tank most likely to get hitby amissile.As the antitankmissile approached, a sensor

would detect the incomingmissile and, millisecondsbefore the incoming missilehit, the reactive armorwoulddetonate outward, diffusingthe force of the missile’sHEATwarhead.Russia soon caught on to

this ingenious new defensivesystem,andinthemid-1980sbegan rapidly equipping agrowing number of its newtanks with reactive armor.

Overnight,itseemedasiftheRussians had turned the tideof armored warfare back inthe direction of the mightytank. However, Hughes wasreadywithanewsolution,theTOW-2Amodel.Designedtodefeat tanks and othervehicles fitted with reactivearmor, the TOW-2A versionhad a remarkable device—atandemwarhead.InthesmallprobefittedinthefrontoftheTOW-2A missile, Hughes

managed to fit a tiny“precursor” warhead. Theprecursor warhead isdesigned to set off theexplosive fitted in a tank’sreactive armor. With thereactive armor nowdetonated, the tank isvulnerable to attack from theTOW-2A’s powerful mainHEAT warhead, which isexactly the same type usedfortheTOW-2.

Still,technologymovedon,and it soon appeared that inthe late 1990s and beyondtankarmorwouldcontinuetoimprove.Ifso,itmightnotbeenoughfortheTOWmissilesto just “trick” the reactivearmor—sincethetank’smainarmor was now gettingstronger and thicker. A newsolution was needed. Again,Hughes and the entire TOWteam met the challenge. Itwasdecidedthatinthefuture

there would always be onespecific spot which was theprimary vulnerability for atank—the top. All around, atank is protected by heavyprotective armor. The top,though, is a tank’s Achillesheel. Therefore, the newTOW-2B was designed toattack the tank from the topdown. The TOW-2B (BGM-71F), the newest model inservice, began entering theArmy by 1991, and used a

new kind of warhead todefeat enemy armor. Whenthemissilefliesoveratarget,sensors trigger the twoExplosive Formed Penetrator(EFP) warheads. The EFPsshoot their penetrators in adownward direction at overMach 5 into the thin-skinnedarmor of the tank’s top.Today,thereisnotankdesignin the world capable ofstandinguptothepunishmentofaTOW-2B.

A cutaway of the HughesTOW-2AAnti-TankMissile.JACKRYANENTERPRISES,LTD.,BYLAURAALPHER

A cutaway of the HughesTOW-2BAnti-tankMissile.JACKRYANENTERPRISES,LTD.,BYLAURAALPHER

Also, starting in 1995, theguidance system has beenimproved with theintroduction of the TexasInstruments Improved TargetAcquisition Sight (ITAS)package. ITAS gives theTOW gunner on anHMMWV a vastly better-quality picture than earliersights,especiallyatnightandin bad weather. Given thisseries of facelifts, expect theTOW-2 series of missiles to

continuetoservethemilitaryforces of America and theiralliesformanyyears intothe21stcentury.

JavelinAntitankMissile

Good as it is, there aresome shortcomings to theTOWsystem.Thebiggest ofthese is that it is heavy: tooheavytobebrokendownintoman-sized loads. Since the

airbornesoldiers’ thinking is,if you can’t carry it, don’tbring it! theTOWdidnot fitin very well with the basicairborne trooper’sphilosophy. What theairborne troopers reallyneededwasa smaller, lighterantiarmor system that coulddefeatcurrentarmoredthreatsatgoodranges.The original solution for

this infantry requirementwas

the medium-range Dragonantitankmissilesystem.Nowsorelyoutofdate,theDragonmissile system required asoldier to sit down on theground and pick a tank outwith his sighting system.Once the target was in thesighting system, the soldiercouldthenlaunchthemissile.As long as the soldier kepttheguidancescopecrosshairsaimedatthetank,themissilewouldhopefullyhit.

Unfortunately, there weremany drawbacks to theDragon system. To beginwith, the missile traveledextremely slowly, so that thesoldier firing the missileneeded to keep his target inthe crosshairs for adangerously long period oftime. Another drawback totheDragonwas that it had avery powerful initial recoilwhich tended to “push” theoperator and thus themissile

towards the ground, oftencausing dangerous misfires.Also, the warhead of theDragon missile was notpowerful enough to destroymodern-dayMBTs.Everyoneinvolved knew that a newsystem would be needed assoon as the money becameavailable.In1988,TexasInstruments

joined with Martin MariettaontheAAWSMproject(now

calledJavelin)inthehopesofproducing an effectiveDragon replacement. Sincethen,thetwocompanieshaveworked together to create amissile which has met andexceeded all performancerequirements set for theprogram. The Javelin systemconsistsofjusttwoelements:the Command Launch Unit(CLU)andthemissileround.The CLU is a small andlightweight (14.1 lb/6.4 kg)

target-acquisition devicewhich includesaday/thermalsight using a ForwardLooking Infrared (FLIR)imaging system, launchcontrols, and gunner’s eye-piece/display. Magnificationusingthethermalsightcanbeup to nine times normalvision, and the CLU hasenoughbatterypowerforfourhoursofoperation.The missile-round portion

of the system consists of theactualJavelinmissileandtheLaunch Tube Assembly(LTA). The LTA is anexpendable launch tubewhich holds the Javelinmissile and provides aninterface/mounting to theCLU. The total carry weightfor the LTA is 91b/4.1 kg.Each LTA is 47.2 in/119.8cmlongand5.6in/14.2cmindiameter. The actual Javelinmissile is a fire-and-forget

missileweighing26.1lb/11.8kg, and is 42.6 in/110 cmlong and 5 in/12.7 cm indiameter. The missile ispackaged inside thedisposable LTA and has ashelf life of ten years. Theentiresystemcanbereadytolaunch in just thirty secondsand can be reloaded foranother shot in less thantwenty. This means that atwo-man airborne Javelinteamwillprobablybeableto

jumpwithaCLU(withsparebatteries)aswellasapairofmissilesintoadropzone,andbe able to thenmove out onfoot. However, a Hummerloaded with spare missilerounds and batteries willprobably be added to maketheteamsmoremobile.Through an advanced

Imaging Infrared (IIR)guidance system, the missilelocks onto its target before

launchandthenautomaticallyguides itself towards thetarget. Propulsion for thesystem isprovidedbya two-stage solid-propellant rocketmotor.Sincethemissilehasa“soft launch” rocket motor,which reduces recoil andbackblast, it can even belaunched from the safety ofan enclosed position. TheJavelin warhead is a tandemshape-charged type, whichenables it to defeat even

modern reactive armor.RangefortheJavelinsystem,which is just beginning toenterservice,isover1.2mi/2km, and extended-rangeversionsarebeingconsideredasapossible replacement fortheTOW.The Javelin engagement

sequence is quite simple.Once the operator hasidentified a target with theCLU, the other member of

the team will attach themissile to the CLU, and thisbegins the engagementprocess. Once the CLUoperator has rechecked theviewthroughhiseyepiece,hesends a “lock-on-before-launch” message to themissile, causing the missileseeker to begin tracking thetarget on its own. With themissilelockedontoits target,and either a direct or a top-attack flight profile selected,

Javelin is ready to fire.Oncelaunched, the missile fliestowards its target, and mostprobably will destroy anyarmored vehicle in sight. Inparticular, themissilewillgoafter the particular thermaltarget seen with its IIRseeker,andnotjustany“hot”object in the field of view.The Javelin’s “brilliant”guidance seeker usesadvanced digital-signal-processing technology to

minimize the chances of a“friendly fire” kill, which isgoing to make this missile areal favorite on thebattlefield.If there is any problem in

the Javelin program thesedays, it is the pressure ofbeing the “only game intown” for “leg” infantry.WiththecancellationofAGSand the pending retirement(as of July 1st, 1997) of the

Sheridan, Javelin has beengiven the bulk of the direct-fire tasks in the 82ndAirborne.This isa lot toaskofanewweaponthathasyettoentergeneralserviceintheU.S. military. You can feelthe strain on the TI/Martincorporateteam,aswellastheArmyprogramoffice.Still,itlookslikeJavelinis“thelittlemissilethatcan.”Letuspray,for the sake of the 82nd’stroopers,thatitis.

The new Javelin Missilesystem being used by a pairof soldiers during a test.Designed, developed, andproducedbyajointventureofLockheed Martin and TexasInstruments, the Javelin isdue to replace the obsoleteDragonAnti-TankMissile inthenextfewyearsintheU.S.ArmyandMarineCorps.OFFICIAL U.S. ARMYPHOTO VIA TEXAS

INSTRUMENTS

M-136/AT-4AntitankRocket

Three types of man-portableantitankweaponsarecurrently in use with theXVIII Airborne Corps:Dragon, Javelin (which willsoonreplaceDragon),andthesmallest system of the group—theunguidedAT-4antitankrocket.TheAT-4replacesthevenerable M72 LightAntiarmor Weapon (LAW),

which first came into servicein the 1960s. By the early1980s, though,theLAWwasbecoming old and uselessagainst newer Soviet tanks.While revolutionary for itsday, by the 1980s the M72LAW was in desperate needof replacement. The Armytherefore decided, after afierce internationalcompetition, that the U.S.military would buy adomestically produced

version of the disposableSwedish Bofors “CarlGustav” 84mm antitankrocket. Built under licensefrom the Swedes by AlliantTechsystems, themissilewasdesignated the M-136/AT-4rocket. The AT-4 enteredservice with the AmericanArmy and Marine Corps inthelate1980s,andremainsinservice today. Weighing just6.7 kg/14.8 lb, the 1-m/39.4-in-longAT-4hasamaximum

range of more than 300meters/328 yards againstmoving targets and 500meters/547 yards againststationary targets. Thewarhead is capable ofpenetrating over 400 mm/15inofarmorplate,makingtheAT-4 capable of defeatingover 95 percent of thearmored targets found on themodernbattlefield.TheAT-4’sfiringsequence

isaseasyascouldbe:simplypullthesafetypin,unsnaptheshoulder stop, and place theweapon on your shoulder.Next you release the sight,pull the cocking lever, andaimat the target.All there isleft to do is to push the redsafety catch and pull thetrigger. You needn’t braceyourself for a tremendousrecoil either—the averagerecoil force for the AT-4 iscomparable to that of the

M16 combat rifle. Once themissileleavesitslaunchtube,it flies a flat trajectory to thetarget. Once the missile hitsthe target, the powerfulHEAT warhead detonates,destroying (hopefully) thetarget.TheAT-4hasbeenagood

value for the U.S. military.The weapon’s light weightmakes it easy forone soldierto carry and use. It is also

extremely rugged, and hasdemonstrated a reliability ofover 95 percent in combat.However, the AT-4 has twodrawbacks.The first of theseis that it is not capable ofdestroying heavy tanks orvehicles fitted with reactivearmor.ThesecondproblemisthattheAT-4isunguided,soaccuracyisnotuptoparwiththat of a guidedmissile suchas TOW or Javelin. One ofthewaysthatthemilitaryhas

been able to dramaticallyincrease AT-4 gunnerperformanceiswithextensiveuse of the M287 trainermodel.Thefiringsequenceisexactly the same as that forthe AT-4 except that insteadof firing a rocket, a 9mmtracerbullet isfired,showingtheuserwhere the roundhashit. This enables any soldierto inexpensively train foractual AT-4 use without thehighcostofexpendingactual

rounds. However, there isalready a program to replacetheAT-4inatleastpartofitsmission. The new weapon iscalledPredator.

PredatorAntitankMissile

The two primaryshortcomingsoftheAT-4(noguidancesystemandalackofreactive armor penetration)caused the Army to quickly

realize that eventually therocket would need to bereplaced. The Marines tookthe lead on this effort,because like the airborne,they needed to deal withheavy armored threats whilealso balancing their need toremain light rapid-responsetroops. They were the firstservice to decide to begin aprogram to replace the AT-4beginninginthenextcentury.What the Marines decided

theywantedwasadisposable,short-range, man-portable,day/night/adverse-weather,guided weapon capable ofdefeating any heavy armoredthreat into the foreseeablefuture. Five companies wereselectedin1989toparticipatein Phase I of what becameknown as the Short RangeAttack (SRAW) missileprogram. After beingoverlooked in Phase I, LoralAeronutronic (now part of

Lockheed Martin) won theSRAW competition in 1990,and was awarded ademonstration/validationcontract. The missile wasnamed Predator, and isdesigned to put a powerfulguided antitank weapon intothehandsofanyordinaryfootsoldier.With a range of over 750

meters and the capability todefeat heavy armor, the

Predator will soon enterservicewith theU.S.MarineCorps.TheU.S.Army,whileseeingtheneedforaweaponlike Predator, was slower torespond. Most likely, it didnot want to jeopardize thefunding for the Javelinprogram. If the Army hadasked the DoD or Congressfor the cheaper (and shorter-range) Predator, the fundingfor the Javelin might havebeen cut. Recently, though,

the Army has decided thatmore than a short-rangeantiarmorweapon, it needs adirect-attackweapontodefeatbunkers.Thisresultedinwhatthe Army calls the Multi-Purpose Individual Munition(MPIM) SRAW. Themissileuses the same launcher andnearlythesamemissileastheMarines’ Predator, thoughwithadifferentwarhead.TheMPIM/SRAWcanbeusedtoattack such targets as

bunkers, reinforced concretestructures, and light armoredvehicles. Because thelauncher is the same for thePredator as for theMPIM/SRAW, all the Armywould have to do to acquirean antitank variant would beto start buying the Predatormissiles under the Marineprogram. Either way, thePredator/MPIM systems willdramatically change the waya soldier of the future views

any obstacles his enemy canthrowhisway.

A cutaway of the LockheedMartin Loral Anti-TankMissile.JACKRYANENTERPRISES,LTD.,BYLAURAALPHER

FIM-92Stinger/AvengerSurface-to-AirMissile

System

Is itpossible foraweaponsystem to have such greatvalueonthebattlefieldthatit

actually turns the politicaltideofawar?Ifso,theman-portable Stinger SAM is justsuch a system. In the 1980sthe Reagan Administrationmade the decision to supplyadvanced Stinger man-portable surface-to-airmissiles to the Mujahadeenrebels fighting the occupyingSovietarmiesinAfghanistan.Several years later, theSovietswithdrew their forces—defeated. Many in both

America and the formerSoviet Union firmly believethat if any single factorcontributed to thiswithdrawal, it was the factthat the Russian helicoptersandaircraftwereunabletoflyunhindered and gain controloftheairinsuchafashionasto provide support for theirtroopsontheground.Stingersin the hands of theMujahadeenwerethereason.

What type of weapon canhave this type of impact?Well, theStingermissilewasdesigned to replace theRedeye man-portable SAMsystemwhichentered servicewith the U.S. military in1967. The problem with theRedeye was that it was a“tail-chase” weapon, whichmeant that the Redeye’sinfraredseekerneededaveryhotheatsourcetohomeinonin order to lock onto its

target. This was usuallypossible only when chasingafter the heat plume comingfrom the rear of a jet’sengine. Unfortunately,soldiers usually only see therearofanenemyaircraft’sjetafter it drops its bombs ontothe target. Thus the Redeyecould usually engage theaircraft only after it was toolate.AnotherdisadvantageoftheRedeyesystemwasthatitcouldonlyattackaircraftthat

were flyingMach1.Thus, ifan enemy pilot wanted toescape a Redeye, all heneededtodowasspeedup.AfinalproblemforRedeyewasthatitwasaveryeasymissiletodecoy.EvenastheRedeyebegan to enter service in1967, the Army and MarineCorps were aware that asomewhat more advancedman-portable SAM wasneeded.Design,development,and testing of a Redeye

replacement took nearly adecade.Itwasworththewait,however, and the result wasthe FIM-92 Stinger missile,which began to enter servicein1979.The Stinger missile,

manufactured by HughesMissile System Company, isa truly incredible systemwhich has been combat-proven time and time again.The system itself, sometimes

referred to as MANPADSStinger (Man-Portable Air-Defense System), consists ofa fiberglass launcherassemblywithmissile, agripstock, an argon gas-chargedBattery/Coolant Unit (BCU),and an Identification FriendorFoe(IFF)Interrogator.TheFIM-92 missile has a two-stage solid-propellant rocketmotorwith different types ofinfrared and/or ultravioletguidance systems fitted for

subsequent models of themissile(FIM-92A,92B,92C,etc.).Stinger MANPADS are

usually accompanied by acrew chief, a gunner, andsometypeofvehiclecarryingextra Stinger reloads (oftenanHMMWV).Once a targetis sighted, the gunner caninterrogate it using the IFFtranspondertoestablishifitishostile. Seven tenths of a

secondaftertheIFFswitchispressed, an audible tone willinformthegunnerifthetargetis friend or foe. Should thetarget prove hostile, thegunner can activate thesystem by energizing theBCU with the impulsegenerator switch. Whensufficient UV/IR energy isreceived to get a lock-on,another audible signalindicates that the missile isready for launch.Thegunner

then depresses the firingtrigger and less than twoseconds later, the ejectormotor has ignited and themissile is on its way. OnceStinger has been launched, itis very difficult to decoy.Thisisespeciallytrueoflaterversionsofthemissile,whichare highly jam- and decoy-resistant. After the entirelaunch sequence, theMANPADS crew can reloadand engage another target

almostimmediately.Theonlydrawback is thatMANPADScannotfireonthemove.To remedy this problem

the Army and Marine Corpsbegan buying the AvengerPedestal-Mounted Stingersystem. Manufactured byBoeing Defense and SpaceGroup, the Avenger is thefirst successful fire-on-the-move SAM system to enterproduction. It combines the

technology of the Stingermissile with the speed andmobility of the HMMWVchassis.Thesystemhaseightmissiles fitted in a turretmountedontheHummer.Thesystem is highly mobile andcan be carried into the fieldby transport aircraft as smallas a C-130, as well as CH-46EandCH-47Dhelicopters.The entire system issomewhatmore capable thanthe Stinger MANPADS

system because the vehicleallowsmorecapabletargetingequipment to be carried.Examples of this are a low-costFLIRsensor,aneye-safelaser range finder, and aheads-up optical sight.AnotherinterestingcapabilityoftheAvengerisitsabilitytoallow the crew to engagetargets from remotepositionsover 150 feet/45.7 metersaway from the fire unit byusing a remote-control

system.Allinall,theStingerMANPADS and Avengersystemsprovideaninvaluableantiaircraft capability toairborne troops whootherwisewouldhave to relyupon friendly aircraft andlong-range SAMs (like thePatriot) to protect them.Those systems may notalwaysbeavailablewhenthe82nd lands. TheStinger/Avenger system willbe.

An Avenger Surface-to-AirMissile (SAM) system.Equipped with eight StingerMissiles and a .50-calibremachine gun, the Avengeraugments the man-portableStinger MANPAD units inArmyAirDefenseUnits.JOHND.GRESHAM

EFOG-MSurface-to-Surface/AirMissile

A word should also bementionedhereaboutanothernewmissilesystemknownasEFOG-M or Enhanced FiberOpticGuidedMissile. Itwasoriginally known as N-LOS(Non-Line-of-Sight). Thename was later changed toFOG-M, and then theprogram was canceled in1990. It was revived a few

years later, and has recentlybeen given the name EFOG-M. The EFOG-M would becapable of attacking bothgroundandairtargetsusingafiber-optic data link system,with TV or Imaging Infraredas the main guidancepackage. The proposedmissilewouldhavearangeofabout 15 km/9.3 mi, andwould be carried by amodified HMMWV vehicle.Current plans call for

Raytheon Missile Systems,EFOG-M’s prime contractor,to manufacture sixteen fireunits and three hundredmissilesunderthetechnologydemonstrator phase. If thesystem is successful, it maybegin to replace theAvengerand TOW systems sometimeinthenextcentury.

BigGuns:Airborne

FieldArtillery

Artillery has always been avital part of airborneoperations,anditsimportanceis still growing. With thecancellation of the AGS andretirement of the Sheridanlighttank,tubeartilleryistheonly large gun system left inairborne service. Airborneartillery units are different

from their counterparts inother Army organizations.Thisisbecausetheytoodropout of the sky, and have tohelptheparatroopsfighttheirway out of the drop zone.This means that they mayhavetododirectfiremissionsagainst enemy targets overopen sights. This is almostunheardofinnormalartilleryunits. At the same time,airborneartilleryutilizesonlythelightestandmostportable

of gun systems, so that asmanytubesaspossiblecanbedelivered to the battlefield.Thesegunsarethesubjectsofournextexploration.

M-119105mmHowitzer

The M-119 105mm lighthowitzer is probably the lastgun of its caliber that willever be deployed in theU.S.military.Don’tplanonseeing

the M-119 going intoretirement, though, becauseitsgunnersandtheunitstheysupport really love thissystem. Lightweight enoughtobe towedbyaHummerorslung from a helicopter, it isthe most portable artillerysystem in the world otherthanmortars.The development history

fortheM-119actuallystartedoverthirtyyearsagoinGreat

Britain. The idea for the M-119wasconceivedwaybackin 1965 when the BritishArmy realized that theywould soon need a new105mm light gun. Afternearly a decade ofdevelopment, theL118LightGun,manufactured byRoyalOrdnanceof theUK, enteredservice with Britain’s Armyin 1974. This event wentalmost unnoticed in theUnited States Army, which

was busy withdrawing itsforces from Vietnam, anddealing with some veryserious morale problems. Atthe time, American artilleryofficers felt that their current105mm tube artillerysystems, the M-101 and M-102, suited them just fine.Thismayhavebeentruethen,butastheyearspassed,sotoodid the U.S. Army’srequirementschange.

When the U.S. Armyfinally decided to goshoppingforanewlightfieldgun, the L118 was theirobvious choice for a numberof reasons. First, it wasextremely light and could becarried easily by a medium-lift helicopter or towed by atruck. Secondly, it wascombat-proven in theFalklands War and hadperformed exceedingly wellthere. Lastly, and perhaps

most importantly, therewould be no majordevelopment costs that theU.S. Army would have toshell out in order to developtheir next-generation gun. Ifthey bought the RoyalOrdnance L118 105mmhowitzer, they would bebuying it “off the shelf” andsaving a lot ofmoney in theprocess. After evaluating theBritish gun for over a year,the decision to purchase an

“Americanized” version oftheL118wasfinallymadein1986. The new artillerysystemwould, except for thefirst 150 units, bemanufacturedunderlicenseintheU.S. as theM119 by theWatervliet Arsenal in NewYork and the Rock IslandArsenalinIllinois.Sinceenteringservicewith

the U.S. Army, the M-119has performed superbly. The

entire system weighs onlytwo tons, and is capable offiring the entire range ofNATO-compatible 105mmshells including high-explosive, smoke,illumination, and HE rocket-assisted projectiles. Theentire crew is made up ofonly seven soldiers, and themaximum range for the M-119 is 14.3 km/8.9 mi usingconventionalHEammunition,and 19.5 km/12.1 mi using

rocket-assisted projectiles.Because the M-119 is easilytransported by a UH-60Blackhawkhelicopterandcanbe towed by an HMMWVtruck, it isaperfect fit to fillthe needs of the XVIIIAirborne Corps. The 82ndhas an entire battalion oftheseweapons(threebatteriesof sixgunseach)assigned toeach of the three brigades inthedivision.

An emplaced M 119lightweight 105mmHowitzerof the 82nd AirborneDivision’s Artillery Brigade.Lightenoughtobecarriedasa sling load, eighteenM119sequip each of the Brigade’sthreeBattalions.JOHND.GRESHAM

M-198155mmLightweightHowitzer

The heaviest tube artillerynowused by the units of theXVIII Airborne Corps is the155mm M-198. The M-198fieldgunreplacedtheoldM-114 in American service.Therewasmuchresistancetoreplacingthisdesignwiththenewer (and heavier) M-198.However, the weightincreases were more than

worth it since theM-198hasmuch greater range than theM-114. The idea for the M-198 began in the late 1960s.Within two years, severalprototypes had beendelivered, and in 1978 theRockIslandArsenalbegantomanufacturetheM-198.Overone thousand M-198s arecurrently in service with theU.S.ArmyandMarineCorps.Whileitisoverthreetimes

as heavy as the M-119A1(4,000 1b/1,800 kg versus15,740 1b/6,961 kg), the M-198 is still helicopter-transportable, and can becarried by either the Army’sCH-47 Chinook or theMarine Ch-53E SuperStallion. TheM-198 gun canalsobetowedbytheM939A25-ton truck.Thecrewfor theM-198 is composed of ninesoldiers. The gun can hurl arocket-assisted shell over

18.8mi/30km,andcantossaconventional projectile some13.9mi/22.4km.TheM-198iscapableof firing four rpm,and the lethal burst radiusagainst exposed troops for aregular HE shell is over 150feet/45.7 meters. In additiontothenormalHErounds, theM-198canfire:• Antitank Mines—The M-198canfireboththeM741and theM718rounds,each

ofwhichcarrynineantitankmines.

• Laser-Guided Projectiles—The M-198 is alsocapable of firing the laser-guidedCopperheadantitankround(M712)toarangeof16.4 km/10.2 mi. Thisround is highly accurateand extremely effective,attacking unsuspectingmainbattle tanksandothertypes of armored vehicles.Unfortunately, due to their

extraordinary cost, only afew thousand were everproduced.

• HE/Antipersonnel/Armor—Several types ofHE/antipersonnel/- armorrounds are available:including theM483,whichcontains eighty-eight dual-purpose grenades; theM692, which containsthirty-six antipersonnelmines; and the M731,which contains a similar

numberofantiarmormines.The Dual-PurposeImproved ConventionalMunition(DPICM)canalsobefiredbyM-198s.

• Other Rounds—The M-198 can also fireillumination and smokerounds, and future plansmayalsoenable theM-198to carry powerfulSADARM (Sense AndDestroy Armor) munitions,whichwillgivethe155mm

the capability to attackheavy armor formationswithout the need of aforward observer with alaserdesignator.

An emplaced M198lightweight 155mmHowitzerof the XVIII AirborneCorps’s Artillery Brigade. Asection of six M198s alongwith contributor radar arepermanently attached to the82ndAirborneDivision.JOHND.GRESHAM

Allinall,whiletheM-198isheavy to lug around, itmore

thangets the jobdonewhereitcounts:onthebattlefield.Inactualoperations,eachof thethree brigades in the 82ndwould be assigned a six-gunbattery of M-198s from theXVIII Field ArtilleryBrigade.

FutureLightHowitzer

The M-198 is heavy, butpacksapunch.TheM-119is

light, but lacks the power ofthe larger tube artillerypieces. In the future, theArmy plans to dealwith thisdilemma by having ahowitzer that will fit bothrolesevenbetterthanboththeM-198 and the M-119. Thiswill be the new Lightweight155mm Howitzer. The LightTowed Howitzer programarose out of the requirementthat rapid-deployment forceshad for a light but powerful

howitzer.Tosomedegreetheprocurement of the M-119dealt with this problem.However, a 155mm gun isstillpreferredandmuchmorepowerful than a 105mm (a155mm shell has three timesthe lethality as one from a105mm tube). How will thisnew lightweight howitzer bebuilt? Currently it looks likeadvancesinthefieldofmetalalloys, specifically aluminumandtitaniumalloys,willoffer

the possibility of significantreductions in the weight ofany new howitzer system.Therequiredweight limit forthis future howitzer is lessthan 9,000 lb/4,082 kg, sothose companies bidding onthis program had a difficultmissiontodealwith.There are currently two

favored gun designs whichare competing against eachother in the program. As

surprising as it may seem,neitherofthesegundesignsisAmerican.Bothoriginated inthe United Kingdom. Thefirst of these is from theVickers Shipbuilding andEngineering Limited (VSEL)company,whichisnowapartofthefirmGEC™Maritime.This company has producedthe Ultra Lightweight FieldHowitzer (UFH) for use byfuture rapid-deploymentforces.Thetotalweightofthe

UFH is only 8,250 lb/3,745kg, and the system is able tofire conventional shells to arange of 27,000 yd/24.7 km,androcket-assistedprojectilesout to amaximumof 32,800yd/30 km. These ranges areverysimilartothoseachievedbytheM-198,buttheUFH’sweight is more than 5,000lb/2,267kg less.TheUFH iscapable of firing four roundsperminuteinshortburstsandtwo rounds per minute of

sustained fire. The entiresystem, along with a seven-mancrew,canbecarriedinasingle lift by a UH-60Lhelicopter, and can also betowedbyanHMMWV.VSEL’s main competition

for this program comes fromRoyal Ordnance, now a partof British Aerospace. Theirentry into the competition iscalled the Light TowedHowitzer(LTH—thisgunhas

alsobeencalledtheLTH-39).The LTH is moreconventional-lookingthantheVSEL model but is just ascapable.Able tohurl155mmshells ranges similar to thoseof the UFH, the LTH is justslightly heavier than theVSEL competitor at almostexactly 9,000 lb/4,082 kg.The LTH-39 is also capableof firing four rpm in amaximum-speedburstor tworpm in sustained fire, aswell

as being transported by thesame vehicles and aircraft.While both guns have adifferent design philosophy,theywerebothdesignedwithone purpose in mind: to wintheU.S.Army/MarineCorpslightweight 155mm guncompetition. The winningdecision has yet to bemade,but both systems have beenundergoing rigorous testing,andyoucanbetthatwhatevergun the military chooses, it

will dramatically add to thepunchingpoweroftheXVIIIAirborneCorpswell into the21stcentury.

Modernization:LandWarriorXXI

Now you’ve seen what theairborne trooper of todaylooks like and what types of

equipment he may carry.What about ten to fifteenyears from now? Thisquestionisnotanuncommonone. As amatter of fact, theU.S. Army has been askingitself that same question fordecades in order to planahead and develop newtechnologies.Soexactlywhatwill the airborne troopers of2010 look like, and whattypes of equipment will theycarry? Let’s take a look at

howtheU.S.Armyhasdealtwiththisquestion.Armies are inherently

conservative,andmostoftheparatroop’s personalequipment would be familiartothe82ndAirbornesoldierswho jumped into Normandyin June 1944—indeed someoftheitemsareidentical.Butif the Army’s modernizationplans are fulfilled, the nextfew years may radically

transform the “soldiersystem”: everything theinfantryman wears, carries,and consumes in combat.This effort includesapproximately 100 to 125advanced technologyprojectsin various stages rangingfromconceptdevelopment toprocurement and fielding.Like most R&D programs,this 21st Century LandWarrior concept (21CLW, orLand Warrior XXI, as it is

sometimes called) is awonderland of obscureacronymsandprograms.Some of these efforts

reflect the revolution inmilitary affairs that hasgrown out of advances incomputer technology,electronic sensors, andsatellite communication. TheArmy wants every soldier tohave a miniaturizedradio/computer system with

anembeddedGPSreceiver.Alightweight VideoReconnaissance System witha tiny camera that clips ontothe helmet has also beendemonstrated. The helmetitselfmaybetransformedintoan information appliance andsensor platform, with anintegrated HUD and thermalimageviewerforuseatnightor in obscured visibilityconditions(fog,blowingdust,or smoke). Also under

development is a biomedicalmonitoring system with awireless data link thatautomatically reports thecondition of every soldier tohis squad leader or platoonsergeant(remembertheSpaceMarinesinAliens?).Other projects are quite

simple, but no less vital.Laser Eye Protection is justone example. Eye injuriesmakeupalargepercentageof

casualties on the modernbattlefield, since the head isoften the only part of thebody exposed to direct fire.Butwiththeincreasinguseoflaser range findersand targetdesignators,operatingathighenergy and wavelengths thatare not eye-safe, the risk ofblindness from enemy orfriendly lasing is increasing.There has even been someconcern about “eye-popper”laser weapons designed

specifically to blind enemysoldiers, though this is quiteillegal under internationallaw. However, many of ourpotential enemies have littleregard for such niceties, andthere are indications that theBritish may have used someU.S.-built laser “dazzlers”against Argentine pilotsduring the 1982 FalklandsWar.Opticaldevices,suchasbinoculars and telescopicsights, which concentrate

light, must be protected byspecial coatings and filters,but the infantryman’s fragileMarkIeyeballwillalsoneedprotection.Another huge and limiting

problem is the matter ofsupplying all of these high-technology gadgets withelectrical power. Just as theancientbattlefieldwaslitteredwithspentarrowsandbrokenjavelins, tomorrow’s

battlefield will likely belittered with depletedbatteries. All the portableelectronic wonders describedin this chapter ultimatelydepend on batteries, and asanylaptopcomputerusercantell you, few areas oftechnology have proven soresistant to radicalbreakthroughs inperformance. Lead-acid andalkaline batteries have beenslowly replaced by

rechargeableNickelCadmium(NiCad) cells, and these inturnaregivingwaytoNickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH),Lithium Hydride (LiH), andnewer types. However, theproliferation of new, non-standardbattery typescreatesa nasty logistics problem,especially for foot soldierswho already have to carryeverything they need. TheArmycurrentlystocksalmostthree hundred different types

ofbatteries.Unlikeasatellite,a soldier cannot be coveredwith solar power cells,especiallyifhefightsatnightor in the shade. The soldierneeds foodandwater to live,ammunition to fight, andspare batteries tocommunicate, and theserequirements all compete forspace and weight in hisrucksack.Tobeginanyimprovement

plan for the soldier of thefuture, theArmy firstneededto set goals for what theywanted to attain. If thesegoals are reached, the Armyleadershipfeelsthattheywillbe more than able toovermatch and defeat anyknown or imagined infantryforce well into the nextcentury.Thegoalsarebrokenintofivegeneralareas:• Lethality: The Army

wishes to increase eachsoldier’s ability to detect,acquire, identify, locate,engage, and defeat enemy/threat soldiers and theirequipment at increasedranges. Theywould like tobeabledothiswithgreateraccuracyandinallkindsofweather, regardless ofvisibilityconditions.

• Command and Control(C2):HeretheArmyhasset

the goal to increase eachleader’s ability to direct,coordinate, and controlpersonnel, weapons,equipment, andinformation.Toaccomplishsuperior C2, the Army hasalsosetgoalsondevelopingtheproceduresnecessarytoassimilate and disseminateinformation through thedigitization of nearly everybattlefieldsystem.Thiswill

enable soldiers tocompletely dominate andwin tomorrow’s“informationwar.”

• Survivability: In this keyfield, the Army has aimedto increase each soldier’sabilitytoprotecthimselforherselfagainsttheeffectsofenemyorthreatweaponsaswell as environmentalconditions throughimproved situationalawareness, reduced

signatures (infantry“stealth”), and improvedphysicalprotectionsystems.

• Sustainment: This goalcallsforworkingtowardsabetter capability to sustainsoldiers in a tacticalenvironment. From theArmy’s point of view, notonly does this lead toimprovements in morale,but it also results in adramaticincreaseinoveralleffectiveness and

performance.•Mobility:TheArmyof thefuture would like to moveand deploy its soldiersaround the battlefieldmorequickly than it currently isabletodo.Itmustdothisinorder to fulfill all of itsassigned missions. Thiselement includes providingsoldiers with improvedsituational awareness,navigation/location systemssupport, improved load-

carrying gear, as well as areduction in the weight ofweapons, equipment, andsupplies.

In addition to these five

goals, the currentmodernization plan for thesoldier of the future can bebroken down into two morebasic time-related categories.First there is the near-termproject.Thisiswhatisknown

as the Soldier EnhancementProgram or SEP. Back in1990, Congress decided thatthe Army and Marine Corpsshould begin to focus theirattention on enhancing thecombat capabilities ofindividual dismountedsoldiers through a programknown as the Soldier andMarine EnhancementProgram (SEP/MEP). TheSEP/MEP program wasintended to be a short-term

studyillustratingwhatcanbedone to improve thecapabilities of the infantrysoldiersinthenearfuture.SEP/MEP essentially

stopped just short of anydramatic advances in groundcombat. These dramaticadvances would be reservedfor the 21st Century LandWarrior Program,whichwillbe discussed next. CongressdirectlyfundedtheSEP/MEP

program for three years.Through 1996, manyimportant new technologieshave been developed and arestill being developed for thedismounted soldier of thefuture, including thebeginnings of severalimportant programs. Let’stake a look at some of thenear-term projects whichwere worked on in the SEPprogram:

• Close Combat Optics(CCO):Thissystem,whichis currently just beginningto enter service, provides anon-magnified sightingdevice for theM16A2 rifleandM4carbine.Itbasicallyprovidesanaimingdotonalens seen by theinfantryman. It reportedlycan improve combatmarksmanshipdramatically, and will alsoallow a soldier to fire at a

target with both eyes openinordertoprovidehimwithincreased situationawareness.

• Monocular Night VisionDevice:Thissystem,whichhasnotyetbeenfundedforprocurement, was fundedfor type classificationduring FY-95. Thislightweight device isactuallyamonocular,third-generation image-intensification system

which can be handheld orhelmet-mounted. It caneven be attached to aweaponsuchasanM16A2.The system hasperformance characteristicsroughlyequaltothatoftheAN/PVS-7B night-visiongoggles.

• Lightweight LeaderComputer: Thelightweight LeaderComputer(LLS)isactuallythe precursor to the more

powerful computers whichmay be carried by thesoldier of the future. TheLLCisasmall,lightweightcomputersystemwhichtiesin with the computers ofleaders up the chain ofcommandinordertopaintamore complete picture ofthe battlefield. The LLCcanhelpplanforoperationsas well as the preparationand distribution of orders,reports,andalertmessages.

The system also possessessimple graphicscapabilities, and providesan interface withSINCGARS fortransmission of whateverdata you’d like to transmit.Asofnow,theLLChasyettobefundedforproduction.

The above three systems

are just a few of the newtechnologies which came

about as a result of thenear-term/quick-results studycalledSEP.

21stCenturyLandWarrior

The next step indeveloping the combat forceof the future has nowpassedtowhathasbecomeknownasthe 21st Century LandWarrior,or21CLW.The21CLW program is actually a

vision of what the Army ofthe long-term future will(perhaps) look like, andbeginstrackingwhattheU.S.Army needs in order to getreadyfortomorrow.Thusthe21 CLW is not a singleprogram,butratheraseriesofhigh-tech initiatives whichwill (hopefully) produceusable technologies whichwilldramaticallyenhance thecombat capabilities oftomorrow’s foot soldiers.

Becausethe21CLWissuchawide-ranging project, theArmy realized that it had tobe broken up into severalprojects in order to moreclearly accomplish its goals.The 21CLW project ischarged with the job ofillustrating exactly what is,and what is not, feasible fortheArmyofthenextcentury.The cornerstone of the21CLW project is what hasbecomeknownastheArmy’s

Generation II SoldierAdvanced TechnologyDemonstration (ATD). Thegoal of this project is to testthe current limits oftechnology, in order todetermine just howhigh-techand combat-effectiveAmerica’sArmycanbecomein the 21st century. ThepreeminentpartofthecurrentGeneration II soldier systemis the Individual SoldierComputer/Radio (ISC/R)

subsystem.Thisisessentiallya mini-computer whichprovides data for all aspectsofthefutureinfantrysoldier’ssensor and weaponspackages. The particularpackages which arecontrolled by this computermay include an advancedheadgear system that willintegrate the followinginformation:•Communications:Thiswill

include theability toeasilycommunicate betweenpersonnel, includingmessages from superiorsandpossiblyinformationonenemytrooplocations.

• Informational Displays:This will include picturesand diagrams on enemyweapon systems such astanks, aircraft, andmissilesin order to help alleviateIFF problems, and to aidintelligence-collection

operations. Maps will alsobe easily accessed throughthis helmet display system,in order to help soldiersnavigatethebattlefield.

• Vision Amplifiers: Thecomputer-controlledheadgear will mostprobably include severaltypes of advanced night-vision systems such as anFLIRorNVG-typesystem.High-power-magnificationcapabilities may increase

the usefulness of this day-night/all-weathersensor.

All three of these systems

areenvisionedtobeoperatedvia headgear fitted to thehelmets of soldiers of thefuture. Before these projectsreach the troops, however,there are many technicaldifficulties to overcome, notthe least of which is areduction in the weight of

battery packs to power thesehigh-tech systems. There areother projects, however,besides the ISC/R systemwhichmay create an equallydramatic change in the waysoldiers fight. These includethefollowing:• Objective InfantryCombat Weapon(OICW): The eventualreplacement for the M-16and the 40mm grenade

launcher, probably usingadvanced compositematerials and compact“telescoping caselessammunition.” Prototypesmay be demonstrated asearlyas1998.

• Objective Crew ServedWeapon (OCSW): Thenext weapon the Army islookingatwouldbeusedtoreplacesuchweaponsastheM240G machine gun. TheOCSW will be carried by

two soldiers and willcontaina laser rangefinderand a day/night sight. Theweapon,aswiththeOICW,will be capable of firingboth kinetic-energy andburstingmunitions.

•Objective SniperWeapon(OSW): Also to bereplacedinfuturewouldbethe U.S. Army’s series ofsniper rifles. The OSWwould serve this purposeand greatly increase

effectiveness againstpersonnel and matérieltargets at significantlyincreasedrange.

• Integrated Sight Module(ISM): The ISM willcombine an advancedthermal viewer with adigital compass, a “deathdot” infrared laser aiminglight,andamini-laserrangefinder.

• Advanced Image

Intensifier (AI2): Night-visiongoggleswithsharperresolution, a wider field ofview,and“integratedHUDsymbology.”

•Combat Identification forthe Dismounted Soldier(CIDS):Oneofthelessonsof Desert Storm was thatground casualties from“friendly fire” in mobilewarfare can now be asheavy as those inflicted by

the enemy, but far moredemoralizingandpoliticallyunacceptable. The moderninfantrymanneedsanidiot-proofgadgetthatwillshout“Don’tshootme!”toeveryfriendly sensor, whileremaininginvisibletoeveryenemy sensor. Technicaldetails of the solution areobviously classified, but itprobably involves somesort of low-powered radiofrequency transponder

using coded signals withwaveforms that areinherently “LPI” (lowprobability of intercept).ThismightbesimilartotheCSEL (CombatSurvivor/Evader Locator)radio carried by pilots, butthe complexity of trackinghundreds of friendlysoldiers mixed in amongthousandsofbadguysmustchallenge even the mostadvanced tactical

computers.•In-StrideMineAvoidanceSystem (IMAS): Landmines are weapons thatwait, one of the nastiestscourges of the 20thcentury. Mines plantedbackintheFirstWorldWarstill kill or maim a fewunlucky French andBelgians every year, andvasttractsofwar-tornlandslikeAngola,Cambodia,andAfghanistan will be

uninhabitable for decadesthanks to the presence ofmillions of modern, hard-to-detect antipersonnelmines. Mine clearancerequires either lavishexpenditure of explosives,orinfinitepatiencebylargenumbers of brave peopleprobingthesoilverygently.Mineavoidance is theonlyreal solution. Ground-penetrating radars andinfrared sensors, chemical

sensors that sniff outminute traces of explosiveor the unique signatures ofdisturbed soil, are beingtried. Also, supersensitivemagnetic detectors to pickup the few grams ofmetalinthedetonatorofaplastic-cased mine are beingexamined. Whatever thesolution, it needs to berugged, reliable, and lightenough for an airbornetrooper to carry and use.

Oh, yeah, and we need ityesterday!

• RAH-66 ComancheHelicopter:Nowwe cometothebiggestofthebig.Interms of firepower andcapability, the Comanchewillperhapsaddthebiggestpunch (with the possibleexception of the now-canceled AGS) to theArmy’spower. Ifonewereto compare the life of thishelicopter program to

anything,itwouldprobablybearoller-coasterride.Theups and downs of thisformidable (andexpensive!) helicopter aremany. The original planwas to purchase 5,000 ofthese advanced helicopters.By 1987, that number hadbeen reduced to 2,096, andin 1990 the requestednumber was again reducedto1,292.

In1991,ajointteammadeup of the Boeing andSikorsky helicoptercompanies beat out aBell/McDonnell Douglasteam to be awarded thecontract for the experimentalversion of the Comanche,known as the YRAH-66.Unfortunately, in late 1994,the Pentagon terminatedproduction of the Boeing-SikorskyComancheprogram.InsteadDoDdecidedtobuild

just two pre-productionprototypes and continueengine and equipmentdevelopment.

The first flight of the #1prototype of the new RAH-66A Comanche Scout/AttackHelicopter. The Comancheshould replace a number ofdifferentArmyhelicopters inthe21stcentury.OFFTCIAL U.S. ARMYPHOTO VIA BOEINGSIKORSKYThe Army and the

Comanche team then wentinto full gear to save their

program. In early 1995, theArmy succeeded in revivingthe program, and as of now,theprocurementplanscallforsix Early OperationalCapability (EOC) RAH-66s,equipped with onlyreconnaissance systems (noarmament). After severalyears of in-field testing,assumingallissuccessful,theComanche will begin low-rate production, and even-tually full-rate production.

Initial operational capabilityfor the RAH-66 currentlylooks to be about the year2006.The entire cost of the

Comanche program has beenestimated to totalaround$34billion.WhatexactlydoestheArmy get for that amount ofmoney? The answer is: themost advanced and deadlyhelicopterintheworld.The armament will be

composed of a three-barreled20mm cannon in an under-nose turret. Side-openingweapons bay doors will beused to conceal the internalarmament and help to keepComanche stealthy.Internally, the RAH-66 cancarryuptosixHellfireair-to-surface missiles or twelveStinger air-to-air missiles (ora combination of both). Foradditional weapons carriage,the Comanche can sacrifice

some of its stealth formissiles,andcarryfourmoreHellfires or eight moreStingers from stub-fittedwings. Auxiliary fuel tankscan also be carried todramatically increasedeploymentrange.The avionics systems

carried by Comanche areequally as impressive as thearmamentpackage.Allmajorcommunications systems

used by the RAH-66 will bejam-resistant, and theaircraftwill have an airborne target-handoversystem,GPS,andaradar altimeter. The firecontrol and navigationsystems, however, are whattakes the Comanche into aworld of its own. Consistingofanight-visionsystemandahelmet-mounted display, theintegratedcockpitwillhaveasecond-generation FLIRtargeting system, digitalmap

displays,andahostofmulti-functionaldisplayswhichwillhelp the crew examineinformation on fuel status,weapons remaining, andcommunications systems. Totopthisalloff,allComanchehelicopterswillbecapableofcarrying a miniaturizedversion of the Longbowradar, although current planscall for only about a third ofthe fleet to actually beequippedwithit.

• Line-Of-Sight Antitank(LOSAT)Missile:LOSATis the second major Armyprogramwhichwill have aprofound impact on theXVIII Airborne Corps andthe82ndAirborneDivisionin particular. This missilesystem is a hit-to-killweapon, designed toprovide a high volume ofextremely lethal kinetic-energy missile fire againstheavily armored units such

as tanks at rangesexceeding that of a maintank gun. The missilesystem itself, for whichLoral Vought (also nowpart of Lockheed Martin)Systems of Dallas is theprime contractor, consistsof four Kinetic EnergyMissiles (KEMs) and theirfire-control system,integrated into a Hummerchassis. The missile, whenlaunched from its pod,

begins maneuveringimmediately. It is guidedinternally along the flightpath and updated throughthe fire-control systemaboard the launch vehicle.This continues until themissilestrikesitstarget.Asa result of tests conductedinvolving the firing ofnearlytwentyKEMs,itwasdeterminedthatthemissileshave a top speed in excessof 4,875 fps/1,486 mps.

The missile will penetrateall known and projectedMBTs,andcanbeusedforengaging other targets aswell, such as low-flyingaircraft, helicopters, andbunkers.

Whetherornotallofthese

systemswilleverbefieldedisanyone’s guess right now.Already, numerous othermodernization programs like

AGSandtheliquidpropellantgun for the new Crusaderself-propelled howitzer havebeenkilledby thebudgetax.Whatever makes it intoservice, though, will have tobe light and toughenough tostand up to the toughestbattlefieldsonearth.Theonestrodonlybyinfantrymen.

TheAirForceContribution

AirborneWarfare:TheAirForce

Legacy

Within the U.S. Air Force(USAF), there is a class

structurenotunlikethatoftheother services. Ever sincePresident Harry Trumansigned the enablinglegislation back in 1947, theUSAF’s “kings of the skies”have come from the fighterand bomber communities.The internal USAF biasagainst thosewhodonotkillpeoplewith their aircraft hasmeantthatthecareersofnon-fighter and bomber aircrewsrarely reach beyond the rank

of brigadier general. Perhapsthe armed flying jobs seemsexierormorepowerful thanthe jobsof thosewho fly thesupporting missions.Whatever the reasons,wearing the Air Forceuniform and not shootingdownenemyplanesornukingAmerica’s enemies hasusuallymeantnever rising tothetopjobswithintheUSAF.Thisisnottosaythatthese

othermissionsarenotvitallyimportant.Theyare.Somuchsothatprecedentwasrecentlybrokenwhen the head of theUSAF’s Air MobilityCommand, General RonaldFogelman, was elevated tothe jobofAirForceChiefofStaff. In a way, it was areward for theunprecedentedjob that AMC had done insupporting(andinsomecasesrescuing) the foreign policyinitiatives of the Clinton

Administration. I would liketobelieve,though,thatitwasa recognition that there areother things of importancethat airpower can deliverbesides killing power onenemy aircraft and cities.AMC and the supportcommunities within theUSAF’s Air CombatCommand (ACC) deliver ahugeboosttothemissionsofservices other than the AirForce. From hauling Army

paratroops, to refuelingNavyand Marine tactical aircraft,and providing close airsupport for Allied groundtroops,theseaircraftandtheircrews are perhaps the mostpowerful part of America’sempireofairpower.Back in the first chapter, I

spent a considerable amountof space and time explainingthe development of transportaircraft and their importance

toairbornewarfare.This isavitalintroduction,forwithoutthe cargoaircraft to fly themoff to war, airborne unitswould not even exist. Whilethese statements are patentlyobvious, their realsignificancetotheconceptofstrategic mobility goes farbeyond the single act oflettingparatroopsjumpouttodo battle. Transport andsupportaircraftarethetrucksof the sky for the U.S. Air

Force. This mission alonewould justify the significantpartofthefederalbudgetthathas been spent on transportaircraft. Still, as USAFleadershaveoftenpointedouttome,without theAirForce,airborne units are just well-trained infantry with a badattitude.EvenArmyairbornetroopers would concede thatthisistrue.Inter-service rivalries

aside,thehistoryofAirForcesupport for Army airborneandgroundoperationsisbothlong and distinguished.Historically, it has primarilycentered on transportingairborne units to their dropzones (DZs), and thenresupplying them untilfollow-on forces arrive torelievethem.This simple description is

fraughtwith risk anddanger,

though.By their very nature,anything that does not helpget transport aircraft into theair is a waste of potentialpayload. Adding armor andself-sealing gas tanks to acargo airplane would onlytake away from its primarymission: moving people andstuff by air. So whentransport aircraft go intoharm’sway, they do sowithvery few of the survivalfeatures that would allow

them to stand up to surface-to-air missile (SAM) orantiaircraft artillery (AAA)fire.The history of airborne

operations is replete withstories of transport crewspiloting their burning aircraftand sacrificing themselves sothat they could deliver theirloads of troops and suppliesonto their DZs. The Britishdrop on Arnheim during

Operation Market Garden inSeptemberof1944resultedinafistfulofVictoria’sCrossesfor transport crews. Similardecorations have been thenormforU.S.transportcrewsin operations from Sicily in1943 to Khe Sahn in 1968.While some fighter andbomber general might seetransport crews as justglorified airline personnel,they do a vital, unloved, andsometimes downright

dangerousjob.AnothergroupofAirForce

personnel looking for a littlerespect are those that flyclose-air-support (CAS) andforward-air-control (FAC)aircraft. From the point ofview of the 82nd’sparatroopers, you could notwantamore importantgroupofpeopleoveryourheadinafight. The men and womenwhoflyFAC/CASplanesare

theflyingeyesandartilleryofthe airborne task force. Eversince the Marine Corps firstcame up with the idea ofdedicated front-line airsupport, ground troops haveturned their eyes skyward,and prayed that the planesoverhead would be theirs.Today, the airborne troopersof the 82nd have to dependon CAS/FAC aircraft if theyare to succeed in theirmission.

In this chapter, we’ll tryand show you some of themachines flown by the U.S.Air Force to support thetroopersofthe82nd:theC-17Globemaster III and C-130Hercules, which haul thepeople and cargo; theKC-10Extender deployment tanker;and the A/OA-10Thunderbolt/Warthog, whichprovides the airborne withFAC and CAS services. Indoingso,Ihopethatyouwill

gain some insight into whythey are both necessary andessential to our nationalinterests, and to the bravemen andwomenof the 82ndAirborneDivision.

Warthog:TheFairchild-Republic

A/OA-10ThunderboltII

I take back allthe bad thingsI have eversaid about theA-10.I love them!They’resavingourasses!—GeneralChuckHorner,USAF PressBriefing,Desert Storm,

January1991

Officially, it’s calledThunderbolt II, recalling theheritage of one of the greatAmerican propeller-drivenfightersofWorldWar II, thepowerful Republic P-47Thunderbolt. But in the AirForce everyone calls it the

Warthog, recalling a mean-tempered and extraordinarilyugly African relative of thepig. With perverse pride, A-10 pilots and ground crewsshortenthisto“Hog,”anameand attitude that they love.Like the similarly namedoffensive line of theWashington Redskins, theyand their airplanes are the“badboys”oftheUSAF.Hogdrivers and their steeds takethe abuse and compliments

that result with their ownspecial attitude. Few aircraftin aviation history have beensubjecttosomuchridiculeastheWarthog.You often hearjokes like: “The only AirForce jet vulnerable to birdstrikes from the rear.” “Theairspeed indicator is acalendar.” “Above fivehundred feet the pilots thinkthey need oxygen.” “It’s gotthe radar cross section ofMountRushmore.”Forallof

these put-downs, theA-10 isoneofthefinestCASaircrafteverbuilt,perhapsthebestofalltime.A quick review of 20th

century warfare shows thatclose air support (CAS) hasbeenoneofthemostdecisiveand direct uses of airpower.Perhaps not as sexy asshooting down enemyfighters or dropping laser-guided bombs, but to ground

troops certainly the mostpersonal and useful to them.Direct use of aircraft tosupport ground operationsdate back to the AmericanCivilWar(1862)observationballoon ascents of ProfessorThaddeus Lowe during thePeninsula Campaign.Interestingly, the first use ofCASwasbytheUnitedStatesMarine Corps (USMC)during their “Banana Wars”in Central America in the

1920s. In fact, it was theobservation by Germans ofearlyUSMCCAStacticsthatled to their adoption by thenew Luftwaffe. By theoutbreakofWorldWarII,theGermanshadmadeCASintoa virtual science, and theplanes designed for thisunglamorousmissionbecamesome of the stars of combataviationhistory.CAS was one of the

keystones of the GermanBlitzkrieg (literally“Lightning War”) doctrineearlyinWorldWarII.Duringthe first year of the war, thefamous JU 87 Stukas (fromthe German wordSturzkampfflugzeug or divebomber) and other bombersoperatedasflyingartilleryforthe early conquests of theWermacht.Bythesummerof1940, though, they weredecimated bymodernBritish

fighters like the HurricaneandtheSpit-fire.Ayearlater,when the Germans faced theRed Army’s increasinglypowerful tanks, theydiscovered the limitations ofdive bombing. On the fourthday of the OperationBarbarossa (Hitler’s invasionof the Soviet Union in June1941), a force of thirty-sixStukas attacked aconcentration of sixty Soviettanks, scoring only a single

kill against the armor. Whathad happened was that theblast/fragmentation bombstheStukaswereusingneededa direct hit to destroy anarmored vehicle. Thetechnology of modernantiarmor cluster munitionswas years in the future.Clearly, new tank-bustingweapons were needed topenetrate the thick armoredhides of Russian tanks andagain make CAS aircraft a

viable force for theLuftwaffe.

One of the most attractiveoptionswasmountingheavy,tank-busting cannons (witharmor-penetrating shells) ontacticalaircraft.By1942, theLuftwaffe had deployed thenewJU87G-1versionof theStuka,equippedwithapairofpod-mounted 37mm cannonslungbeneath thewings.Thecenterline bomb rack of theJU 87G-1 was retained, butthedivebrakesweredeleted,

since very steep dives werenot required to hit andpenetrate the vulnerable top,side, and rear armor of tankslike the Russian T-34. Thenew cannons proved highlyeffective, and some pilotsbegan to rack up amazingscores. Stuka pilot ColonelHans-Ulrich Rudel wascredited with some 519 tankkillsanddestroyinga26,000-tonRussianbattleship.Whena single flyer candemolish a

whole Soviet Guards TankArmy (and a battleship!),you’ve really got a “forcemultiplier.”By theendof thewar, the

Luftwaffe had fitted antitankguns as large as 75mm inpurpose-built CAS aircraftlike the heavily armored,twin-engine Hs 129B. Onlytwelveof thebig26-1b/11.8-kg 75mm shellswere carriedby each Hs 129, but pilots

were trained to fire four-round bursts at 500meters/547 yards, where itwashard tomiss.No tankofthe era could take thepounding, and thousands ofSoviet tank crews paid theprice.The Luftwaffe also paid a

high price for their CASefforts. One of the toughestlessons learned was thatconductingCASoperationsin

airspacethatyoudonotfullycontrolresultsinheavylossestoenemyfightersandgroundfire. Even the indomitableColonelRudelwasshotdownmany times during the four-year war with the Russians,losingaleg,butstillflyingatthe finish of hostilities in1945!The Russians developed

their own tank-buster duringthe Great Patriotic War (the

Soviet name for their battlewithGermany),thelegendaryIL-2 Shturmovik. This wasthe toughest CAS aircraft ofthe entire war. The entirefront section of the IL-2’sfuselagewasa1,500-1b/680-kgshellof7mm/.275-insteelplate, with a 52mm/2.05-in-thick laminated bullet-resistant glass windscreen.The Russian designers hadstartedwiththepremisethataproperCASaircraftshouldbe

adirectextensionofarmoredvehicles on the ground, andthuscreateda“flyingtank”inthe IL-2. Their assumptionspaidhugedividends.The IL-2wasarmedwithtwo20mm,23mm,or37mmcannon,plusbombs and/or rockets. Thistruly did make theShturmovikaflyingtank,anda direct precursor to themodern Mi 24 Hindhelicopter gunships that arestill in use today. A later

model, the improved IL-2M,carried a tail gunner with arear-firingdefensivemachinegun.The IL-2 was easy to fly,

and could be repaired underextreme field conditions, andtheruggedlandinggearcouldhandle muddy or frozen dirtrunways. There is even astory thatabentpropellerona Shturmovik was oncestraightened out with a

sledgehammer! Over 35,000oftheseamazingplaneswerebuiltduringthewar.There was more to the

Shturmovik legend than justsimple toughness, though.There was what weAmericans might call a“warthog” spirit around theIL-2 crews, and it causedmorethanalittlefearintheirGermanopponents.Aquartercentury later, these qualities

of the Shturmovik wouldinfluence the design anddevelopment of the A-10.AttacksbyShturmovikswerepressed at altitudes down tojust 30 feet/10 meters, andgave the IL-2s devastatinglethality against Germanarmor. Near the town ofKursk on July 7th, 1943, aShturmovik regimentknockedoutseventy tanksofthe 9th Panzer Division injust twenty minutes, the

equivalentofanentirePanzerregimentdestroyed!28

One of the bits ofconventional wisdom aboutWorld War II is that theUnited States and their alliesdrove to victory under avirtual umbrella of airpower.It is therefore ironic that theair forces of the WesternAllies never developed areallysuccessfulCASaircraftdesign during the Second

World War. Despite effortsthat resulted in marginaldesigns like the NorthAmerican A-36 Apache (theprecursor to the classic P-51Mustang) and the BritishFairey Battle, most AlliedCAS operations wereconducted by fighter aircraft.Equipped with rockets,bombs, and fuel tanks filledwith napalm (jelliedgasoline), these fighterbombers did devastating

damagetoAxisgroundforcesaroundtheworld.What the Americans and

British did contribute to thescienceofCASinWorldWarII was the matter of propercoordination with groundforces. Prior to America’sentryintothewar,theUSMChad done some pioneeringwork on developingcompatible radio systems foraircraftandgroundunits,and

integrating them into CASoperations. By themiddle ofthewar,Alliedgroundforcescould actually call air strikesonto targets justyards/metersin front of their ownpositions. The British calledtheir on-call CAS missions“cab-rank”strikes,givingyousome idea just howclose thesupportcouldbe.Thereweresimilarstrikesby8thand9thAirForceP-48LightningandP-47 Thunderbolt fighter

bombers, as well as by theclassic F4U Corsairs of theMarinesinthePacific.Bytheendoftheconflict,theAllieshad achieved a level of air-ground coordination that hasbeenabenchmarkeversince.The U.S. did produce a

first-rate CAS aircraft in theyearsjustafterWorldWarII,though that was only one ofthe missions that it wasdesigned to accomplish.

Developed as a naval strikeaircraft toreplacethefamousGrumman TBF torpedobomber, this classicAmerican piston-enginedCAS plane was the DouglasAD (later redesignated A-1)Skyraider. Designed by thebrilliant Ed Heinemann forthe U.S. Navy at the end ofWorldWar II, it first enteredserviceinDecemberof1946,and improved models servedas first-line carrier strike and

support aircraft until 1968!Over three thousand werebuilt, and some still serve inforeignairforcestoday.The AD-6 version was a

single-seat fighter, with an18-cylinder Wright Cycloneradialenginedelivering2,700horsepower to a four-bladedpropeller. Armament wasfour20mmcannonandup to8,000 lb/3630 kg of bombsand rockets on up to fifteen

weapon racks. Stable andreliableasanoldplowhorse,itwasafavoriteamongflightcrews. Despite its beingreplaced in the strike role bynewer supersonic fighter-bombersinthelate1950sandearly 1960s, there was stilllifeintheA-1s.As the war in Vietnam

escalated, old Skyraidersweretakenoutofstorageandrebuilt for service in

SoutheastAsiawith theU.S.Navy,AirForce,andMarinesandtheRepublicofVietnam.The newer jets did not havetheabilitytoputordnanceontargets aswell as the slower,old Skyraiders. Theirweapons-delivery systemswere designed to lob nuclearweapons,notdeliverpinpointbomb strikes. Also, thegreater loiter time of the oldADs made it possible forharried ground units to keep

CASaircraftoverheadlonger.Finally,theirabilitytoabsorbbattle damage meant thatSkyraiders often came homemissingbigpieces,while thenewer supersonic jets wereoften lost toa single“goldenBB” fired from small-caliberweapons. All thismeant thata surplus airplane older thansome of its pilots wasperforming the CAS missionbetter than multi-million-dollar machines designed to

delivernuclearweapons.Thishad major repercussionswhen a new CAS airplanewasneededinthelate1960s.That airplane would becometheA-10.By the late 1960s, it was

clearthattheAirForcewouldneedtoreplacetheSkyraider,thoughnotmanyintheUSAFleadership wanted the newbird. From the verybeginning, the new CAS

aircraft was a bastard childwithin the USAF. It wasdesigned for a mission theydidn’twant, in order to keepthe Army and Marines fromgrabbing a bigger budgetsliceforCAS.Awholeseriesof inter-service treatiesdictated that CAS was a“blue”mission thatwouldbehandled for theArmy by theUSAF.29 The truth was thatthe USAF leadership of the

daycouldnothavecaredlessabout the CAS mission andthe troopson theground thatit was supposed to support.Theywould have beenmuchhappier buying fighters andnuclear-armed bombers toaccomplishwhat they sawasthe “real” missions ofairpower.Pilotsofsleek,fast,pointy-nosed fighters(including thosewhobecomeUSAFgenerals)thinkofCASas “air to mud” combat, and

often consider it beneath thedignity of an officer andgentleman. So in reality, theUSAF’s desire to control theCASmissionwasreallyjustamoney and power grab,designed to deny the Armycontrol of money and theairspaceabovethebattlefieldsofthefuture.

A Fairchild Republic A-10A“Warthog” in flight. Thisheavily armed and armoredaircraftisthebackboneoftheU.S. Air Force’s Close AirSupportforce.OFFICIAL U.S. ARMYPHOTOJust one little problem,

though, and thatwas that theCongress and U.S. Army

expected (and forced) theUSAF to build a “real”CASairplaneforuseinthe1970s.Grudgingly, the USAFcomplied with the mandateand started the A-X (AttackExperimental) program toaccomplish that task ascheaply and quickly as waspossible. When thecompetition for a new A-Xprototype was initiated, anumberofaircraftcompaniessubmitted designs to the

USAFforconsideration.Twofinalistswereselected,andin1972 a fly-off betweenNorthrop’s YA-9A andFairchild-Republic’sYA-10Awas conducted. Northrop’sconventional design wasmore maneuverable, butFairchild’s entry was judgedto be more survivable in a“high-threat” environment(suchastheEuropeanCentralFrontorKorea).Somedesignchanges to accommodate

USAF wishes were added,and the first productionaircraftwere delivered in thespring of 1976. Productionended in the 1980s after 650had been delivered. In late1996, some 231 remained inservice with the U.S. AirForce, the remainder havingbeen retired into storage orlost operationally. Hopes forforeign sales to the Republicof Korea and Turkey nevermaterialized, asmuch due to

the superb marketing of theF-16 (which was sold as acompetitor) as anything else.However, the type willremain in service, mostlywith National Guard andReserve units, well into the21st century, thanks to thebrilliant performance of theA-10 community in DesertStorm.With our history lesson

done for now, let’s have a

look at theWarthog.WEFT:Wings, Engines, Fuselage,Tail. These are the four keyfeatures youmemorize whenstudying aircraft recognition,and it is a goodway to startexamining the A-10. For atcertain angles, the Hog isalmost a dead ringer for theWorld War II-vintage B-25Mitchellmediumbomberthatwas used by JimmyDoolittle’s Tokyo Raiders tobomb Japan. The Mitchell

hadareputationforbeingoneof the toughest, mostsurvivable aircraft of the era,and those same qualities areat the core of the A-10’sdesign.The A-10’s broad, thick,

low-mounted wings arealmostperfectlystraight.Theabsenceofwingsweepangletells you right away that theA-10 is a subsonic design.The wingspan is 57 feet, 6

inches/17.53 meters, and thetips are rounded off with agraceful twist. This, by theway,isthelastgracefulthingyouwillseeontheWarthog’sairframe. There is a stubbypod about mid-span on eachwing, and the rubber tiresticking out in the airstreamtells you that this is thefairing for the main landinggear. Each wing has fiveweapons stations: twoinboardandthreeoutboardof

the main gear podsrespectively. One of these,though,isusuallyremovedtocutweight anddrag.Thebigailerons on the outboardtrailing edge can split, aboveandbelowthewing,actingasdive brakes, or spoilers toshorten the landing roll.Unlike most aircraft, the A-10’s wings contain nointernal fuel tankagewhereastray AAA round or SAMfragmentmight set it off. To

preventexplosionsorfire,thearmored and self-sealing fueltanks are concentrated insidethefuselage,acompromisetothecoredesignphilosophyofthe Warthog: survivability.AnotherconcessionintheA-10 designwas that the planewould be designed withsimplicity inmind.No “wiz-bang” avionics or systemswouldbecarried,unless theysupportedthecoremissionofthe Warthog: daylight CAS

operations over the ForwardEdgeofBattleArea.The twin engines are

General Electric TF-34turbofans mounted incylindrical pods on shortpylons extending up andoutboard from theaft sectionof the fuselage. If oneTF-34is shot away, the A-10 canlimp home on the other, asseveral Hogs did duringDesertStorm.TheTF-34was

chosen to save ondevelopment costs, since itwasalreadyinproductionforthe Navy’s S-3 Viking, acarrier-based antisubmarineplane that needed longendurance and the ability toloiter at low-altitude.30Aircraft designers hateputting a brand-new enginedesignonanewaircrafttype,since experience teaches thatthis is a common source of

development trouble. Eachengine is rated at 9,0651b/4112 kg of thrust, prettyanemic for an aircraftwith amaximum takeoff weight ofalmost 50,000 lb/22,680 kg.Generally, the TF-34 lacksaccelerationaswellasthrust,and the A-10’s maximumspeedatsealevelisamodest439 kn/813.5 kph. Mostengines have some designmargin for increased thrustduring their life cycle, but

therewasneveranymoneytosoupuptheTF-34.Turbofansare very fuel-efficientengines, but an equallyimportant consideration forthe A-10 is high “bypassratio,” which mixes a lot ofcool air with the hot turbineexhaust, reducing theaircraft’s vulnerability toheat-seeking missiles.Anotherbenefitof theTF-34is reduced noise; on thegroundyoucannothearanA-

10 flying above 5,000feet/1500metersofaltitude.The purpose of any

warplaneistoplaceordnanceonto targets, and the A-10’sdesignisaclassicexampleofthis philosophy. Since theWarthog’sprimarymissionisCAS,withaspecialemphasison destroying heavy armoredvehicles (like main battletanks),theA-10drewalotonthelessonsoftheGermanJU-

87G1 and Russian IL-2Shturmovik. The A-10’snarrowfuselagewasdesignedaround the huge armor-busting General ElectricGAU-8 “Avenger” cannon.Thisisanexternallypoweredseven-barrel rotary 30mmgun, almost 20 feet/6.1meters long, weighing in at4,0291b/1831kg.TheGAU-8’s rotary gun mechanism isbased on the 150-year-oldGatling design, but an

ingenious “linkless”ammunition-conveyor systemmakes it possible to fire at acyclic rateof fifty to seventyrounds per second! Eachbarrel is 7 feet six inches/2.3meters long (or to put it inordnance terms, 76.66calibers), and the entireGAU-8 system is about thesize of a Volkswagen Beetlecompact car!31 Viewed fromthe front, the gun muzzle

appearsoffsetslightlytoport,giving the nose a peculiarasymmetry, but as the gunassembly rotates, the barrelexactly on the centerline istheonethatfires.The GAU-8 gives the

Warthog awesome firepoweragainstgroundtargets,unlikeanythingseensincetheendofWorldWarII.However,witha magazine capacity of only1,350 rounds, A-10 pilots

must fire short bursts. Thestandardcombatloadisamixof armor-piercing (AP) andhigh-explosive-incendiary(HEI) shells. The AP roundcan pierce the top or sidearmor of most heavy tanks,and in wartime, the A-10would use depleted-uraniumAPprojectiles.This isaverydense metal that ignites andburns violently whencompressed and heated by ahigh-velocity impact.

“Depleted” uranium has hadmostof its fissionableU-235removed,andthushasonlyatinyresidualradioactivity,butlikemost other heavymetalsit is quite toxic. So, inconsideration ofenvironmental concerns, it isbeing replaced by tungstenalloy projectiles. Howeveryou look at it, the GAU-8“mainbattery”oftheA-10isanimpressiveweapon.32

Survivability was at thecore of the original A-Xspecification, andwasoneofthereasonsthatFairchildwonthe contract. Since most ofthe aircraft that were lost inVietnamhadbeenshotdownby light AAA fire, theWarthog was specificallyhardened against this threat.In the forward fuselage is a“titanium bathtub”surrounding the cockpit toprotect the pilot and flight

controls. Light as aluminumand stronger than steel,titanium is very difficult tocast orweld,whichmakes itan expensive luxury inaircraftstructures.ButtheA-X specification requiredprotecting the pilot fromcannonshellsup to23mmincaliber, and steel armorwould have been far tooheavy. Other parts of theWarthog have also beenheavilyoverbuilt,sothatthey

are “ballistically tolerant” toallsortsofdifferentordnance.Thismeansthattheywillstillfunction if hit by, say, a7.62mm machine-gun round,or a fragment from anexploding surface-to-air(SAM) warhead. Virtuallyevery assembly on the A-10went through some type ofballistic tolerance design andtesting, and the results havebeen proven in combat. Toappreciate the toughness of

this A-10, consider theexperience of one DesertStormA-10pilot:A Fairchild Republic A-10Abelches muzzle smoke as itfires the internal GAU-8Avenger 30mm Gatling gun.Firing milk bottle—sizedshells with depleted uraniumpenetrators,theGAU-8isthemost effective anti-armorcannonflying.OFFICIAL U.S. ARMY

PHOTO

“Theycounted378holesinit.... All four shells from afour-round clip of 57mm hitme ... the right engine... hadforty-five holes in it—itwasn’tdeveloping fullpowerbutitwasstillrunningwhenIlanded.... The right sidebelow the cockpit hadseventeen major holes in itand the bathtub had a lot ofchinks in it....” The aircraftwas eventually patched up

andflewhometoLouisiana!Thispilot’sexperiencewas

hardlyunique.OtherWarthogdrivers had their own battledamage experiences duringDesert Storm, and usuallytheir “Hogs” brought themsafely home to fly and fightanotherday.In addition to making the

shell of the Warthog’scockpit tough, the Fairchild-Republic designers made

what is inside tolerant to theevils of the CASenvironment. In addition tothe standard ACES-seriesejection seat, the A-10’scockpit is packed withconventional roundinstrument dials (humorouslycalled“steamgauges”) ratherthan the sleek multi-functiondisplays (computer screens)found in contemporarypointy-nosedfastmoverslikethe F-16. Mechanical

instruments are far moreresistant to shock and otherunpleasant effects that theCAS environment commonlythrows at your average Hogdriver, and thus are thereadouts of choice. The oneexception to this rule is asmallvideodisplaywherethepilot can view the scenethrough the electro-optical orinfrared seeker head of aselected AGM-65 Maverickmissile.

LikeeverythingelseontheHog,thecontrolsontheA-10are utterly conventional. Anormal-looking control stickbetweenthepilot’slegsandatwin throttle console on theleft tell you that this is notoneofthesexy“fly-by-wire”fightersliketheF-16orF-18.Oneunusualcontrolisaleverthat engages “manualreversion” of the flightcontrols, if both hydraulic

systems are knocked out.33Thisallowsthepilottoflytheaircraft with pure musclepower through cables andpulleys, which can be anexhausting struggle in roughweather. Perhaps the onemodern feature of the Hog’scockpit is thebubblecanopy,whichgivesthepilotasuperbviewofthebattlefield,avitalnecessity for CAS/FACoperations.

The outside of the A-10appears to be randomlyfestooned with all variety oflumpsandbumps.Eachitem,though, is designed to add tothe functionality of the A-10inCASoperations.Abovethegun and forward of thebubblecanopyisareceptaclefor in-flight refueling fromUSAFtankers.Incombat,A-10 squadrons will usually bebased as close to the frontline as possible, but in-flight

refueling makes it possiblefor units based in theUnitedStates to carry out gruelingmarathon flights (thirteenhours or more) to deploynonstop to remote overseastrouble spots. There is noroom inside the nose for anykind of radar, but there is apylon on the starboardforward fuselage for a laser-spot target seeker, the AAS-35 Pave Penny pod. Whileunable toproject a laser spot

todesignate targets for laser-guided weapons itself, thePave Penny can detect thelaser spots from otherdesignators, providing asteeringcuetothepilot.Thisallows theWarthog driver toattack a target marked bytroops on the ground with adesignator, or by an airbornedesignator from a helicopter(like the Army OH-58D orMarine AH-1W) or otheraircraft (such as anF-15Eor

F-16CwithLANTRINpods).This is only done rarely, asthe A-10’s weapons load ismostlymade up of unguidediron and cluster bombs, aswellasfire-and-forgetAGM-65 Maverick air-to-groundmissiles.Although the numerous

underwing hardpoints canaccommodate almost anykind of ordnance owned bythe USAF, you won’t find

much hanging here that isguided. The sexier andmoreexpensive Paveway-serieslaser-guided bombs (LGBs)or the GBU-15/AGM-130-series electro-optical guidedbombs and missiles arereserved for the supersonicmembers of the USAF AirCombat Command (ACC).7The Warthog communityviewsitsprimaryweaponsasthe mighty GAU-8 gun,

unguidedbombs(liketheMk80-series “iron” bombs, andCBU-87/89/97ries clusterweapons), 2.75-in/ 70mmrockets, and the AGM-65Maverick AGM. Currently,theImagingInfrared(IIR)-Dand -G versions are thefavorites, given theirexcellentseekerheads(whichusethethermalsignatureofatarget tohome inon)aswellas their large warheads. Infact, because the Maverick’s

seeker head is based upon astaring matrix array ofinfrareddetectors,asopposedto a single detector elementlike the AIM-9 Sidewinderair-to-air missile (AAM), itactually “sees” an image ofthe target. This image is fedonto the cockpit displayscreen we mentioned earlier,so that it can be used to“lock” theseekerheadof themissileontoatarget.

During Desert Storm,Warthog crews found thatthey could power up an IIRMaverick on the rail (A-10susually carry two or threeAGM-65soneachofapairofthree-rail launchers), and usethe seeker as a “poorman’s”thermal imager or forward-looking infrared (FLIR)scanner. Given thisrudimentary capability, Hogdrivers were able to developnight intruder tactics for

operationsafterdark.The one other guided

weaponcarriedbytheA-10isthe AIM-9M SidewinderAAM, which is carried forself-defense against fightersand for shooting down theoddhelicopterthatmaygetintheway.34

The tail of the A-10consistsofabroadhorizontalstabilizer with a huge slab-sidedverticalstabilizerwitha

rudder at each end. It washere that the ballistictolerance in the Warthogdesignwastakentoextremes.Either side of the tailplanecanbeshotaway,andtheA-10 will still be able to flyhome!Also, the arrangementof the tail surface tends toshield thehotengineexhaustducts from the view ofground-based observers,making it harder for a heat-seeking SAM to track the

aircraft. Another thing thathelps keep the Hog flying isthat as much as possible,components of the A-10 aredesigned to beinterchangeable between leftand right (and betweendifferent aircraft). Thisenables repair crews topatchtogetherone flyableWarthogfrom two or more damagedones.Thisisjustmoreofthewhole “toughness” mentalitythat permeates the whole A-

10designfromnosetotail.Toughness is not just a

characteristicoftheA-10andtheir pilots, though. It showsin how those ground crewsservice and support theWarthogs.Thereoncewasanaircrewjokeaboutthegroundtechniciansspreadingcornontherampto“bringthehogsinatnight.”However,everyA-10 driverwill tell you that itis those same skilled

maintenance technicians thatkeeptheWarthogfleetflyingin the forward fieldconditions that it wasdesigned to work from. Theoriginalconceptofoperations(CONOPS) for theA-10wastohavethemspreadoutfromacentralhomebase,andthenoperate from forwardoperating bases (FOBs) thatcouldbeanythingfromadirtairstrip to a section of theAutobahn.Smalldetachments

of maintenance personnelwould then go forward torefuel and rearm thebig jets,andsupportanyrapidrepairsof equipment or battledamage thatmight occur. Tothis end, the A-10 wasdesignedtobeeasytosupportin the field. The aircraft hasits own auxiliary power unit(APU, a miniature turbineengine buried in the aftfuselage), so it requires noexternal starter cart. There is

evenatelescopingretractableladder built into the side ofthe fuselage, so the pilot canmount his steed withoutoutsideassistance.So just what is involved

whenanA-10comesintobeserviced? Well, the crewchief goes to the portsidemain landing gear sponsonfairing, andopens thehingedforward cone. Located herethere is a small diagnostic

panel, as well as a single-point refueling receptacle.The crew chief gives theaircraft systems a quickcheck, aswell as starting theprocess of refueling andrearming. At this point, therestofthegroundcrewjumpsinto action to rearm the bigjetandgetthepilotreadyforthe next sortie. This processgreatlyresemblesaNASCARracingcrewservicingastockcar in the pits before

returningittothetrack.Inthewhole turnaround process,onlyone specializedpieceofground equipment is needed,a big machine called the“Dragon,” whichautomatically reloads the A-10’s internal 30mmammunitiondrum.EachFOBground crew has a Dragonandtheotherthingsnecessaryto do “bare-bones”maintenance andreplenishment between

missions.Veryrapidly,fuelispumped, bombs and otherweaponsareloadedontorailsand racks, and the pilot isgiven a chance to go to thebathroom, grab a bite to eat,and look over the maps andget briefed for the nextmission.Short turnaround times

betweensortiesarethekeytothis process, so that amaximum number of

missions can be flown everydaybyeachaircraftandpilot.This is done with field-levelequipment and lots ofbackbreaking effort on thepartofthegroundcrews.Itisanamazingthingtowatchtheyoungmenandwomen,allofthem enlisted personnel andNCOs, loading tons ofweapons and thousands ofgallonsof fuel in amatterofminutes,nomatterthetimeofday, the heat or cold, rain or

shine.Oncetheservicebreakis over, the pilot mounts up,and another CAS mission isunderway.CAS missions were the

rationale for the entire A-Xprogram,andwoundupbeingboth loved and hated by theUSAF leadership. Lovedbecause CAS missionsshowed the Air Force“supporting” their Armybrethren on the ground. This

was the “proper” role ofairpower during thedevelopment of the AirLandBattle doctrine of the late1970sandearly1980s.Atthesametime,though,theUSAFleadership hated theWarthogs,bothforthemoneyandpersonnelthattheyhadtocommit to the A-10s unitsand because their missionwasheavilycontrolledbytheArmy. But whatever theUSAF generals may have

thought, the Warthogcommunity has always lovedtheir aircraft, and still seetheir mission as important,even in an age of PGMs.Their gypsy existence ofoperating out of FOBsharkens back to a simplertimewhenflyingwasfunandmen flew theairplanes,notabankofdigitalcomputers.Tothisday,thefolkswhoflytheA-10 continue to be held incontempt by their supersonic

brethren in the USAF, andtheycouldcare less!Perhapsthe fast drivers just envy allthe fun that their Hog-ridingbrethren seem to have.Whatever the case, theWarthogdrivershaveadiffi-cultanddangerousjobtodo,which has not gotten anyeasier since the originalA-Xrequirementwaswritten.An A-10A Warthog beingserviced by maintenance

personnel. Being loaded arefour AGM-65Maverick Air-to-Surface missiles, whichprovide the A-10 with aheavy,long-rangepunch.OFFICIALUS.AIRFORCEPHOTO FROM THECOLLECTIONOFROBERTF.DORR

The basicmission that theA-10 was designed for wasdaylight low-altitude groundattack on the EuropeanCentralFrontduringtheColdWar. If World War III hadever broken out, squadronshome-based in EnglandwouldhaverotatedtoaustereFOBs in Germany and otherNATO partner countries,wheretheaircraftwouldthen

bedispersedandcamouflagedin the woods. They couldhave even operated fromstraight sections of theAutobahn had that beennecessary. While each FOBdetachmentwould have beenbetween four and eight A-10s, the basic A-10 tacticalformation has always beenthepair.Thishas an elementlead and a wingman,operating within visualcontact of each other for

mutual support. In badweather that canmean flyinga tight formation, withwingtips only a few feetapart.Twopairsoftenoperateasa“four-ship.”Don’tletthesmall numbers put you off,though. During just one dayof operations during DesertStorm, a pair of particularlyaggressive Hog driversdestroyed over two dozenIraqi tanks in front of theMarine units advancing on

KuwaitCity.Early on in the A-10’s

operational history, the Hogdrivers began to do jointtraining with Army AH-1Cobraattackhelicopters.TheA-1Os flying as low as 100feet/30 meters, would firsttake out enemy mobileantiaircraft guns (like thedeadlyZSU-23-4)andmobileSAM launchers (such as theSA-8 Gecko and SA-9

Gaskin) with AGM-65Maverick missiles, allowingthe attack helicopters tosafely “pop up” aboveridgelines, village housetops,or tree lines to fire theirownTOW antitank missiles. Asthe helicopters dropped backbehind cover, the Warthogswould then wheel around insharp low-altitude turns tostrafetheimmobilizedenemycolumns with cannon fire. Ifbad weather prevented using

Mavericks,A-10swould relyon antiarmor cluster bombs.These tactics eventuallyevolved into an “intruder”philosophy of operations,which had the Warthogsoperating over preplannedareas known as “kill boxes,”which were essentially free-firezones.Thiswasthebasicoperating philosophy that theA-10 community took withthem to the Persian Gulf forDesertStorm.

AnA-10AWarthogpullsoutof a bombing run over theFort Polk range. The whitedots behind the aircraft areflares, designed to decoy theinfrared guided surface-to-airmissiles.OFFICIAL U.S. ARMYPHOTOFinding targets can be a

realchallengeintheWarthog.With no targeting aids otherthan their own eyeballs, one

vitally important skill foreveryA-10pilot ismanagingtheunrulyfoldedpapermapson his knee board, since theA-10 lacks one of the fancymoving-map displayscommon on aircraft like theF-15E Strike Eagle. A-10pilots frequently have todepend on forward aircontrollers (FACs) on thegroundandinotheraircrafttolocate the enemy formationsandguidetheWarthogstothe

best attack position. ThisFAC “cuing” process hasbeen refined down to a terse“nine-line brief” based onmilitary map coordinates.EachrunbytheA-10sislaidout in detail, with thefollowing data points beinggiven to each pilot by theFACjustpriortotherun-in:1.Locationoftheinitialpoint(IP)forstartinganattack.

2.HeadingfromIPtotargets.3.Elevationoftargets.

4. Distance from IP to thetargets.

5. Target descriptions(artillery positions, tankcolumns, truck convoys,etc.).

6. Map coordinates of thetargets.

7. Positions of nearbyfriendlyforces.

8.Best direction to leave thetargetarea.

9.Anyotherinformationthatmighthelpthepilotsurvive.

Byformalizingtheprocessoftarget designation andproperlycoordinatingrun-ins,the chances of a “blue-on-blue” or “friendly fire”incidentareminimized.These tactics did not

develop overnight. On thecontrary, from the time the23rd Fighter Wing (the firstoverseasA-10unit) stoodupatRAFBentwatersinthelate

1970s, they were constantlyrefining their craft, alwaysworking to findnewways tobetterusetheirHogs.Throughout the 1980s, A-

10 units were frequentlydeployedtotroubleareaslikeKoreaandtheCaribbean,butalwaysafterthetensionswereover. They helped hold thelineduringthefinaldecadeofthe Cold War, and werealmostoutofbusinesswhena

call to go to a real wararrived.August of 1990 saw the

IraqiinvasionofKuwait,andthe A-10 community werequickly up to their snouts inthe crisis. One quick noteabout this, though.Therehasalways been an apocryphalstory that General ChuckHorner,thecommanderoftheU.S. 9th Air Force and theCentralCommandAirForces

(CENTAF), did notwant theWarthogsinthePersianGulf.Nothing could be furtherfrom the truth, though.35Deployment of A-10 unitshad always been part of the9th Air Force/CENTAFdeployment schedule, andthey got their alert order tomove only six days after thefirst USAF units had starteddeploying to the Gulf. AsGeneral Horner would tell

you, he had to get aircraftcapable of getting airsuperiority into the theaterfirst, and the Warthogs justhadtowaittheirturn.This does not mean that

everything was easy whenthey got there. Thedeployment to Saudi ArabiatookalmosttwiceaslongasacomparableF-15orF-16unitbecause of the Warthogs’slow cruising speed, and

when they arrived, theconditions they encounteredwere decidedly austere.Living in tent cities withoutdoorshowerswastherulefor the A-10 units. But likethe other units assigned toCENTAF, they worked hardand made their main base atKing Fahd InternationalAirport (near Dhahran) asuitablehome.The real problem the

Warthogcommunityhadwasselling themselves and theircapabilities to the CENTAFplanning staff. The bulk ofthe early Desert Storm aircampaign targets were of a“strategic”type,requiringthekind of all-weather targetingand precision-guidedmunitions capabilities thatwere inherent to aircraft likethe F-111F Aardvark, F-117Nighthawk, and A-6E

Intruder.36 On the surface,this would appear to leavelittle for other attack aircraftlike the A-10s, F-16s, andAV-8BHarrierstodo,thoughnothingcouldbefurtherfromthe truth. From the verybeginning of the DesertStorm air campaign planningprocess, it had been plannedto keep a constant, twenty-four-hour-a-day pressure onthe Iraqis, especially their

fielded forces in the KuwaitiTheaterofOperations(KTO).When the advocates for theA-10 made their capabilitiesknown to theCENTAFstaff,the Warthogs quickly beganto get mission tasking foroperations in southern IraqandKuwait.By the time Desert Shield

turned into Desert Storm, atotal of 144 A-10s had beendeployed to Saudi Arabia,

forming the 23rd and 354thTactical Fighter Wings(Provisional). Despite theterrible weather and difficultoperational conditions in theGulf during the winter of1991, overall A-10 missionavailability during the GulfWarwas rated at 95 percent,which was higher thanpeacetime levels at well-equippedhomebases!However,thiswaswarand

a price was paid when fourA-10s were downed byenemy ground fire. CaptainStephen R. Phillis of the354thTFW(P)waskilledbya surface-to-airmissilewhileescorting his battle-damagedwingmanoutof a target areain northern Kuwait onFebruary 15th, 1991. For hisactions,hewasposthumouslyawarded theSilverStar.Twoother battle-damaged A-10swere destroyed while

attempting to land, and twoother damaged aircraft werewrittenoffaftertheyreturnedhome (both became “gateguards” on static display attheirStatesidehomebases).Whileoperations in theair

were dangerous for the A-10s,therealsowereproblemson the ground. One of therealities of modern CASoperations is that theysometimes happen really

close to friendly forces.Desert Storm was noexception, and there wereseveral “friendly fire”incidentsasaresult.Thefirstoccurred during theBattle ofKhafji, when an A-10accidentallyfiredanAGM-65IIRMaverickmissileintotheback of a USMC lightarmored vehicle. SevenMarines were killed, andanother pair badly wounded.Later, in one of the most

tragicincidentsofthewar,onFebruary 25th, 1991, nineBritish troops died in aWarrior infantry combatvehicle struck by anotherMaverickmistakenlyfiredbyan A-10. These were hardlythe only “blue-on-blue”incidentstotakeplaceduringDesert Storm, just the worst.In both cases there werequestionsabout theMaverickmissiles possibly going“stupid” (i.e., their seeker

heads breaking lock on theirintended targets) and goingafterthefirsttargetthatcameinto view of the Maverick’sIIRseekerhead.On the plus side, A-10s

flew 8,755 sorties, scoringconfirmed kills on 1,106trucks, 987 tanks, 926artillery pieces, 501 armoredpersonnel carriers, 249commandvehicles,51SCUDmissile launchers, 96 Iraqi

radars, SAM sites, and 10parkedaircraft,plusthe2air-to-air kills againsthelicopters. The actualdamage inflicted by theWarthogs was probablygreater, because the rules for“confirmed” kills were verystrict,butinterpretationoftheresults is controversial sincetheIraqisalsomadeextensiveuse of decoy targets. A-10sdelivered a large percentageof the total tonnage of

ordnancedeliveredduringthewar, with a total of 5,013AGM-65 Mavericks beinglaunched, 14,184500-lb/227-kg bombs dropped, and940,254 30mm GAU-8roundsfired.Intheearlydaysof the air campaign, A-10soften carried a pair of AIM-9MSidewinderAAMsontheoutermost weapon stations,but as the Iraqi air threatdissipated,thesewereusuallyleft on the ground. A few

were fired inadvertently, butnohitswerescored.Shootingwarsalwaysseem

to bring out the ingenuity inAmericans,andDesertStormwas no exception. Nooperational plan lasts beyondthe first battle, and the A-10squadronshadtoimproviseavarietyofnew tactics for thedesert war. To avoid theheaviest Iraqi ground fire,they were ordered by the

CENTAF staff to operate atmedium altitudes (around8,000 feet/2,438 meters)ratherthantheextremelylowlevelstheyhadtrainedfor.More interestingly, several

squadrons operated primarilyas night intruders, usingparachute flares and the IIRseeker heads of their AGM-65Maverickmissiles to pickout targets. With a field ofviewlimitedtoonly3°anda

fuzzy cockpit display screen,usingtheMaverickasanightsight was “like lookingthrough a soda straw.”Nevertheless, it was anexcellent alternative to amillion-dollarstabilizedFLIRsystem, which the A-10 wasnevergoingtogetanyway.Itwas just another example ofthe Warthog spirit that youfind in the men and womenwho operate this most uglyandfunctionalofwarplanes.

CASmissionswerenottheonly important tasksgiven tothe A-10. Certainly themostsatisfying was the “Sandy”mission,whichhadWarthogsescorting combat search andrescue (CSAR)helicopters topickupdownedaircrewsandotherpersonnelbehindenemylines. On one such CSARmission, a pair of Hogdrivers, Captains PaulJohnson and Randy Goff,won an Air Force Cross and

Distinguished Flying Crossrespectively for their efforts.While supportinganMH-53JPave Low III specialoperations helicopter whichwas picking up the radarinterceptofficerofadownedNavy F-14 Tomcat, theymadenumerousrunsonIraqiground troops trying tocapture theAiredale.Despitesevere opposition, the twoHogs kept the Iraqis at baylongenough toget theNaval

aviatoroutofharm’swayandonthewayhome.Someoftheothermissions

thatWarthogsflewduringthewarwereevenmoreunusual.Because of their slow speedand long loiter time onstation, the A-10s proved tobe superb in the role ofhunting down the launchersof the notorious SCUDsurface-to-surface missilesthatwere such a thorn in the

side of theAlliedwar effort.However, of these variousperipheral missions beingflown by the Hog, nonewasmoreimportantthanofFAC.For the CASmission, you

need FACs, either in the airor on the ground, to directaircraft in to deliver theirordnance on target. In theyears leading up to DesertStorm, the USAF hadseverely drawn down their

force of FAC aircraft, and anew airframe was needed toreplace the aging force ofVietnam-era“birddogs.”Outof this requirement came theonly significant Warthogvariant, the OA-10A. TheOA-10 is almost identical tothestandardA-10(exceptforthe radio systems), but has adifferent mission and carriesadifferentmixofweapons.During Desert Storm,

several Warthog squadronsoperated OA-10s as forwardobservers and provided FACservices to the flyers ofalmost every service andnation fighting in theCoalition. The OA-10 pilotsloiteredoverthebattlefieldtodetect enemy forces, anddirected other aircraft toattack them. The OA-10drivers frequently relied onhand-held binoculars andinstinct, and they often fired

unguided white phosphorusrockets(whichproducedensewhitesmoke)tomarktargets.OperatingovertheCENTAF-MANDATED“killboxes” inKuwait and Iraq, theycontrolledincomingflightsofaircraft from every nation.EverythingfromUSAFF-16sto French Mirages wereguided onto their targets bytheOA-10s, and theywere avital part of the 24-hour-a-day pressure that helped

cracktheIraqiArmy.By the coming of the

ground war, the Warthogforcehaddonethebulkofthework that they wouldaccomplish.Misunderstandings over theFire Control Support Line(FCSL,ahypothetical line infront of friendly groundtroops beyond which CASand other aircraft mustdeliver their ordnance) as

well as poor weather limitedCAS operations during theso-called “Hundred-HourWar.”Nevertheless,theHogsand their crews had anoutstanding war, carving outaplace in thepost-ColdWarmilitary just as important asthe stealthy F-117s and thelaser-bombing F-15E StrikeEagles. Since that time,Warthogs have been highlyactivearoundtheworld,fromsupporting“no-fly”andrelief

operationsinnorthernIraq,tohelping forge and protect thepeaceinBosnia-Herzegovina.Andthestoryisnotoveryet.With the coming of the

“NewWorldOrder,”nationalandUSAFleadershavefounda secure little niche in theUSAF force structure for theWarthogcommunity.PriortoDesert Storm, it had beenplanned that the A-10wouldbe replaced by a modified

version of the F-16 FightingFalcon. Equipped with anautomated target-hand-offsystem and a pod-mountedversion of the GAU-8, theywere set to drive the “Hog”out of service in just a fewyears. Then came the 1991PersianGulfWar.TheUSAFdeployed a squadron of theCAS-equippedF-16stoSaudiArabia, where they promptlyfell flat on their collective

faces.37 Reportedly becauseof software problems withtheir mission computers, theCAS F-16s had troubledelivering their weaponsaccurately on target. Inparticular, the pod-mounted30mmgunscouldnothittheirtargets with any sort ofaccuracy. Meanwhile, the“low-tech” A-10s werekilling targets by the score.Asmightbeimagined,theF-

16CASideadiedaquickandrighteous death, and theUSAF decided to keep theWarthogs.Forever!Today, ifyou look at the planningchartsof theUSAFAirStaffat the Pentagon, you see aline depicting the life of theA-10 fleet going as far right(into the future) as the chartgoes! While nothing isplanned to replace the Hog,there also are no plans for itto retire, and perhaps this is

asitshouldbe.Today, the A-10 is being

allocated modest (thoughsignificant by Warthogstandards!) funds to upgradeits operational capabilities.The rudimentary nightintruder tactics employed bytheHogsduringDesertStormreally impressed the USAFleadership, and they havefinally decided to invest alittle money in the bird to

make it more capable in therole.Onceuponatime, therehad been plans to equip theHog with the LANTIRNnavigation /targeting podsystemthatcurrentlyisfoundin other high-end fighterbombers like the F-14DTomcat, the F-15E StrikeEagle, and the F-16CFighting Falcon. In fact, thiswould probably be anexcellent idea, even today,giventheflightcharacteristics

of the Warthog.Unfortunately, the high costof the LANTIRN system(several million U.S. dollarsper pod sets) makes thisimpossible, and other meanshave been found to enhancethe A-10’s night fightingcapabilities.The most important of

these have been the use ofnight-vision goggles (NVGs)by A-10 pilots. By carefully

modifying the cockpitlighting for NVG operations(so as not to “dazzle” theNVG’s sensitive pickupelement),theHogdriverscanactually fly and fight theaircraft rather well in all butthe darkest nights.While thefield of view and depth offield suffer somewhat bycomparison with regulareyesight (as a result of themonochrome world seenthrough the NVGs), it is an

operable solution to givingthe Warthog (and severalotherUSAFaircraft)anight-vision capability that coststhousands, not millions, oftaxpayer dollars. Exteriorlighting has also beenimproved,andlikemostotherAir Force birds, the A-10shave finally received GPSreceivers.Anotherbigchangeforthe

A-10 has been LASTE, the

Low Altitude Safety andTargetingEnhancement.Thisincludesaradaraltimeterandground-proximity voicewarning system, a newweapons delivery computerbased on the one used in theF-16, and a real autopilot,allowing the pilot to take hishandsoff thecontrols for thefirst time. This is importantbecause it makes it possibleforHogdrivers to relaxabiton long overwater

deployments.Theserelativelyminor improvements haveproduced big results for theWarthog community, andhave made the A-10’stwentieth year of front-lineservicemoreofarebirththana sunset. Whatever theirfuture, though, never counttheA-10and their pilots andcrews out. Remember, theyhave the heart and soul of aWarthog.

TheLaborsofHercules:The

LockheedMartinC-130

In Greek mythology,Hercules was a hero ofsuperhuman strength whoproved his merit byperforming a series ofimpossible tasks. That’s a

good description for the C-130,anaircraftaffectionatelyknown as the “Herky Bird.”This amazing airplanecelebrated its fortiethanniversary of continuousproductionin1995,withover2,200 aircraft delivered, inscoresofvariantsoperatedbydozens of air forces andcivilian airlines. Designed asa simple troop carrier andfreight hauler, the C-130 hasserved as a flying command

post, electronic spy plane,airborne hospital, dronemother ship, gun platform,firefighter, search-and-rescuebird, and even a bomber!Perhaps most impressive,though, is that while it wasbuilttoserveinwar,someofits greatest achievementshavebeenhumanitarianreliefoperations. The C-130 hasprobablywoundupsavingfarmore lives in peace than itever took in combat.So read

on, and readwhat I canonlyhumbly call an abbreviatedand inadequate story aboutone of the greatmachines ofman’shistoryonearth.The C-130 story began in

theearly1950swhenmediumtransport aircraft technologyseemed to have peaked withthe development of thepistonengined FlyingBoxcars. The military airliftfleet at the time consisted

mostlyoftwin-engineaircraftof limited capacity: war-weary C-47s and under-powered C-119s. Clearly ahigher-performance mediumtransport was needed tosupport the moving of cargoandpersonnelwithinmilitarythe-atersofoperation.Oneofthe colonels assigned toallocate the money fortransport aircraft suggestedthat the Air Force reallyneeded a rugged medium

transport that could carryabout fifteen tons to a rangeof 1,500 nm/2,780 km,operating from improviseddirt runways. Thus, the startoftheC-130programwasanemergency $105 millionsupplement to the Air Forceresearch and developmentbudget, granted a few daysafter the outbreak of theKorean War in June 1950.The idea was formalized asanoperational requirement in

February of 1951, with thefollowing features beingdesired:• The ability to carry ninetyparatroopers for a range of2,000nm/3,706km.

• The capacity to transport30,000 pounds (13,636 kg)overashorterdistance.

• The ability to take off andland in short distances(2,500feet/762meters).

•Theabilitytoflysafelyand

safely slow to 125 kt/232kph for airdrops, and evenlessforassaultlandings.

Boeing, Douglas, Fairchild,and Lockheed submittedproposals, with Lockheedwinning the contract to buildtwo YC-130 prototypes onJuly 2nd, 1951. The aircraftwas designed at Lockheed’sAdvanced DesignDepartment in Burbank,California, under the

direction of Willis Hawkins,with Art Flock as the leadprojectengineer.WhenKellyJohnson, Lockheed’slegendary chief designer andbuilder of some of the mostbeautiful airplanes inhistory,first saw the mockup, hethought the plane was toougly and went back to hisSkunk Works.38Nevertheless, Lockheed wasabout to launch the longest-

lived and most profitableaircraft in their history,makingthisoneofJohnson’sraremisjudgments.Kelly Johnson was right

about one thing, though; theHercules would never winanybeautycontests.Thelinesof the stubby fuselage (97feet 9 inches/29.8 meters inlength) were spoiled bybulginglandinggearfairings.The tail swept up sharply to

an oversized vertical fin (30feet/11.66meterstall)andthespacious flight deck lookedlike a greenhouse, with noless than twenty-threewindows to give outstandingvisibility for the flight crew.The high-mounted wing wasa barely tapered slab(spanning over 132 feet/40meters) with four projectingengine pods, and was aconservative two-spar designwith integral fuel tanks.

However, in a daringdeparture from conventionalmanufacturing methods, thedesign called for enormoussingle-piece machinedaluminum skin panels up to48feet/14.6metersinlength.

A Lockheed Martin C-130HHercules of the 314th AirliftWing flies resupply for aBrigadeofthe82ndAirborneduring an exercise at FortPolk,Louisiana.JOHND.GRESHAMThe engines were, at the

time, themost radical featureof the new Hercules design.For the first time on an

Americantransporttheywere“turboprops.” This Britishinvention coupled a gasturbine engine to a constant-speed gearbox driving avariable-pitch propeller. Thishybrid design seems, at first,tobeneedlesslycomplex,butin practice, the Allison T56turboprops proved to behighly fuel-efficient, reliable,andeasier tomaintain than apiston engine or jet ofequivalent power.Theywere

also relatively compact, witha lower forward cross-sectional area, providingreduced drag. This is not tosay the new turbopropswereperfect. The originalelectrically operated three-bladed propellers neverworked properly, and werequickly replaced byhydraulically poweredHamilton-Standard units.Later, the three-bladedpropellers were replaced by

four-bladed models, similarto those used on the Navy’sLockheedP-3maritimepatrolaircraft.Like most engines, the

Allison turboprop family hasevolved through a series ofmodificationswith increasingpower. The chart belowshows how the engines fortheHerculeshavedeveloped:C-130EngineDevelopment

As you can see, the trendhas been a gradual butupward growth in power fortheenginesonthe-130.Fromthe flight crew’s point ofview, though, the realimprovement has been theability to deliver all that

power more efficientlythroughthetransmission,andtodosointheconditionsthatare always tough on turbinepowerplants: high and hot.High temperatures and highaltitude (i.e., low pressure)are the bugaboos for turbineengine designers. These sapengine power and directlyeffect the flightcharacteristics of an aircraft.The Hercules has alwaysdone well when upgraded.

The longevityof theC-130Hproduction line (over thirtyyears to date) is a testimonytojusthowwell.If there is truth in the

statementthatbeautyisintheeyeofthebe-holder,thentheC-130 must be gorgeous toeveryone it comes intocontact with. For example,considertheperspectiveofanaircraft crew chief orloadmaster. These are

normally senior enlistedpersonnel who manage theaircraft systems and payloadonaUSAFtransportaircraft.Anything thatcanmake theirjobeasierorshorteris“good”from their perspective, aswell as anything that makes“their”airplanemorecapableor less dependent on otherpeople and organizations.39Oneof these“good” featuresis a gas turbine auxiliary

powerunit (APU), located inthe port-side landing gearfairing, that provides powertostarttheengineandoperatethe electrical and hydraulicsystems on the aircraft, withno requirement for externalsupport equipment to getunderway.Anotherthingthatkeeps loadmasters and crewchiefs happy is how wellthingsgointoanaircraft.TheC-130 designer gave a lot ofthought to cargo handling,

and this paid huge dividendsover the next four decades.Previous airlifter designs hadrelied on large side-loadingdoors (which weaken thefuselage structure) or on aninefficient twin-boom tail,which allowed the entire aftend of the fuselage to hingeupward,orsplitintoapairofclamshell doors. The C-130used an elegantly simpleloading arrangement. Thecargo deck was the same

height as a truck bed. Thelower surface of the upswepttailsectionwassplit,withthelightweight aft sectionretracting upward, and thestronglybuiltforwardsectionhinged downward to providea cargo ramp. By loweringtherampcompletely,apairof5-ton trucks could be drivenright into the cargocompartment. So perfectwasthe concept behind the C-130’s rear ramp that it has

become the standard methodof designing aircraft cargo-loading ramps all over theworld.Thesearesomeof themany things that Lockheeddid to make the Hercules a“field” airplane, rather thanone that needs a big base tokeepgoing.The cargo compartment

itself is 10 feet 3 inches/3.12meters wide, 9 feet/2.74meters high, and 41 feet 5

inches/12.62 meters long,roughly the dimensions of astandard North Americanrailroad boxcar. Some latermodels of the -130 addedfuselage “plugs” (a structurethat is dropped into a basicaircraft’s design) to extendthe cargo compartment bysome 15 feet/4.57 meters. Inaddition to the cargo door,there is a crew entry doorforward on the port side thatopens down to become a

stairway.Aft, theparatrooperjump doors are located oneitherside,justinbackofthetrailing edge of the wing.These doors pull inward andthen slide up and out of theway. When conductingparatrooper drop operations,the Hercules has an airdeflector fitted to each doorthatprotectsjumpersfromthesudden blast of air as theyexit the aircraft. Along thetopof each sideof the cargo

compartment runs a steelcable that can be reeled upand stowed out of the way,which is used by paratroopstohooktheirstaticlinespriorto drop. There are alsoemergency exit hatches forthe flight deck and the cargocompartmentinthetopofthefuselage.Alongthesidesandcenter of the cargocompartment are a series offold-up, woven cloth seatswhich are surprisingly

comfortable, in spite of theirdecidedly uncomfortablelooks. The rated capacity ofthe C-130 is ninety-twosoldiers or sixty-fourparatroops with theirequipment.When the seats are folded

up and the cargocompartment is clear, beinginside gives one theimpression of being inside alarge aluminum shoebox. In

thefloorarevarioustie-downpoints, which allows almostevery conceivable kind ofcargo to be carried. Creaturecomforts in the Hercules arefewandfarbetween;thisbirdis built for function, notluxury. Still, life in the backof the C-130 is relativelycomfortable. This is mainlydue to a significantinnovation in cargo aircraftdesign, being able topressurize the entire cargo

compartment. The wholecompartment could bepressurized to maintain anequivalent cabin altitude of8,000 feet/2,438meters evenat the aircraft’s operationalceiling of 33,000 feet/10,060metersabovesealevel.If the C-130 does have a

vice, it isnoise.C-130crewslike to joke that thepressurized cargocompartmentwasdesignedto

keep the sound in, and earprotectors are essentialequipment.Eventhisproblemcan be solved, though, ifmoney is no object. TheRoyal Saudi Air Forceoperates a luxuriouscustomized VC-130 VIPtransport, with a barrier ofthick sound insulationsurrounding the passengercompartment.AllthisinteriornoisecomesfromtheHerky’sfour turboprop engines,

which have a loud anddistinctive roar. This meansthat planning a surpriseassault landing, like theIsraeli rescue mission atEntebbe, requires a keenawareness of the noisefootprint at various speedsand descent angles. This is aminor tactical disadvantage,though, given all the othergreatfeaturesoftheHercules.For all the noise in the

cargo compartment, the crewchiefs love the fact that theirstandard equipment kit(carried on top of the rearramp) includes virtuallyeverything needed toconfigure the cargocompartment for almost anykind of load. This is vital,considering that a crew maybe called upon in themiddleof one trip to rapidlyreconfiguretheiraircrafttogoon another kind of mission.

This is one of the reasonswhy the marriage of theHercules and USAFReserve/ANG has been sucha resoundingsuccess.Oneofthe best-kept secrets in theAirForceis that themajorityof Hercules units belong toANG and USAF Reserveunits, being flown andoperated by “WeekendWarriors.” Given the natureoftheairliftmission,whetherit is supporting a crisis

combat situation like DesertShield or Haiti, or a disasterrelief scenario likeHurricaneHugo or the Los Angelesriots,the“totalforce”concept(Active, Reserve, and ANGworking together)hasproventobetailor-madeforthe-130force. More than one ArmycommanderthatIhavetalkedto refers to the Hercules as“the packing crate for theAmericanmilitary”!

Over the years, theHerculeshascarriedprobablyevery object that couldpossibly fit inside the cargocompartment. However, oneof the most dramatic airdropcargoes C-130 has everdeliveredwastheArmy’sM-551 Sheridan light tank,which (until recently) wasfound in the lone armoredbattalion of the 82ndAirborneDivision, the3rdofthe73rdArmored(3/73).The

36,300-1b/16,500-kg vehicleis strapped to a pallet,equipped with a huge“drogue” extractionparachute. In the LowAltitude Precision ExtractionSystem (LAPES) mode, theC-130 skims slowly only afew feet/meters above theground with the cargo ramplowered.Theextractionchuteisdeployedandthevehicleispulledoutoftheaircraft.Thefour-man tank crew (landed

separately)thenrunsuptothetankas soonas itbumpsandgrinds to a stop. TheSheridan’s delicate gun-missile fire-control systemreportedly took a beatingfrom the shock, but it madefor a very impressivedemonstration of theHercules’ deliverycapabilities.Another of the C-130’s

manyvirtues is the ability to

operate off extremely shortand roughairfields.Thehighwings and turboprop enginesprovide much of thiscapability,butthelandgearisvital to this as well. The C-130’s landing gear retractsonlyashortdistance,keepingthe center of gravity low,allowingtheplanetohugtheground. The main landinggear consists of two pairs oflarge-diameter tires arrangedin tandem, giving it an

extremely low groundpressure for such a largeaircraft.Themain gear has arelatively narrow track, onlyabout fourteen feet betweentheportandstarboardwheels,which facilitates operationson narrow taxiways. In fact,the aircraft can turn in aradius of only 85 feet/25.9meters (measured from thewing tip). Also, with reversethrust on the propellers(actually the pitch of the

props is reversed), theC-130can actually taxi backwards.Eventhebrakeshaveantiskidfeatures similar to those onnew-model automobiles. Sogood are the rough fieldcharacteristicsoftheHerculesthat C-130s have safelylanded on sand or mud sodeep that the wheels sankover20inches/50centimetersinto the ground, and theplaneswere still able to takeoff!

Upfront,thecockpitoftheHercules might best bedescribed as “mature.” Verylittle of the computer age isevident on the flight deck ofthe C-130H, the standardmodel currently in service.The typical C-130 crewincludes a pilot and copilot,navigator,andflightengineer(or “systems manager”) onthe flight deck, and anenlisted loadmaster/crewchief in the cargo

compartment.TheavionicsfitoftheHerculesislimited,butfunctional, and has alwaysbeenthatway.EarlyC-130Ashad a distinctive “Roman”nose that dropped steeplyaway from the cockpit, butthis was soon replaced by aroomy bulbous radome thathas accommodated severalsuccessive generations ofweather and ground-navigation radars. Thestandard electronics fit on

USAF C-130Hs includes theAN/APN-218 dopplernavigation radar, anAN/APN-232radaraltimeter,and a Westinghouse LPCR-130-1 weather radar withcolor display. A variety ofHF, VHF, and UHF radiocommunications systems isfitted, and most C-130s areequipped so that they canhave a satellitecommunications terminaladdedifmissionrequirements

dictate such special gear. Ofparticular importance forairdrop missions is theAN/APN-169C “StationKeeping Equipment”(pronounced “ski”), whichallows a group of transportaircraft to maintain preciseformation even in the worstconditions of visibility andweather. Even mixedformations of differentaircraft like C-130s, C-141s,and C-17s can be

accommodatedwith theSKEgear. A radar-warningreceiver is standardequipment, and there areprovisionsfor fittingALE-40chaff and flare dispensers tocounteract enemy missiles.Many C-130s operating intoSarajevo during the BosnianCivil War (1992-96) werefitted with protective steeland Kevlar ballistic armoraround the flight deck, andthisprovedsoeffectivethatit

will be standard on the new-modelC-130J.For the C-130H, the

maximum cruising speed is386 kn/715 kph. Typicalcruising altitude is about35,000 feet/10,668 meters,buttheaircraftcanreachover40,000 feet/12,192 meters.The top speed ever recordedfor the type, with a stiff tailwind,was541kn/1,003kph,by an RC-130A. A more

important performancecharacteristicforanairlifteristhe minimum flight, or stall,speed. The lower the stallspeed, the shorter the takeoffand landing roll needs to befor a particular aircraft. Forthe Hercules, this isapproximately80kn/148kph,which is about the sameas aCessna 150! The airframe isdesignedtosafelywithstandastressof+3Gsinthepositivedirection, or -1 G in the

negative direction. Also, thehuge rudder gives the pilottremendous control authorityinyaw(turninghorizontally).The aircraft can actuallymake a flat turn, withoutbanking. All in all, theHercules is quite easy to fly,with lots of power and lift,and all the control authoritythat a pilot couldwant of anaircraft this size. The finequalities were evident fromthe early flights of the

prototype, and have onlygottenbetterwiththeyears.Thatfirstflightof theYC-

130A prototype was a sixty-one-minute hop fromBurbank, California, toEdwards AFB on August23rd, 1954. After the initialprototypes,all theproductionC-130swerebuiltatMarietta,Georgia, about twenty milesnorthwest of Atlanta. Thefirst flight of a production

model came on April 7th,1955, and nearly ended indisaster when a quick-disconnect fuel line on theNo.2enginebrokelooseandstarted a fire that caused thewing to break off afterlanding. Soon repaired, theaircraft had a long,adventurous career trackingmissiles and spacecraft, andlaterasagunshipinVietnam,remaininginserviceuntil theearly1990s!Deliveriestothe

AirForcebeganin1955,andby 1958 the C-130A wasfound in six Troop CarrierSquadrons (later designatedTactical Airlift Squadrons[TASs]).A “chalk” of 82nd AirborneParatroops loaded aboard aC- 130HHercules, preparingfora training jumpunder thewatchfuleyeofanAirForceLoadmaster. A force ofseveral hundred C-130s

providethebulkofAmerica’sMediumAirliftmuscle.JOHND.GRESHAM

From the start, theHercules had an unusualcareer within the U.S.military.Thefirstoperationalemployment of the C-130camein1957,whenPresidentEisenhowerdispatchedtroopsof the 101st AirborneDivision to Little Rock,Arkansas. This federal effortto enforce court-orderedschool desegregation against

the opposition of a defiantstate governor started thetradition of the C-130 beingused in non-combatant/civil/relief efforts.TheHercules’majoroverseasdeployment came in 1958during the Lebanon Crisis,delivering supplies toMarineswholandedatBeirutto support a friendlygovernment threatened bycivil war. The first combatairborneassaultforUSAFC-

130s came in 1960 in theCongo(nowknownasZaire),where they delivered abattalion of Frenchparatroops. The French wereheadedtotheremotetownofStanleyville (now Kisangani)to rescue civilians anddiplomats threatened by alocaluprising.Followingthis,whenChinese troops invadeddisputed regions on thenorthern borders of India in1962, President Kennedy

quietlydispatchedasquadronof C-130s to help the IndianArmy reinforce its remoteHimalayan outposts. TheHerks flew thousands oftroops and tons of suppliesinto Leh, where a mountain-ringed 5,000-foot /1,524-meterrunwayofpiercedsteelplate (PSP) at an altitude of10,500 feet/3,200meterswasthe only link to the outsideworld.Evenmoreastoundingfeats were ahead for the C-

130,though.In 1963, the U.S. Navy

actually conducted C-130carrier landing and takeofftrials onboardUSSForrestal(CV-59).TheChiefofNavalOperationswantedtoknowifthe big transport could beused to deliver supplies tocarriers operating far fromfriendly bases. The aircraftwas a KC-130F tanker onloan from the U.S. Marine

Corps, and theNaval aviatorin command was Lieutenant(later Admiral) James H.FlatleyIII,withtheassistanceof a Lockheed engineeringtestpilot,TedLimmer,Jr.Ataweight of 85,000 lb/38,555kg, the aircraft came to acomplete stop in amere 270feet/82.3meters, about twicethe wing span of theHercules!Thisrequiredsomefancy flying—the aircraftreversed thrust on the

propellers 3 feet/1 meterabovethedeck.Atmaximumload, the plane required atakeoff roll of only 745feet/227 meters of thecarrier’s 1,039-foot/316.7-meter flight deck. On oneoccasion, the plane stoppedjust opposite the captain’sbridgewith“LOOKMA,NOHOOK”paintedinbigletterson the side of the fuselage.TheNavy never followed upon thispromisingexperiment

(they bought the NorthropGrumman C-2 Greyhoundinstead), but the Herk’suniqueability to takeoffandland on a carrier remains tochallenge the imagination ofJoint Special OperationsplannersdowninTampa.Thewar in SoutheastAsia

tested theHerculesunder themost difficult combatconditions imaginable. AlltoldC-130stransportedabout

two thirds of all the troopsand cargo tonnagemoved byair inside South Vietnam.Frequently, the Herks flewthrough mortar and rocketfire into narrow 2,500-footstrips carved out in thejungle, and when there wereno airfields, they deliveredcargo by parachute. The C-130playedanespeciallyvitalrole supplying the Marines’epic defense of the besiegedmountainbaseofKheSanhin

1968. The VietnameseArmy’s airborne units evenconducted a few classicparachute assaults (the U.S.82nd Airborne Divisionfought exclusively as “leg”infantry) during the war.Eventually, one of the lastaircraft to escape the fall ofSaigoninAprilof1975wasaSouth Vietnamese C-130carryingaloadof452people(this is as much as a fullyloaded Boeing 747 jumbo

jet!): soldiers, airmen,children, and dependents.Amazingly, all arrived safelyin Thailand. Now, theVietnamese are not largepeople by our standards, butthis all-time Herk passengerrecord was an amazingoverload,andaheroicfeatofairmanshipbyMajorPhuong,the pilot. At the end of theconflict, the NorthVietnamese Air Forcecaptured about thirty C-130s

in various states of disrepair,anddespitethelackofspares,managedtokeepafewflyinguntil the late 1980s, evenusing some of them asbombers in Cambodia. Theynowsit, strippedand forlorn,on the old runways at TonSon Nhut and Bien Hoa,unlesstheyhavebeensoldforscrap.For theHercules,Vietnam

was a chance to prove how

versatile itwas. So it is onlynatural that the C-130 had apart in one of the mostsignificant innovations of theVietnam War: thedevelopment of the gunship.The idea was to load up alarge transport aircraft withheavymachinegunsandevencannons,andusetheweaponsas an airborne firebase forsupportinggroundoperations.Originally (from 1965 to1967) thefirstgunshipswere

vintage C-47s (known as“Puff the Magic Dragon,”after the popular song of theday), with a battery of side-firing machine guns. Theconcept was to fly a “pylonturn”aroundafixedpointonthe ground, with the aircraftin a 30° bank circling thetarget. Operated by the 4thAir Commando Squadron,these first gunships provedhighly effective in breakingup night attacks on remote

outposts while usingparachute flares to illuminatethebattlefield.Thesightofagreat sheet of tracer firepouring down from the skyhad a dramatic psychologicalimpact on friend and foealike. So successfulwere theAC-47sthatitwasdecidedtobuildanevenbiggergunship.The obvious choice for theairframes were elderly C-130As. A prototype AC-130gunship arrived in South

Vietnam on September 21st,1967, and it was flown incombatuntilitpracticallyfellapart. The prototypeAC-130hadanimprovisedanalogfirecontrolcomputer,four20mmM61 Vulcan cannon (similarto those fitted in modernfighter planes) firing throughports cut in the side of thefuselage, and four 7.62mm“miniguns” (a six-barrelrotarymachinegun that fireduptosixthousandroundsper

minute). It also carried anearly Texas InstrumentsForward-Looking Infrared(FLIR) sensor, a night-imageintensifier(“starlightscope”),and a side-looking radar thatunfortunately proved to beineffective against guerrillabandsinthejungle.TheAirForcewasinitially

reluctant to divert C-130sfrom their vital airlift duties,preferringtoconvertobsolete

twin-engine C-119 “FlyingBoxcar” airframes forgunship duty. But the bigHerky gunship proved soeffectivethatcommandersonthegrounddemandedmoreofthe fire-spitting birds. Morewere ordered, and werequickly delivered for actionin Vietnam. The AC-130eventually evolved through aseries of modifications, withincreasingly heavy weaponsand sophisticated sensors.

ParticularlyimportantwastheASD-5 “Black Crow,” aradio-frequency directionfinder developed in greatsecrecy to detect emissionsfrom the old-fashionedignition coils of Russian-made trucks on the Ho ChiMinh Trail. Twenty-nine C-130 gunships served inVietnam, with the 14th AirCommando (later SpecialOperations) Wing; six werelosttohostilegroundfire.

There were many othervariants of the Herculesdevelopedduring thisperiod.They ranged from airbornetanker versions to mothershipsforthehighlyclassified“Buffalo Hunter”reconnaissance drones thatwere used extensively overSoutheast Asia andCommunist China. All thissuccess had an obviousinfluence on the commercialand military export markets,

and the Hercules has been aconsistentfavorite.Dozensofnationshaveboughthundredsof models (mostly C-130Hs)of the Hercules for bothmilitary and commercialpurposes. One of the oddestexport sales was one toLibya, before the embargoagainstColonelQuadaffitookeffect in 1973. When thataction took place, a numberofC-130Hmodelshadyet tobedelivered.Asaresult,over

two dozen years later, thoseLibyan Herks still sit bakingin the Georgia sun, on acorner of the ramp inMarietta.Thelate1970swereatime

of high adventure for the C-130, as various nations usedthestubbytransportforanewmission:HostageRescue.OnJuly4th,1976,threeC-130HsoftheIsraeliAirForce,alongwith other support aircraft,

raided Entebbe Airport inUganda, rescuing nearly twohundred hostages that hadbeen taken by PalestinianterroristswhileaboardanAirFranceAirbus.Astrikeforceof crack Israeli paratroopscombat-assaulted into theairfield, retook the hostages,and then returned to Israelafter suffering just a singlecasualty—JonathanNetanyahu,thebrotherofthecurrentprimeministerofthat

country. After Entebbe,several other nations gavehostagerescuea tryusingC-130s as the transportation.When an Egyptian airlinerwas taken by terrorists toNicosia Airport in Cyprus,theEgyptiangovernmentsentintheirowncommandoteam.While the assault was abloody mess, most of thehostagessurvived.Notalltherescue missions that the C-130 went out on were

successful, though, and theU.S. wound up being theloser.On April 24th, 1980, the

U.S.triedtorescuefifty-ninehostages taken when theAmericanembassyinTehran,Iran, was overrun in 1979.TheplanreliedontheHerk’sability to land on short,unprepared runways. Flyinglow to evade Iranian radar, aforceofC-130tankersjoined

up with a small force ofhelicopters at “Desert One,”an isolated landing zone inthe middle of nowhere.Unfortunately, technicalproblemswiththehelicopterscaused the mission to bescrubbed before the assaulton the embassy compoundcould be mounted. Then,whilerefuelingonthegroundduringtheextraction,anMH-53D helicopter collided withone of the C-130 tankers,

igniting an uncontrollablefire. Eight Americans diedand five more were injured,andthehumiliationdestroyedthe Administration ofPresidentCarter.The ashes of Desert One,

aswellascommandproblemsduringOperationUrgentFury(the 1983 invasion ofGrenada), led to a re-evaluation of U.S. specialoperations and joint

command arrangements thatpaid off handsomely in the1989invasionofPanamaandin1990and1991intheGulfWar. In every one of theseoperations, the C-130 playedakeyrole,fromdroppinganddelivering troops in Grenadaand Panama, to hauling thecargo and troops thatsustained the air campaignand“HailMaryPlay”duringDesert Storm. Of particularnote were the dozens of C-

130s from nations other thanthe U.S. that supportedcoalition operations duringDesert Shield/Storm. Byhaving chosen the C-130 astheir standard airlifter, thenations of the coalition wereable to contribute a valuableresourcewithoutstressingthespares or maintenancepipelineofCENTAF.Throughout the 1980s and

1990s,theC-130hasbeenthe

backbone of the USAFtheater mobility force, andhas done an outstanding job.Unfortunately, the basic1950stechnologyoftheHerkmakes the aircraftincreasingly expensive tooperate and maintain. Inparticular, while aircrew andmechanics were readilyavailable and easy to trainwhentheHerkwasdesigned,today they represent a majorshare of an aircraft’s total

life-cycle cost. Also, the C-130 lugs around a lot ofweight that would not bethere if it were beingdesigned from scratch today.Design features such ascomputer network backbonesand composite aircraftstructures technologies hadnot even been envisionedwhen the YC-130A was onthe Lockheed drawingboards.Sothewaywasclearfor a new generation of

Hercules:theC-130J.Asearly asMay1988, the

Commander of the MilitaryAirlift Command (now theAir Mobility Command,AMC) outlined requirementsfor a next-generation C-130.Unfortunately, the projecteddevelopmentcostsweremorethan the Air Force budgetwould bear, so in December1991 Lockheed decided tofund the development of the

newHerculesvariant,knownas the C-130J, with thecompany’sownmoney.Haveno doubt, though, thatLockheedMartin is going tomakealoadofmoneyonthisbird! The British Royal AirForce (RAF) and RoyalAustralianAirForce(RAAF)were the launch customers,andtheU.S.militaryhasalsorapidly jumped onboard aswell. Most notable has beenthe rapid commitment by the

USMC for a new force ofoveradozenKC-130tankers.Also, the USAF has firmorders for two prototypes,options for 5 developmentaircraft,andarequirementforat least 150 units to replaceaging C-130Es as they reachtheendoftheirlifecycle.LockheedMartin is in the

enviable position of havingsomething in theC-130J thatpeople badly want, and will

pay good money to get.Interest in this new birdresemblesnothingsomuchasarunawayfreighttrain,astheLockheed Martin sales teamis working hard to keep upwith the inquiries fromaroundtheworld.AlreadytheRAF,RAAF,andRoyalNewZealand Air Force (RNZAF)have firm orders or optionsforatotalof65aircraft.Thisisalotforanairplanethathasnot even competed testing

andcertification!You might be wondering

justwhyallthisexcitementisbeing generated over amodified version of analready forty-year-oldtransport aircraft. It’s a goodquestion, actually, anddeservesananswer.Themostobviousone is that this is anairplanethatneedstobebuilt.As early as the 1970s, theUSAF was considering the

possibility of building a jet-powered replacement for theC-130. Under the AdvancedMedium Short Takeoff andLanding Transport (AMST)program, two pairs ofprototype aircraft wereproduced (theBoeingYC-14and the McDonnell DouglasYC-15), but they neverwentintoproduction.Bothpairsofaircraft did great andwonderful things in testing,but not enough to justify

producing them instead ofadditional C-130Hs. In fact,the H-model Hercules hasbeen in production for overthirtyyearsandtheonlythingthat will replace it now isanother C-130! It will be agreatly improved Herky,though, and amazingly, willnotcostanymorethantheC-130H model that it willreplace. The core philosophybehind the new design issomething that a Lockheed

Martinengineer toldmeonavisittotheMarietta,Georgia,plant. He said, “The onlyreason we touched anythingon the C-130J was if itimproved performance andreducedcost!”Externally, the most

noticeable differences in theC-130J are the propellers. Inplace of the four-bladedprops, with flat blades andsquared-offtips,therearesix-

bladed props with gracefulcompoundcurvaturethattellsan engineer that the mostadvanced computer-aideddesign went into theirshaping.Actually,theylookalot like the blades of amodern submarine propeller.Madeof advancedcompositematerials, these blades notonly are more efficient thanthoseonthe-H,butalsohavea greatly reduced radarsignature.

The new AllisonAE2100D3engines(thesamebasic engine that will powerthe V-22 Osprey tilt-rotortransport) have digitalelectronic controls, andprovide 29 percent morepowerthantheenginesontheC-130H with an 18 percentimprovement in fuelefficiency. Since fuel is oneof the biggest costs ofoperating an aircraft, that 18percent is a whopping

number to cash-starved airforces around the world.Economy aside, though, thereal improvement of the newengines is their ability tosustain their power in highaltitude and temperatureconditions. For aircrews, thismeans shorter takeoffs withlarger payloads,which is thename of the game in thetheater air transportbusiness.Also, the new engines arevirtually smokeless, though

the noise footprint is aboutthe same. Finally, theplumbing of the fuel systemhas been simplified, withprovisionsbeingprovidedforquickmodificationtoatankerconfiguration with theadditionoffuelbladders.Most of the improvements

to the C-130J are on theinside, beginningwith a newtwo-man flight deck. Ineffect, the navigator and

flight engineer have beenreplaced by software andelectronics. The pilot andcopilot sit in front of fourmulti-function color flat-panel screens, which replacedozens of “steam-gauge”instruments. These screensare programmable displaysthat present the specificinformation needed for anyphaseofflightoremergency.These can include primaryflight displays,weather radar

data, digital ground maps,navigationandSKEdisplays,or malfunction warnings.Likefighterpilots, theC-130flightcrewalsohave“heads-up displays” that project keyinformation into the field ofview, allowing the pilots tofocus their attention on theflight path outside thewindow. There is provisionfor a third seat on the flightdeck,withspace,weight,andpowerallocatedforasystems

operator workstation, whichmightberequiredonspecial-missionaircraft.The basic flight control

systems of the Hercules,though,havenotbeenaltered.The old-style control yokehasbeen left unchanged, andeven the classic nose gearsteering wheel has been leftuntouched.Whathaschangedare some of the supportingsystems, especially those

having to do with the newengines and display systems.In the C-130J, the throttlesare no longer connecteddirectly to the engines.Instead, a system calledFADEC (Full AuthorityDigitalEngineControl) takesthethrottleandcontrolinputsfrom the crew, as well asenvironmentalinputsfromairdata sensors, and uses acomputer to control theengines and props. This

system,asmuchasanyotherpart of the -J design, isresponsible for the improvedeconomyandperformanceofthenewbird.

One of the prototype C-130JHercules Transports on theLockheed Martin ramp atMarietta,Georgia. This new-generation Hercules is justgoing into production for airforcesaroundtheworld.JOHND.GRESHAMAll of these systems are

tied together into a singlenetwork that allows the data

generatedbyonesystemtobeused by another. There aretwo independent missioncomputers, and the data bususes redundant channelsrouted by different paths,providing increased damageresistance. For example, theGPS receiver, which is builtinto the inertial navigationsystem, can generate datawhich can be used by avariety of other onboardequipment ranging from the

SKE to the autopilot. Thisscheme of tying everythingtogether on a single digitaldata bus also has otheradvantages. The hundreds ofanalog control signals, eachof which used to require anindividual pair of copperwires on the C-130H, havebeen replacedbya coupleofstrands of data bus cablerunning the length of theaircraft.Thiseliminatesmilesof wiring, saves tons of

weight, and greatly reducesthe amount of hand laborneeded to assemble theaircraft.LockheedMartinestimates

that the prototype J-modelaircraft took somethingbetween 20 and 25 percentfewer man-hours to producethanthefullymatureC-130H.This factor alone guaranteesthat the new Hercules willcost no more than the older

H-model. It also has ahumorous(andpractical)sideas well. The removal of allthat wiring resulted in alighteningofover600lb/272kg in the -J’s cockpit areaalone, and this created aproblem. There was no waytobalancethenewaircraft inflight without it carryingsome kind of ballast in thenose, so the previouslyoptional cockpit ballisticarmor has now become

standard, even on thecommercialmodels!Back in the 1950s, the

original YC-130A prototypewas one of the first aircraftdesignedwith input from theinfant science of humanfactors engineering. Today,the new C-130J incorporatesall the lessons that theLockheed Martin humanfactors engineers havelearned in the intervening

forty years, and the resultsshow. The two-man cockpithas been laid out to alloweither crew member to fullyoperate the aircraft fromeither seat. In addition, thecrew chief/loadmaster hasbeen given a whole host ofimprovements to makehis/her life easier. This isvital since there are only thethree crew members tooperateallthesystemsonthisnew Hercules. Other

improvementshavealsobeenmade in cargo handling. Forexample, the attachmentpointsonthecargoramphavebeen strengthened to allowopening the ramp duringflight at speeds up to 250kn/463kph.

The advanced cockpit of thenew-generation C-130JHercules. While digitalsystems have replaced mostof theold analoggauges, thebasic flight controls remainunchanged.JOHND.GRESHAMAnother improvement is

the idea of reducing theamount of maintenance time

required to get the C-130Jinto the air. One goal of theC-130J program is a 50percent reduction inmaintenance man-hours perflight hour (compared to theC-130E). Combinedwith thereduced aircrew requirement,this translates toa38percentreduction in squadronpersonnel requirements (from661 to 406). When youconsider that themost juniorenlistedpersonnelintheU.S.

cost over $100,000 per yearto pay, clothe, and feed, thatmeansapersonnelsavingsofat least $25.5 million a yearper squadron,which is a lot!Combineitwithsavingsfromfuelandotherareas, andyoucanunderstandwhyairforceseverywhere are lining up tobuythisnewaircraft.Asoflate1996,theC-130J

program is going well, withall four prototype aircraft

flyingactivelyinthetestandcertification program. Thefirst flightof theC-130Jwassuccessfully completed onJune4th,1996,andLockheedplanstodelivertwoaircraftamonth for many years tocome. Thus far, LockheedMartin can see sales andrequirements for over threehundred of the new birds,with more orders coming inevery day. Perhaps the onlycriticism of the new Herky

Bird is the one that comesfrom some aviationvisionaries who think thatsomething even better thanthe -J is needed. They speakof an aircraft with a C-130payload,butwith theverticaltakeoff and flightperformancecharacteristicsoftheV-22Osprey.40Whilethisisafar-reachingconcept,itisclearly beyond the currentstateoftheart,aswellasthe

experiencebasewithtilt-rotoraircraft.Fornow, theC-130Jisthefinestmediumtransportin the world, and willprobably stay that way foranother generation. Whoknows, there may even beanother version of Herculessomeday.

DeploymentTanker:

TheMcDonnellDouglasKC-10A

Extender

Thereisnomore

expensiveorabsurd

commodityinthisworldthanairbornetankerfuel.

Until,thatis,whenyou

reallyneedit.Thenthereisnomorevaluableordesired

substanceincreation.

—RearAdmiralLowell F.

“Gus”Eggert, USN(Ret.)

Notwithstanding the abovecomment, the purpose ofaerial refueling is to extendtherangeoftactical,bomber,or transport aircraft beyondthe limits of their own fuel

capacity. A secondary, butvital and lifesaving, missionis to assist battle-damagedaircraft, which may beleakingfuelheavily,toreturnsafely to base. One retiredUSAF officer I know oncetold me that aerial refuelingof battle-damaged aircraftoverthelastfourdecadeshasprobably saved more moneythanhasbeenspentonallthetankers ever built! Howeveryouviewit,refuelingtankers

have proved their worth inwar and peace. It is hardlysimpleoreasy,though.Aerialrefueling, especially at nightand in bad weather, is anultimatetestofapilot’snerveandskill.Onlyanightcarrierlanding can compare with itfor sheer difficulty. Theaircraft receiving fuel mustholdaprecise,tightformationin the turbulent wake of a(usually)muchlargeraircraft,for several minutes. Pilot

errororbadluckcanresultinsevere damage to thereceiving aircraft, or even afiery collision. Also, tankeroperations are intenselymathematical planningexercises, requiring theabilitytomanageratesoffuelconsumption, range andspeed calculations, andprecise navigation. There isno room for error. Amiscalculationcaneasilyleadto the loss of costly aircraft

andirreplaceableflightcrews.There are two basic

approaches to aerialrefueling. The first, whichwas largely an invention ofthe Air Force, involvesspecialized tanker aircraftequipped with a rigidtelescoping “flying boom.”The boom is extended to fitinto a special receptacle ontop of the receiving aircraft.Thekindoftankersusingthis

system were largely aninvention of the USAF. Theboom is equipped withsteeringfinscontrolledbyanenlisted airman in acompartmentatthetailoftheaircraft. There he or sheworkswithaviewaftthrougha large window. Thiswindow, by the way, is afavoritevantagepoint for thehandful of aerialphotographers allowed to flyon tanker missions. The

secondmethod is thesimpler“probe and drogue” methodfavoredbytheU.S.Navy,theUSMC,theRAF,NATO,andtherestoftheworld’sleadingair forces (at least those thatcanaffordtheformidablecostof aerial refueling). Thetankerreelsoutahosewithacone-shaped basket (the“drogue”)at theend,and thereceiving aircraft spears thedrogue with a fixed orretractable refueling probe.

This adds weight andpossiblydragtothereceivingaircraft, but requires nospecialist operator onboardthe tanker, and allows agreater separation betweentheaircraft.

The first operationaltankers (the KB-29, KB-50,and KC-97) were developedfrom the four-engine BoeingB-29 bomber. By the mid1950s, though, it was clearthat piston-powered tankersdid not have the speed torefuel jet-powered bombersand fighters efficiently. Theold tankers lacked the speedto keep up with the jets,which had to slow down,

nearly to their stall speed, torefuel. The answer was theKC-135 Stratotanker, whichclosely resembled the four-engined Boeing 707commercial transport.41Between 1956 and 1966,some 732 of these aircraftwere built specifically astankers,withdozensof otherC-135airframescompletedormodifiedas transports, flyingcommand posts, intelligence

collectors, VIP passengercarriers, and for otherspecialized roles. About 560remain in service with theaerial refueling squadrons ofthe USAF, USAF Reserve,and ANG. Many have beenreenginedasKC-135Qsand-Ts, with the fuel-efficientCFM-56 turbofan replacingthe original noisy, smoky,gas-guzzling J-57 turbojets.With a top speed of 521kn/966 kph and a fuel

payload of 31,200gallons/118,000 liters, theKC-135 was an excellenttanker. It could flyout2,000nm/3700 km and off-load asmuchas74,000 lb/33,500kgoffueltowaitingcustomers.Themostseriouslimitation

of the Stratotanker emergedduring the long-rangeemergency airlifts to SouthVietnamin1972andIsraelin1973. During these

operations, many U.S. alliesrefused landing rights toaircraft bound for Israel andVietnam, fearing economicretaliation (or worse) fromvarious interested powers.This greatly limited thetonnage of cargo that couldbe rushed to resupply thedesperate Israeli andVietnamese forces, whichbegan the war with only aone- or two-week reserve ofammunition. The problem

wasthatKC-135couldeitherdeploy to a distant overseasbase, or refuel other aircraft;it could not do both on thesame mission. In particular,the basic KC-135 could notbe itself refueled in the air.Truly strategic air refuelingand deployment missionswould require a tanker ofmuch greater capacity andendurancethanthe-135.By the mid-1970s the

USAF knew what theyneeded, and an Air Forceprogram office started theprocess of developing a newdeploymenttanker.Knownasthe Advanced Tanker/CargoAircraft (ATCA), it wasenvisioned by the programmanagers as an aircraft thatcould support the overseasdeployment of entire tacticalfighter squadrons, carryingspares, munitions, groundequipment, and personnel

while refueling thesquadron’s aircraft on theway. An added requirementwasthattheATCAitselfhadtobeabletorefuelinflightaswell. As planned, a force ofonlyseventeenATCAscouldsupport the deployment of acomplete fighter squadronfrom the eastern UnitedStates to Europe, a missionthatwould require fortyKC-135s, plus additional C-141cargoaircraft.

Intheinterestsofreducingcost, the natural ATCAchoice was a modifiedversion of one of the (then)new wide-body commercialtransports. The first of thisnew generation of jettransportsbeganwiththefirstflight of the four-enginedBoeing 747 on February 9th,1969.Another contender, theDouglas Aircraft Company(part ofMcDonnellDouglas)in Long Beach, California,

entered the wide-bodycompetition in 1970 with aversionoftheirthree-enginedDC-10.Most of theDC-10’sfuselage length is a perfectcylinder, which mademodifying the interiorextremely easy. The DC-10had made its first flight onAugust 29th, 1970, and anextended-range variant, theDC-10-30, with upratedenginesappearedin1972.

In 1977, McDonnellDouglas successfully entereda tanker version of the DC-10-30 in the ATCAcompetition, and a contractfor sixteen aircraft wasawarded. Initially, theproductionratewasonly twoperyear,butin1982thetotalbuy was increased to sixty,allowingDouglastokeeptheproductionlineopenforyearsat a more favorable (andprofitable) production rate.

When it entered service inMarch1981, thenewaircraftwas dubbed the KC-10AExtender. At the time, theKC-10s belonged to theUSAF’s Strategic AirCommand (SAC). In 1991,however, when SAC wasabsorbed into the new AirCombat Command (ACC)and Air Mobility Command(AMC), most of the tankerswere transferred to AMC.Except for one aircraft

destroyedonthegroundbyafire, the entire force remainsin service with four activeand two Reserve squadrons,splitbetweenMacGuireAFB,NewJersey,andTravisAFB,California.It’s importanttoknowthat

it is not practical to build atanker that has the entirefuselage filled with fueltanks.Suchanaircraftwouldbetooheavyto takeoff.The

KC-10carriesmostofitsfuelin seven “bladder” tankslocatedunderthefloorof thespacious pressurized cargocompartment. This is thespace where passengerbaggageandfreightwouldbestowedonacommercialDC-10.Additional fuel is carriedinthewings,andallthetanksareinterconnectedsothat theKC-10 can “give away”almost all the fuel it carries,beyond even a minimum

safety margin needed toreturn to base, since theKC-10 can itself be refueled byanother tanker sent out toretrieve it. A typical“strategic” refueling missionwould be the transfer of200,000 pounds of fuel at adistance of 2,200 miles/3540kmfromabase—forexamplein themiddle of the AtlanticOcean. In a pure airlift role,the KC-10 can fly almost7,000 miles/over 11,000 km

carrying 100,000 lb/45,400kg of cargo. With in-flightrefueling and a spare flightcrew(pilot,copilot,andflightengineer) the KC-10’s rangeandendurancearepracticallyunlimited,subjectonly to theneed to replenish engine oil.The KC-10’s engines arehighly efficient GeneralElectric CF6-50C2 turbofans(military designation F103)each rated at 52,500 pounds(23,810 kg) of thrust.

Maximum takeoff weight ofthe KC-10 is 590,000lb/267,620 kg, while theempty weight is only about240,000lb/109,000kg.

A McDonnell Douglas KC-10A Extender refueling a C-17A Globemaster III. Thefleetof59KC-10sisvitaltoAmericanforcesbeingabletodeployrapidlyoverseas.McDONNELLDOUGLASAERONAUTICALSYSTEMSInside the KC-10, the

cockpit is about what youwould expect of a mid-

1970’s jumbo jet. Theelectronics suite is relativelysimple:aweatherradarinthenose,standardUHFandVHFradios, a triple-redundantinertial navigation systemsupplementedwithGPS, andan IFF transponder to tellfriendly aircraft, ships, andSAMs not to shoot. Nodefensive systems (chaff,flares, or ECM jammers) arenormally fitted. As a veryhigh-value asset, the KC-10

would normally be escortedbyatleastapairoffightersinany environment thatpresentedtheslightestthreat.ThereasonfortheKC-10’s

existenceistobefoundattherear of the aircraft. Therefuelingboom,measuring43feet/13.1 meters when fullyextended, has its own digitalflightcontrolsystem,andcandeliver up to 1,500gallons/5,678litersoffuelper

minute. It is normallyretracted up against the tail,but still contributes a certainamountofexcessdrag.EveryKC-10 also carries onedrogue-and-hose reel unitmounted under the tail,allowingittorefuelthemanyNavy, Marine, and otherallied tactical aircraft. A fewKC-10shavebeenfittedwithadditional drogue-and-hosereel pods on each wing,making it possible to refuel

up to three aircraftsimultaneously.

AMcDonnellDouglasC-17AGlobemaster III HeavyTransportofthe437thAirliftWing on the ramp atCharleston AFB, SouthCarolina. The 437th is thefirst unit to receive andoperatetheC-17.JOHND.GRESHAMTheviewfromthe“Boomer”position of a U.S. Air Force

KC-10AExtender. From thisposition,theBoomercontrolsthe refueling boom, anddrogue and probe “basket”units that are used to refuelotheraircraft.ROBERTF.DORR

One of the originalATCArequirements was to supportworldwide deployment ofUSAF units, and this meanscarrying cargo and people inaddition to fuel.Appropriately, the Douglasdesignersmade provisions tocarryasizableloadofbothinthe mostly empty fuselage.Theforwardendofthecargocompartment can be fitted

with pallets loaded withcomfortable seats for up tosixtypeople.Cargoonpalletscan be loaded through anupward-hingeddoor11feet8inches/3.56 meters wide and8 feet 6 inches/2.6 metershigh. Up to twenty-sevenstandard cargo pallets (theAir Force calls them 463Ls)can be carried, and there areretractable rollers built intothefloor,aswellas tie-downpoints, and a cargo handling

winch. There are passengerdoors on both sides of thefuselage—thesewere alreadydesigned into the DC-10-30,anditwouldhavetakenextraengineering effort to deletethem—but most of thesedoors are “deactivated” orsealed.There is also a fourthseat for an observer on theflight deck. The crew has asmall galley area andlavatory, but no rest bunksarefitted.

During DesertShield/Desert Storm, 46KC-10s deployed to the Gulfalong with 256 KC-135s.42The CENTAF flyers usedevery drop of fuel that theycarried. During the air warthe tankers loitered at aneconomical cruising speed in“racetrack” orbits just insideSaudi airspace, at an altitudeof about 25,000 feet/7,620meters to refuel inbound and

outbound strike packages.The 46KC-10’s flew 15,434sorties, for a total of almost60,000 flight hours,delivering a total of 110million gallons/416 millionliters of jet fuel! The largenumber of good airfields inthe theater, and the almostlimitless supply of jet fuelprovided by the graciousSaudi hosts, made the GulfWaranidealenvironmentfortankeroperations.

Though the USAF is theonly operator of the KC-10,the outstanding operationalsuccess of the type inspiredthe Royal Netherlands AirForce to purchase two usedcommercial DC-10-30freighters for conversion into“KDC-10” tankers, withtechnical assistance fromMcDonnell Douglas. Theseaircraft, operated by the 334Squadron at Eindhoven, arepotential NATO assets of

great value. They also allowtheNetherlands to deploy itsF-16fightersfromEuropeallovertheworldintheeventofaregionalcrisis.OtherKDC-10 customers are beingcourted by McDonnellDouglas, and given theavailability of older DC-10airframes,youmaybeseeingmoresuchconversions.Whatever the foreign

interestintankeraircraft,itis

likely that the KC-10 fleetwill remain in service untilwell beyond 2020. Theaircraftarebeinggentlyusedandcarefullymaintained,andthe large number of DC-10sin service ensures theavailabilityofsparepartsandexperienced reserve pilots.No requirement for a next-generation tanker has beenformally defined by theUSAF, but McDonnellDouglas has drawings of a

modular drogue-and-hose-reelrefuelingkitfortheC-17transport. It would not besurprisingifBoeingproposesa tanker variant of its high-tech twin-engine wide body,the 777. Until that time,though,theKC-10isgoingtocontinuetobethefinest,mostversatile airborne tankeraircraftintheworldtoday.

HeavyIron:TheMcDonnellDouglasC-17AGlobemaster

III

This is the story of anairplane program that wouldnot die, despite the efforts,incompetence, and intentionsof both friends and enemies.It is also the story of a

requirement that was sovisionary that it allowed thissameaircraft to rise fromtheashes time and time again.Lastly, this is a tale of thefinest, most capable airliftaircrafteverbuilt.This is thestory of the McDonnellDouglas C-17 GlobemasterIII. The C-17 embodieseverythingtheU.S.AirForceand the aerospace industryhaslearnedaboutairliftinthepast fifty years. The cost of

theGlobemaster is fearsome.You could build a goodregional hospital or a smalluniversity for the current(1996) $175 million-dollarunit priceof just oneC-17A.Partly because of the highcost, the program has beendogged by bitter political,technical, and contractualproblems and controversy.Youwouldnot even call it apretty aircraft. However, tothemilitary logisticsplanner,

the airborne divisioncommander, or the faminevictim in a remote corner ofthe Third World, nothingcouldbemorebeautiful.The C-17was designed to

combine the intercontinentalrange and heavy-liftcapability of the C-5 Galaxyor C-141 Starlifter with theshort- /rough-fieldperformance of the C-130Hercules. The original Air

ForcespecificationfortheC-X (“Cargo-Experimental”)rantohundredsofpages,butthe key requirement wasbrutally simple: take offcarryinga70-tonM1Abramsmain battle tank and land onan unimproved runway nomore than 3,000 feet/915meters long and 60 feet/18meters wide. It was a bigorder, and when the C-Xprogram started, nobodywasentirely certain that such an

aircraft could be created.Read on, and I’ll try and tellyouonehellofa storyaboutthisamazingbird.

The C-17’s officialnickname, “Globemaster,”recalls the Douglas C-124,the USAF’s last piston-engined heavy transport,which served from 1949 to1961, with a total of 447airframesbeingbuilt.Butthetrueancestryof theC-17canbe traced directly from anexperimental cargo jet, theDouglas YC-15, of whichonly two were built in the

1970s to an Air Forcerequirement called theAdvanced Medium ShortTakeoff and LandingTransport (AMST). Theoriginal intention was todevelopareplacementfortheC-130, but the program wasnever funded due to post-Vietnambudget cuts, aswellas the excellent cost andperformance of theHercules.LiketheC-17,theYC-15hadfour-turbofan engines carried

in pylons on a high-mountedwing, and a massive slab ofT-tail,butthewingswerenotswept and the aircraft wasconsiderably smaller than theGlobemaster.43 The YC-15utilized a set of specialexternally blown flaps togenerate tremendous lift forshort takeoffs. The engineexhaustnozzleswereclosetothe underside of the wing,which was equipped with

large two-segment slottedflaps along most of thetrailing edge.When the flapswerefullyextended,muchofthe thrust was deflecteddownward, causing an equalandoppositeupwardliftforce(thankyou,Mr.Newton).Theflaps had to be made oftitanium, to withstand theheat, but this was a smallprice to pay for a significantperformanceimprovement.

The competing YC-14prototype developed byBoeing used a somewhatdifferent principle called“upper surface blowing” inwhich the engines weremounted well forward andabove the wing. The engineexhaust created a low-pressure region across thewing’suppersurface,andtherelatively higher pressurebelow the wing translated

into increased lift.44 It wasthis extra lift that made theshort-field requirementof theC-X aircraft even possible,though it takes a bit morelooking to understandwhy itwasevenneeded.One of the many

unpleasant effects of theVietnamWar was to greatlyincreasethewearandtearonthe Air Force’s fleet ofLockheed C-141 and C-5

long-range airlifters. By thelate 1970s it was clear thatsometime in the not toodistant future, these aircraftwould have to be replacedbefore their wings fell offfromsheermetalfatigue.However,theC-Xprogram

managers had a concept forthe new airlifter strategicairlift overseas thatwas verydifferent from theway ithadbeen done previously. The

concept of operations formilitary airlifts until the1980swasa“hubandspoke”model, in which heavy(strategic) airlifters woulddeliver masses of troops,equipment,andsuppliesfromthe continental United Statestolargeregionalairports(likethe great Rhein-Maincomplex near Frankfurt,Germany, or the magnificentairports and bases of SaudiArabia),wheretheywouldbe

split out into smaller“tactical” packets that wouldbe shuttled to small forwardairfieldsbymediumtransportaircraft (C-130s). This was(and is) an efficient model,andisthebasisforthecurrentAmerican civil air transportsystem.However, if you hadtooperate intoanareawherebig airfields didn’t exist, orwhere the runways andsupporting facilities had justbeen cratered by an enemy

airstrike or “slimed” by achemical warhead from aSCUDmissile,thenyouweregoingtobeoutofluck.Thiswashowtheideawas

born of the C-X flying acargo/equipment /personnelload directly towhere itwasgoing to be needed, withoutthe need to stop at anintermediate hub. This was,and is, a great idea, thoughone that would cause the

USAF and McDonnellDouglas no end of pain, andthe taxpayers a good-sizedmountainofmoney.The start of the C-X

program came at a time ofcrisis for the U.S., with thetakingofourembassyinIranand the Soviet invasion ofAfghanistan still fresh in theminds of Department ofDefenseleaders.Theshortageof heavy airlift aircraft was

enough to make some folkswish they had bought moreC-5s. For others, it was theimpetus to build an evenbetter airlifter. The originalC-X requirement envisionedproduction of a total of 210airframes: 120 to replace thefleet of C-141 B Starlifters,and the remaining 90 toreplace the force of C-5swhentheyworeout.Allthreelarge airframe manufacturersin the U.S. (Boeing,

Lockheed, and McDonnellDouglas)submittedproposalsbased, as you might expect,upon their most recentmilitary transport experience.Of the three, the McDonnellDouglas design based on theYC-15 scored the highest,and they were awarded acontract for what becameknownastheC-17inAugustof 1981. Unfortunately, thiswould be the last good thingthatwouldhappenintheC-X

programforaverylongtime.Almost immediately, politicsandnecessitybegantoexertastronginfluenceontheC-17.The political element

arrived with the coming ofPresident Ronald W Reaganin 1981. His Administrationbegan an almost immediateprogram of increasingmilitary spending to reversethe decline in our forces thathad occurred after Vietnam

andduringtheAdministrationof President Jimmy Carter.While the CarterAdministration had increasedmilitary spending at the endof their tenure as a result ofthe Iran crisis, the ReaganAdministrationrampedupthemoneymachineeven further.One of their first areas ofincreased spending was forincreased strategic airliftcapacity.

While the C-17 contracthad been awarded theprevious year, it would donothing to increase thenumber of tankers andtransports for some years tocome. In addition, theawardingoftheC-17contractto McDonnell Douglas hadangered the powerful senatorfrom Georgia, Sam Nunn,who was the protector ofLockheed down in Marietta.Soinoneofthosemovesthat

definespolitics as “the art ofthe possible,” the ReaganAdministration came upwitha clever compromise. ThefundingforC-17wasreducedand the program schedulestretched out into the late1980s. Then, a huge buy oftanker/transports wasauthorized, based uponexistingdesigns.In January of 1982,

Lockheed,SenatorNunn,and

the state of Georgia got anorderforasecondproductionrunoftheGalaxy,designatedthe C-5B. Along with thiscamethesixty-aircraftbuyofKC-10A Extenders, whichwouldbebuiltbyMcDonnellDouglas.ThisleftthefolksatLong Beach in a strangeposition. Their new transportaircraftprogramhadjustbeendrained of funds andstretched out, but they nowhad a huge multi-year

contract to build tankers onan existing production line.One senior Douglas officialdescribed it like finding outthebeautiful,richgirlyouaredatingisabloodrelative.Shewill probably share thewealth eventually, but thatwill be the extent of therelationship!For Jim Worshem, the

legendary president of theDouglas Aircraft Company,

these events forced him tomake a number of pragmaticand common-sense moves.He shifted almost all theskilled engineers andtechnicians he had hired toworkontheC-17overtoKC-10A tanker and commercialtransport work, and adjustedthe program schedule toreflect the new, stretched-outfunding profile dictated bythe USAF and ReaganAdministration. In the short

term, itwasagood thing forDouglas, which was able tohire even more productionandsupportpersonneltodealwiththeexistingworkload.Meanwhile, design work

on the C-17 continued forsome years to come,gradually transforming theold YC-15 prototype designinto a larger, more powerfulproductiondesign.Theactualdesignprocesswentwelland

generally on schedule andbudget, but a chill wasbeginning to come over theC-17 program, and it almostkilled the new airlifter. Thechange came as a result ofsomething completelyunrelated to the Globemasterprogram: a JusticeDepartment/DoDinvestigation of contractorinsider-information tradingknownasOperationIIIWind.IllWindwas a wide-ranging

probe ofAdministration/contractorrelationships in whichgovernment personnel wouldsell “insider” programmaticand technical information tocontractorsforaprice.Bythetime the probe wascompleted,anumberofDoDofficialsandseniorcontractorexecutives, includingUndersecretary of the NavyMelvin Pasily, had been sentto jail, and huge fines had

been exacted from a numberofcontractors.Ill Wind had one other

unpleasant effect, in that itcausedalmostallthemilitaryand civilian personnelassigned to manageprocurementprogramstotakeonahostile,evenadversarial,relationship against the“money-grubbing” defensecontractors and theirperceived “obscene” profits.

Now,anyonewhothinksthatan 8 to 12 percent profitmarginonaprogramasriskyastheC-17isobsceneclearlyislackingsomeknowledgeofthe business world, but thatwastheatmosphereinthelate1980s. Then, in 1989, thewheelsreallyfelloff.The year started in a

promising fashion, withfabrication of the prototypeC-17A going along, albeit

with some problems. Part ofthese difficultieswere due tothe business realities of theaerospace industry at thattime. Finding qualifiedtechnicians and engineers inSouthern California in thelate1980swastough,andthisled to some poorly qualifiedpersonnelbeingbroughtontotheDouglaspayrollathighersalaries than had beenplanned. This led to costescalations which caused

future acrimony between theUSAF program offices andDouglas. There wereproblemswithweightgrowthon theGlobemaster,which isnot unusual in today’smilitary aircraft programs.The difficulty here was thattheUSAFprogrammanagerswerecompletelyinflexibleonanymodificationstotheC-17contractoneithertechnicalorfinancialgrounds.

Ontopofallof this, thosesame program managersfailedtoinformtheOfficeofthe Secretary of Defense(DickCheneyat the time)ofthe cost and engineeringdifficultieswhenhisstaffdida review of major aircraftprograms (F-22, F-18, C-17,V-22,A-12, etc.). OnlyafterCheney had presented hisreport to the Congress, andcanceled the V-22 as a cost-cutting measure, did the

problems on the otherprogramscomeout. It turnedout that Navy’s A-12managershadactuallyliedtoOSDabout criticalproblems,and their program wascanceledoutright.The difficulties on C-17

tookabitlongertocomeout,butwhentheydid,afirestormerupted. Initially these tookthe form of financial claimsbyDouglasagainsttheUSAF

about mandated changes thathad cost them money. TheAir Force came back withclaims against Douglas forshortfallsincontractprogressand performance, and designshortcomings. What resultedwasavirtualwarbetweenthemanagement at Douglas andthe C-17 program officewhich just got worse andworse.The final straw came over

a required structural test ofthe wing. As part of theUSAF-mandated weightreduction program, Douglasdesigners had removedseveral structural membersfrom the wing to help makethegoal.Unfortunately,whenthe engineers went back andran their computer structuralmodels, they discovered thatthesoftwarewaspredictingawingfailureduringacomingoverloadtestofthewing.The

test was designed to verifythat thewing could sustain a150 percent stress overloadover the design requirement.Unfortunately, the engineersknewthatthewingwouldfailat one of the “thinned out”spots at 129 percent. WhenDouglas reported this to theAir Force program office,theywere refusedpermissiontofixtheproblempriortothetest. In particular, thegovernment program

manager felt that allowingthem to make the changewould somehowshowUSAF“weakness” towards thecontractor. He ordered thatthe testgoforward,whateverthe results. It did, and thewing broke precisely wherethe engineers had predicted,at exactly the 129 percentload. This was a patentlystupid act, and it was theproverbial “straw that brokethecamel’sback.”

By this time, theOSDhadenough of the problems anddecided to act. For starters,theyfiredtheUSAFprogrammanagement team, and thencalled the executives ofMcDonnell Douglas in for atalk. To this day nobody oneither side will say exactlywhathappened,butwhen themeetings were done, therewas a completely newmanagement team runningtheC-17programatDouglas.

Both sides withdrew theirclaimsagainsteachother,andgot to work to solve theproblems of the C-17. TheyalsolettheDouglasengineersfixthewing!Now, nothing goes wrong

overnight, and neither areengineering and financialproblems as bad as thosefaced by the C-17 teamsolved quickly.Nevertheless,by early 1993, things were

beginning to turn around fortheGlobemaster, though youwouldhavebeenhardpressedto know it. A newDemocratic Administrationhad taken over inWashington, and all partiesinvolved knew that the C-17wouldcomeunderanewanduncomfortablescrutiny.The man who drew the

dutyofdecidinglifeordeathfor theGlobemaster program

was John Deutch, theUndersecretary of Defensefor Procurement. 45 Hisdecision for the future of theC-17 was anything but easy,though. When he took overtheOSD procurement office,there was immense pressureto cut the defense budget sothat the money could beapplied to other priorities ofthe Clinton Administration.On the other hand, you did

not have to be a rocketscientisttofigureoutthattheneedfortheC-17wasgreaterthan ever. If any event hadvalidated the vision of theoriginal C-X programspecification andrequirement,the1991PersianGulfWarhadbeen it.DesertStorm had used up over halfof the C-141 fleet’sremaining fatigue life in lessthansixmonthsofoperations,and airframes were already

being flown to the boneyardinArizona.There were reasons for

optimism about theGlobemaster,though,becausethe newgovernment/contractormanagement team had takenhold and was getting resultsthat were frankly amazing.Byutilizingaconceptknownas Independent ProductTeams (IPTs, “rainbow”

groups of military andcontractorpersonnelassignedto accomplish specific sub-tasks of a project), theengineering problems on theC-17 were rapidly beingsolved. Also, by this timethere had been a number ofsignificant milestones andachievementsintheprogram.First flight of the prototypecame on September 15th,1991,andthefirstproductionaircraft was delivered to the

AirForceonJune14th,1992.Thefirstparatroopdrop,withsoldiers from the 82ndAirborne Division, had eventakenplaceonJuly9th,1993.The first lot of productionaircraft was under contract,and would be deliveredwhatever Deutch decided.But there also was immensepressure from critics inCongress tokill theprogram,as well as from competitorslike Lockheed and Boeing

whowantedtotakeacrackatthe airlifter problem. In theend,Deutchcameupwithaninspireddecision.HedecidedtosaddletheC-

17programwithaproductioncapofonlyfortyaircraftforatwo-year “probationary”period. Only after the twoyears, and a thoroughexamination of the aircraftsystem in actual operations,would a decision bemade to

purchaseadditionalairframes.Also,toshoweveryoneintheAir Force and at McDonnellDouglas he was serious, heordered the USAF to initiatethe Non-DevelopmentalAirlift Aircraft (NDAA)program,whichwasdesignedtoprocureoff-the-shelfheavytransport aircraft in theeventthat the C-17 did not makethe grade. Properly warned,everyone involved in theGlobemaster program, from

the Pentagon program officetotheLongBeachproductionline to the flight line atCharleston AFB, SouthCarolina(thefirstoperationalC-17 base), sucked it in,knowing that this was theirlast chance to prove that thenew bird was a winner.Amazingly, it was all uphillfromthatmomenton.Some folks will say that

Douglas and the Air Force

were lucky. I would tell youthat they were ready for theopportunities that came theirway in the next few years.However you view thesituation, the C-17 team hasmet or exceeded everychallenge that was thrown atthem since the newmanagement team took over.Whether it was a no-noticedeployment to Rwanda tosupport relief operations, ordisaster relief after a

hurricane, thenewbirdcamethrough and delivered theloads with flying colors,doing things that otherairlifterswouldnotevenhavetried. Amazingly, though, itwas the hauling of a singleperson for a twenty-minuteflight that sealed the futurefortheC-17.ThatpersonwasPresident William JeffersonClinton, and the ride was tothe short, bumpy airfield atTuzula in Bosnia-

Herzegovina.The President had wanted

to visit the troops of TaskForce Eagle (the Americanpeacekeeping force) as ashowofsupportforthetroopsand for his policy in theregion.Now,youdonotflyajumbojet(likethePresident’sVC-25A) painted up like abillboardintosuchaplaceasTuzula without drawingunwanted attention. So

anotherwayhad to be foundto get the Chief Executive,his entourage, and all themedia personnel intoTuzula.In theend, theonly transportwith thenecessaryshort-fieldand all-weather performance,as well as the necessarydefensive countermeasuresagainst SAMs and radar-directedAAAfire,was—youguessed it—theGlobemaster.So, when the Presidentshowed up wearing his

favorite flight jacket, alongwith the entire White Housepresscorps,theC-17programwas saved. The feelingaround DoD was that if thisbirdwasgoodenoughfortheBoss, it was okay to buymore.Quickly, the NDAA

program was allowed to die,and the USAF decided thatthe C-17 would be the onlyheavy airlifter the USAF

wouldbuyfortheforeseeablefuture. It was therefore withmore than a little pride thatthe C-17 team managersaccepted personally fromPresident Clinton the largestmulti-year militaryprocurement order in U.S.history, in mid-1996, foreighty additionalGlobemasters. Even better,there is talk of buyingmore.But first, let’s take you on alittle tour of this incredible

birdbeforewe talkabout thedistantfuture.For this we will take a

quicktripdowntoCharlestonAFB,tovisitthe437thAirliftWing.Inlate1996theC-17Awasoperationalwiththe14thand 17th Airlift Squadrons(AS) of the 437th, with the15th AS getting ready totransition from the C-141 tothe new bird. For our tour,we’ll spend some time with

aircraft 93-0600, which isalso known as aircraft P-16(the sixteenth productionaircraft,whichwasfunded inFY-93). It was delivered totheAirForceinNovemberof1994, fully a month early.Thismatter of early deliveryis getting to be more andmore common on the C-17program, and isnow the rulerather than the exception.Earlydeliveriesmeancheaperplanes for the taxpayers and

higher profits for thestockholders of McDonnellDouglas,soit isa“win-win”situation for all involved.Despite being heavily flownsincedelivery,P-16isacleanand neat aircraft, without somuchasascratchorsmeartomar the finish, inside or out.At something like $175million a copy for the early-production C-17s, you’dbetter believe that the USAFcrewchiefstakegoodcareof

them.Thegoodnewson thispoint is that Douglas iscalculating that late-production C-17s will costthe taxpayers around $210million.Onethingtokeepinmind,

though.Thewholeideaofanaircraft like the Globemasteris absurd unless, of course,youhavethekindofoverseascommitments that theUnitedStates has. In that case, the

heavy airlifter fleet is moreprecious than its weight indiamonds, and that is thepoint. When you need toestablish an “aluminumbridge”tosomeplacelikethePersian Gulf, there is novalueyoucanplaceonsuchacapability.Much of the C-17’s

advancedtechnologyisfoundinitswing,solet’sbeginourexamination of this

remarkableaircraftthere.Thewing is mounted wellforward, and very high; infact it actually humps upabovethetopofthefuselage,to increase the headroom inthe cargo compartment. Thewings droop downward fromroot to tip, somethingengineers call an “anhedral.”The pointed wing tips bendup sharply to form“Whitcombwinglets,”namedfortheNASAaerodynamicist

who invented them. Thesecutelittlebitsofaerodynamicdesign improve the flow ofair at the wing tips, wheredrag-increasingvortexesariseat certain speeds. The neteffect of the winglets is toreducedragby4to6percent(and therefore raise fuelefficiency), which more thancompensates for the addedweight. The engine pylonsthrust aggressively forward,so much so that each engine

extends right beyond theleadingedgeofthewing.Butfrombelow,themoststrikingfeatures of thewing are fourpods that extend past thetrailingedge.Thesearecalledflapsupportfairings,andtheycontain the complexhydraulic actuators, levers,and linkages thatgive theC-17 control of its externallyblown flaps. The wing is“wet,” with most of theaircraft’s 27, 108

gallons/102,614 liters stowedinself-sealingfueltanksbuiltinto the thickwing structure.There are extensive firedetection and suppressionprovisions in the wing,including an onboard inertgas-generatingsystem,whichextractsnitrogenfromenginebleed air and uses it topressurizetheemptyspaceinthe fuel tanks as fuel isconsumed, to prevent theformation of potentially

explosivevapors.The engines on the

production C-17s are PrattandWhitneyF-117two-shaft,high-bypassturbofansratedat40,700lb/18,500kgofthrust.The engine is based on themature and reliable PW2000series flying since 1984 ontheBoeing757.OntheC-17,however, theenginecoreandthe largefansectionarebothfitted with exceptionally

powerful thrust reversers,which can be operated eitherinflightorontheground.Onthe ground, thrust reversersworktogetherwiththewheelbrakesandthespoilersontheupper surface of the wing,making it possible to landsafely on short runways thatpreviously would only havebeenusedbyaC-130.Infact,the C-17 is the only jettransport that can actuallybackupwhiletaxiing.Thisis

extremelyimportantonsmall,crowded airfields, wheretheremaybenospacetoturnaround. As a point ofreference, you can operatesomethinglikenineC-17sonarampwhereonlythreeC-5swillfit.Along each side of the

fuselage is a large canoe-shaped fairing, which iswhere the main landing gearis located.Given the troubles

that Lockheed had with theC-5landinggear,you’dbetterbelieve that Douglas madesure that they got theC-17’slanding gear system right.The shockabsorbersareableto handle a sink rate uponlanding of up to 15 feet/4.57meterspersecondatfullload.The steerable twin-wheelnosegear retractsaft,but themain gear on each sideconsistsoftwotandemthree-wheel units, with big low-

pressure tires for landing onsoftground.Whenraised,themain landing gear struts arerotatedthrough90degreesbya clever arrangement oflevers, pivots, and actuatorsbefore retracting intostreamlined fairings. Ifhydraulic power is lost, thelanding gear can still bedeployed by gravity, free-fallingandlockingintoplace.Like the C-130, the C-17

has an auxiliary power unit(APU) located in the landinggear fairing on the port oneside.TheGarrettGTCP331isa compact gas turbine thatcan drive the aircraft’selectrical generators andhydraulic pumps on theground without having tostart the main engines. TheAPU can also provide powerto start the engines, evenunder the worst arcticconditions, and there are

powerful NiCad batteries tostart the APU or provideemergency DC power to theaircraft’ssystems.The fuselage is 159

feet/48.5 meters long,measuredfromthenosetothetip of the tail cone, but theswept-back vertical stabilizeroverhangs another 15feet/4.57 meters. The tail ofthe C-17 incorporates apowerful two-section rudder.

The top of the tail fin is justover 55 feet/16.8 metersabovetheground,andthereisanarrowinternalpassagewaywith a ladder so thatmaintenancecrewscaneasilyreach the hydraulic actuatorsand antennas, and evenchange the bulbs on thenavigation lights. Emptyweight of the C-17 is about269,000 lb/122,000 kg.Overall, about 70 percent ofthe C-17’s structure, by

weight,isaluminumalloy,12percent steel, 10 percenttitanium, and 8 percentcomposites. There are twoentry doors, the one on theleft side with fold-downstairs, jump doors just aft ofthe wing on both sides, andthe large loading ramp aft.Heading up one of the nosedoors takes you directly intothe cargo compartment. Ifyou head forward, past thesmallgalleyandlavatory,and

upasmallstaircase,youfindyourselfontheflightdeck.The flight deck provides

side-by-side seating for thepilot and copilot, seats fortwo observers or a sparecrew, two rear-facing courierseats, and two comfortablerest bunks. The seats areextremelycomfortable(Ilovethe sheepskin covers!), andthecockpithasthebestlayoutI have ever seen. The flight

controlsaremore like thatofa fighter plane than acommercial airliner. ThepilotscontroltheC-17withastick-mounted handgrip (asopposed to a control wheel),heads-up display, and aconsole full of color multi-function display (MFD)panels,muchlikethenewC-130J. The flight controls arebased on a quad-redundantfly-by-wire system, with thesamekindofFADECengine

controlsthatwillsoonappearon the C-130J. Between thetwo crew seats is a pedestalloaded with the flightmanagementsystems,aswellas the controls for the radiosystems. Further controls forthevariousflightsystemsarecontained in a strip that runsacross the top of the maininstrument panel. There evenisanelectronicwarfaresuite,which includes a radarwarning receiver, as well as

controls for the onboardALE-40/47decoy/flare/chafflaunchers. Though all of thisgivestheC-17cockpitalooklike that of the StarshipEnterprise, it is amazinglyeasy to understand andoperate.The cockpit of a C- 17AGlobemaster III HeavyTransport. This state-of-the-art“glass”cockpitisthemostadvanced of any transport

aircraftintheworldtoday.JounD.GRESHAM

The nose radome holds anAN/APS-133 weather andground-mappingradar,whichdisplays the data on one oftheMFDpanels.AlsoliketheC-130, the C-17 is equippedwith “Station KeepingEquipment” (SKE) thatallows a group of aircraft tomaintain a precise formationin zero-visibility conditions.The C-17 is also equipped

withtwoindependentmissioncomputers,andvirtuallyalloftheelectronicsystemsaretiedtogetherbyaredundantMIL-STD 1553 digital data bus.Thisincludeseverythingfromthe radio systems to theelectronic warfare self-protection suite. Technologyhas moved on since the firstC-17 was first delivered,though, and new-modelmission computers will bepart of a near-term upgrade.

Justabovetheflightdeckisastandard aerial refuelingreceptacle. Around this arethe array of large “picturewindow” transparencies,which make the view fromthe cockpit so breathtaking.Without question, it is thefinest cockpit design I haveeverseen.Just down the ladder from

the cockpit is theloadmaster’sstation.While it

may just look like a littlecubbyhole, it is a specialplace for the loadmasters intheUSAF. For the first timein any aircraft design,somebodyfinallycaredaboutthe enlisted personnel thatmake up the crews of atransportplane,andtooktheirneeds and desires intoaccount. From here, with asingle well-designed masterpanel, the loadmaster cancontrol the cargo ramp,

monitor the cargocompartment and all itssystems, and activate avarietyofcargowinch,roller,latching, and releasemechanisms. Also located inthe loadmaster’s station is amodified laptop computer,which provides direct accessto the C-17’s data network.The crews use it foreverything from loadingflight plans to downloadingmaintenance data for the

technicians back at thehangers. One of the mostimportant of these tasks isloadplanning,whichinvolvescalculating the weight andbalance of the aircraft andpersonnel/cargoload,sothatthebirdissafetofly.Aftoftheflightdeckisthe

fully pressurized cargocompartment. The “loadablevolume” is 85.2 feet/25.9meters long, 18 feet/5.5

meterswide,and12.3ft/3.75m high at the lowest pointunder thewingcarry-throughbox. The aft end of thefuselage is dominated by thecargo ramp and door, whichis similar indesign to thatofthe Hercules. The hydraulic-powered ramp is designed tohandle theweightofaheavytank, so there is no problemloading up to 40,000lb/18,143 kg of cargo andvehicleson itsbroad surface.

When the long cargo doorpullsup inside theaircraftasthe ramp is lowered, thecargo floor is approximately5.3 feet/1.6meters above theground.Thisgivestherampagentle 9° slope when it islowered, which makesloading of bulky cargo andvehiclesmuch easier than onotherheavytransports.Just forward of the ramp

areparatroops’jumpdoorson

each side of the fuselage.LiketheC-130,thedoorspullin and slide up, and at thesame time a perforateddeflectordeploysoutboard toreduce the blast of airexperienced by exitingparatroops. A standardairdroploadis102paratroopswithequipment,thoughuptotwice that many can beaccommodatedifnecessary.

Theinteriorofa437thAirliftWing C-17A loaded withcargo for the NATOImplementation Force. C-17sprovidea largepercentageofthe airlift for thepeacekeeping force inBosnia-Herzegovina.McDONNELLDOUGLASAERONAUTICALSYSTEMSThere are countless load

plans that detail variousarrangements of vehicles andcargo, with specific data ontie-down points, and criticalaircraft center-of-gravitycalculations.Forexample,theC-17cancarrytworowsof5-ton trucks or HMMWVs,including two right on theramp.Ofcourse,therealsoisroom in capacity for theheavyiron:thingslikeM1A2main battle tanks, 60-toncargoloaders,andevensmall

DSRV rescue submarines.Each cargo tie-down ring isstressed to hold 25,000lb/11,340 kg, and the floorlocks are automated so thattheycanbereleasedfromtheloadmasters.TheC-17 is also equipped

to be a flying ambulance.When rigged for medicalevacuation, the cargocompartment can hold forty-eight litter patients plus

medical attendants, and isfullyplumbedwithoxygensothateachpatienthasamaskifrequired.Otherload/personnelmixes

include loading the centerrow with cargo pallets orvehicles tobedropped intoaDZ first, then paratroopersalong the sides. There alsoare three emergency escapehatchesinthetopofthecargocompartment, which can be

used in the event of a waterlanding.All of these featuresmake

the C-17A themost capable,versatile, and survivablecargo aircraft ever built.While the Globemaster hashadatorturousandexpensivegestation, it is rapidlymaturing and, I personallybelieve,worth the high pricethat the American taxpayershavepaidforit.Perhapsmost

important of all, though, itfills the strategic airliftshortfall that was firstprojected in the late1970satthestartof theC-Xprogram.Ifthefull120C-17’sthatarecurrently contracted areultimately built, they willreplace retiringC-141s in allactiveairliftsquadronsbytheendof the firstdecadeof the21stcentury.AMcDonnellDouglasC-17A

Globemaster III takes offfrom a dirt airfield. Theability to operate from shortandunimprovedrunwayswasa key part of the original C-17specification.McDONNELLDOUGLASAERONAUTICALSYSTEMS

By that time, there willlikely be orders for furtherproduction lots of theGlobemaster, though.Remember that the originalC-Xrequirementprojectedanadditional ninety aircraft toreplace the C-5 fleet, whichwillbeoverthreedecadesoldby then. There also will bethe matter of replacing othertypes of transport aircraft by

that time. For example, theaging USAF force of KC-135swill be almost ready toretire by then, and there isstrongsupporttodecreasethenumberofdifferentairframeswithin the transport force. Arecent GAO study suggeststhat tanker and electronicsupport versions of the C-17would be an excellent value,andarelikelytobebuiltafterthe initial run of cargoversions.

It would not be surprisingif there areC-17s still flyingin 2050 or even later in thenextcentury,haulingtheloadin a world we can scarcelyimagine. Douglas even isworking on a commercialversion of the Globemaster,the MD-17, which would beused to compete on theworldwide outsized cargotransport market that iscurrently dominated by theRussians.This is truly a bird

that has come a long wayfrom the dark days of 1989!However you view this bigbird, though, it has survivedbattlesthatwouldhavekilledotheraircraftlongago.

1stBrigade/82ndAirbone:AGuidedTourofanAirborne

TaskForce

It had been a long day oftalking in the PresidentialPalace in Port-au-Prince ,Haiti, on September 18th,1994. All day, a trio of

envoys from the UnitedStates had been trying todefuse a long-simmeringdispute over the transition toa democratic government inthe bankrupt little islandnation.Thepoorestcountryinthe Western Hemisphere,Haiti was on the brink ofinvasion if someone did notback off soon. The U.S.delegation, led by formerPresidentJimmyCarter,then-Senator Sam Nunn, and

retiredGeneralColinPowell,had been trying to reasonwith the leadership of themilitary junta that had takenover the tiny nation manymonths earlier. The Haitianmilitaryleadershadtakenthisaction after Haiti’s firstdemocraticelectioninhistoryhad provided them with agovernment that they couldnot tolerate. Unfortunately,this coup had outraged thedemocratic nations in the

hemisphere, with the UnitedStatesatthetopofthelist.What had followed was

one of the more miserableexhibitions of internationalstatecraft in U.S. history.Over two separateAdministrations, theAmerican response seemedtepid and downright timid attimes. The situation becamepositively humiliating in thefall of 1993 when an

American amphibious ship,the USS Barnstable County(LST-1197), loaded withpeacekeeping troops tostabilize the situation, wasdriven off by gun-wieldingdemonstrators (known asattachés, they were theenforcers of the militaryjunta) at the Port-au-Princedocks. Now, almost a yearlater, thingshadfinallycometo a head. The delegation,sentbyPresidentBillClinton,

hadcometotellthejunta,ledby General Raoul Cedras, toeither leave or suffer theconsequences—both personalandmilitary.The exact details of what

was said and done that dayhave never been fullyreleased, but one thing isknown. There was no secretthatavastinvasionforcehadbeenassembledtotakeHaiti,by force if necessary, to

restore the legally electedgovernmentofPresidentJeanBetrandAristide.Then,atthelast possible minute, almosttoo late in fact, GeneralCedrasgave inandagreed toleave peacefully, going intopersonalexile.For most Americans, it is

enoughtoknowthatwhenthetroops of the invasion forcearrived the next day, theywalked in peacefully,

receiving the cheers of agratefulHaitianpopulace.Orwas it that simple? Suchcoercion had hardly workedagainst the likes of ManuelNoriega and SaddamHussein. They had paid theprice for their decisionswithdemonstrations of Americanarms that had cost one ofthem his country andfreedom, and the other theability to freely trade andmake war on his neighbors.

Perhaps General Cedras hadbeen smart enough to watchCNNandlearnafewlessons.Perhaps, but it is also likelythathetookthetimetolistento a few friendly words ofadvice from General Powell.Now what, you might wellask,couldhavebeensaidlatethat Sunday night to makeGeneralCedrasgivein?Well,howabout:“Theyarealreadyin the air, the entire divisionisontheway.”

“They” was the 82ndAirborneDivision, andwhenGeneralPowellsaidtheentiredivision, hewasnot kidding.For the first time since theSecond World War, nearlytheentire82ndAirbornewasin the air with all itsequipment. Spread amongalmost 150 C-130 HerculesandC-141Starlifter transportaircraft, all three combatbrigadeswere already on theway to drop zones around

Port-au-Prince.46 ThedivisionwassettoachievebyforcewhatworldopinionandUnited Nations resolutionscould never achieve. Perhapsmost of all, General Cedraswas given a basic choice ofhis future. Either retire to aplush existence off the coastofPanama,orbetakentotheship’s brig of USS Wasp(LHD-1), alreadywaiting offthecoastofHaiti.Cedraswas

noted forbeinga smartman,andthereputationofthatleadunit, the 82nd, probably wasenough to tell him whichoptionheldthemostpleasantpossibilities. In Grenada,Panama, and the PersianGulf, the 82nd had led theway for American force ofarms.Infact,thecommitmentof the 82nd is usually a signthattheUnitedStatesisreallyseriousabout itscommitmentto a particular situation. So

Cedras left into his self-imposed exile, and the 82ndreturned home, to get readyfor the next time. They hadwonHaition their reputationalone.Whatkindofunithassuch

power to deter the intentionsof dictator or strongman?This is the question that wewill attempt to answer asweget to know the 82ndAirborne Division and its

supporting units in thischapter. In doing so, I hopethat you will come tounderstand, as I do, whyAmerica needs at least oneunit like the 82nd. To go,when necessary, wherediplomacy and reason havefailed and only a show offorce will do. But perhapseven more importantly, tomake those who oppose thewilloftheU.S.andouralliesthink twice before they act.

Because in its own way, the82ndAirborneDivision is asmuch a deterrent force as athermonuclear warhead on aballistic missile or an H-bomb dropped from a stealthbomber.

TheAll-Americans:ATraditionofBattle

Youdonotforgeareputationovernight; it take years ofeffort and lots of hardexperience.Thishasbeentheroad for the troopers of the82nd: hard and bloody.Nevertheless, theirs is areputation that has beenearnedthehardway,anditisgood enough to scare peopleinto not wanting to fightthem. However, to fullyunderstandwhyfolksfeelthisway,weneedtotakeaquick

tripbackintothepasttolookat the history of the 82ndAirborne Division’s “All-Americans.”Thedreamofassaultingan

enemystrongpoint“fromtheclouds”—that is to say, ofusing the air as a verticalextension of the battlefield—is probably as old asmankind.We are all familiarwith the ancient legend ofDaedalus, who fashioned a

pair of wings so he couldlaunchhimself into theair toreachSicily;nor is it hard toimagine some prehistoriccave dwellerwatching a birdof prey descend upon anunsuspecting rodent, andwishing he could duplicatethat nifty stunt the next timehis tribe raided those loutishNeanderthals across theglacier.Unfortunatelyforourprimitive tactician, it wouldtake a hundred centuries of

technological advances—specifically, themore or lessconcurrent development ofthewarplaneandthefree-fallparachute duringWorldWarI—forhisdreamtobecomeareality.As I related in the first

chapter, it wasColonel BillyMitchell, thecolorfulheadofair operations for theAmerican Expeditionaryforces in World War I, who

led the way with creativeairbornethinkinginthelatterdaysofwar.Thecloseofthewar not only suspended hisinnovative operations, butalso put the idea ofdeveloping a permanent airinfantry in suspension for ageneration—here in theUnitedStates,thatis.Europe was a different

storythough.By1930Russiahad introduced parachute

units intoitsarmyandhonedtheir jump techniques inextensive training exercises.In 1935 and 1936 the RedArmy conducted a series ofspectacular and widelypublicized airbornemaneuvers, in onedemonstration awing aninvitedaudienceofEuropeandiplomats and militaryobservers by dropping morethan five thousand men—abrigade-sized group—in a

single simulated air assault.This so impressed the headsof the embryonic GermanLuftwaffe that they quicklyopened a military jumpschool outside Berlin andbegan training an eliteparatrooper, orFallschirmjaeger,corps.Around the same time, the

French and Italian armiesbegan experimenting withtheir own airborne units as

well.Ofallthemajornationsthat would fight the SecondWorld War in Europe, onlythe Americans and Britishlagged behind in developingparachute infantry units.However, their efforts werejolted into high gear byHitler’s Blitzkrieg conquestsofNorwayandHollandinthespring of 1940, in which hisparatroopcorpswasacriticalelement. By the followingyear, German parachute and

air-landingunitswereabletotaketheentireislandofCretefrom Commonwealth forceswithalmostnoassistance.This is where Bill Lee,

who I described in the thirdchapter, came into play. Leehad been gently butpersistentlybeennudging theWarDepartmenttoinitiateitsown airborne program. Hehad seen combat in Franceduring World War I, and

while serving as a militaryattaché in Germany, hadobserved the earlydemonstrations of itsFallshirmjaeger unitsfirsthand.Afterhereturnedtothe States, Lee served as aninstructor at Fort Benning,and then was transferred totheChief of Infantry’s officein Washington. There hefinally convinced hissuperiors to establish an all-volunteer test platoon of

paratroopers.EquippedbytheAirCorps and earning flyingpay of thirty dollars permonth (the average enlistedman made half that), theywould be stationed at Lee’soldhomebase,FortBenning.Thesmallcadreofjumpers

was so tremendouslysuccessful that—again withsome arm-twisting from Lee—it was expanded tobattalion size by the fall of

1940andchristenedthe501stParachute Infantry Battalion.As the conflict in Europeescalated andAmerica beganto mobilize for possibleinvolvement, Lee was givenauthorization to create threemoreparatroopbattalions,the502nd, 503rd and 504th,which rapidly grew into sixregiments after PearlHarbor.In June of 1942, now-Brigadier General Leereturned from a trip to

England with word that theBritish Army was manningand readying an airbornedivision for action, andstrongly recommended thatthe United States do thesame. Shortly afterward, notone, but two existing regularinfantry divisions would bereshaped into airbornedivisions—the101stand the82nd. In keeping with theconcept that paratroop unitswere best employed as a

quick-strike assault force,thesewouldbestripped-downdivisions of 8,300men each,not quite half the size of anormal “leg” infantrydivision. They would bemade up of three infantryregiments(initiallytwogliderandoneparachute,amixthatwould soon be reversed) inaddition to antiaircraft,antitank, artillery, and othersupportunits.

Command of the 101stwent to Bill Lee, theirrepressible prime moverbehind the airborne program.Though the 101 st had seenlittleactionintheGreatWar,and was not yet fullyreactivated, it had, in Lee’sownwords,“nohistory,butarendezvous with destiny.”The 82nd, by contrast, wasalready something of amilitary legend, having beeninvolved in some of the

roughest combat in the FirstWorld War. The 82ndInfantry Division had spentmore time on the front linesthan any other Americandivision during the GreatWar. Known as the “All-American” Division becauseits fighting men were drawnfrom all states of the Union,the 82nd had given ourcountry one of its mostrenowned war heroes,SergeantAlvinC.York.This

pacifistTennesseegunslingerhad received the Medal ofHonor for single-handedlydefeating an entire Germanbattalion, and was portrayedby Gary Cooper in thefamous film Sergeant York.Deactivated after the Treatyof Versailles, the 82nd wasreactivatedafterPearlHarbor.By the summer of 1942, the82ndwasstationedinmurky,mosquito-ridden CampClaiborne, Louisiana. It was

there that the division, stillnicknamed the All-American(though it was now almostentirely manned byvolunteers from SouthernNational Guard units),completed basic trainingunder the eye of its newlyappointed commandingofficer, General MatthewRidgway, a straight-at-you,chin-out patriot and formerWest Pointer who washimselftobecomeatowering

figure in the history ofAmerica’sarmedservices.By the first chill of

autumn, the 82nd had beenshifted over from CampClaibornetoFortBragg,nearFayetteville, North Carolina,whereitremainsbasedtothepresent day. Fort Bragg wasmarginally more hospitablethan the unit’s previoushome, and located near PopeField, where its assigned air

transportunit,the52ndTroopCarrier Wing, was based.After a rough adjustmentperiod during which theexacting Ridgway fixed anumber of organizationalproblems and shuffled anumber of key personnel,advanced jump training gotunderway for the fullyassembled division.Over thenext several months twoparachute infantry regiments,the 504th and, shortly

afterward,theyounger505th,were moved from FortBenning in Georgia to FortBragg. Command of the504th went to LieutenantColonel Reuben H. Tucker,whileColonel (laterGeneral)James M. Gavin, Bill Lee’sformer plans and trainingofficer,wasmadeCO of the505th.Like Ridgway, these men

would become famous for

their dynamic personalitiesandheroicexploitsduringthewar. In fact, the independent,steel-backboned, Brooklyn-born “Jumpin’ Jim” Gavinwould instill suchapowerfulesprit de corps in his troopsthat theywouldhavea toughtime integratingwith the restof the82nd.The505thhadareputation for being asrowdilyarrogantastheywerecourageous and superblytrained. Though an intense

rivalry would developbetween their units, Tuckerand Gavin shared theconviction that a goodcommanding officer had toplacehimselfat thecenteroftheactionwithhismen.Bothdid exactly that time andagain as the war ground on,beginning with the 82nd’schaotictrialbyfireduringtheinvasion of Sicily in June1943, code-named OperationHusky.

After a great deal ofwrangling among high-levelplanners, many of whomwereenormouslyskepticalofthe untested airborne and itsstrategicvalueincombat, the82ndhadbeen relegated to asupporting role in theoverallscheme of the invasion:blocking any counterattackupon the flanks ofamphibious U.S. forces asthey made their beachlandings in theGulf ofGela,

and then linking up withelementsofTerryAllen’s1stInfantry Division (the “BigRed One”) to await furtherorders.The paratroopers found

themselves plagued withdifficulties from the get-go.The division’s trainingexercises in North Africawere rushed anddisorganized. Its pre-stagingbase in Oujda, French

Morocco,wasahellishoven,where the tent camps werebesieged with aggressiveblackfliesthesizeofcherriesandscouringwindblowndustthat caked in the eyes, nose,and throat of every man.During one of the trainingjumps,thedesertsiroccoshadwhipped up to over 30mph/48kphandscatteredthetroopers across the desert.Dozens of the trooperssufferedmultiple injuriesand

fractures. Their situation didnot improve when thedivision was shipped to amakeshiftairbaseinKairoun,Tunisia,inpreparationfortheassault. In that Muslim city,where thousands of thedevoted were interred intombs barely two feetunderground, the air stankofcenturies-old human rot, andmorale began to falter. Also,the dysentery many of thetroopers contracted from

drinking taintedwater hardlyimproved their situation.Only the start of the Sicilianinvasionimprovedthings.Theassaultcommencedon

thenightof June10th, 1943.Bolstered by a singlebattalion of the 504th,Gavin’s505th ledoff for the82nd on D-Day, while theremaining two battalions ofthe504thcooledtheirheelsinKairun. There they awaited

word that they could jumpinto so-called “friendlyterritory” already seized bythe 505th. However, thingsquickly began to go wrongforGavinandhismen.Entiresquadrons of the trooptransports missed theirlandmarks and took incorrectheadingstotheirtargets.Thiswas in large part becausetheir transport crews lackednight-flying experience. Inaddition, high winds caused

other planes to breakformationandovershoottheirDZs, scattering the troopersalloverSicily.Someofthem—including Gavin himself—woundupwellbehindenemylines. Lost, out of contactwith their officers, littlegroups of paratroopers (theLGOPs that we talked aboutearlier) wandered around theisland for days, conductingimprovised commando-styleraidsas theysearchedfor the

Alliedfrontlines.Amazingly,they probably did moredamage to the Axis effort inSicily by these raids thantaking their original plannedobjectiveswouldhavedone.Badas the initialdrophad

been, even greatercatastrophe befell Tucker’s504onthenightofD-Day+1.While Ridgway had arguedfor the regiment’s C-47transport planes to fly a

course that would take themaround the ground andnavalforces massed at thebeachhead,hewasoverruled,and the long aerial columnwas instead routed over thetwo thousand vessels of theinvasion fleet. To ensure asafecorridorfortheparatroopdrop, Allied units wereordered to refrainfromfiringat aircraft under anycircumstances.ButLuftwaffeairstrikes had been harassing

American and British troopssince early that morning,pounding the beaches andscoring hits on the transportand supply vessels. Nerveswere on edge, and as the504th approached the beachslightly ahead of schedule,somebody down belowopened fire. Within seconds,antiaircraft batterieseverywherewerelettingloosewith everything they had.Reuben Tucker’s own C-47

transport took over onethousand direct hits, and theparatroopers aboard wereforcedtobailoutintohellish,swirling constellations ofAAA fire. Tuckermiraculously survived—along with most of histroopers. Others did not fareas well. Nearly half theplanes that launched fromNorth Africa were hit,twenty-three of them nevermaking it back to base.

Thirty-seven others sustainedserious damage. Thecombined casualties amongthe paratroopers and airmennumbered in excess of 300.Three days after the twodisastrous drops, only 3,024of the 5,307 troops the 82ndtook into Sicily wereaccounted for. The tragicfailureoftheseoperationsnotonlydevastatedthedivision’salready sagging morale, butcast a shadowover its future

viability in combat. Thingsweresoontochange,though.Once the division had

returned to its base in NorthAfrica, Ridgway rapidlybegan to apply the hard-wonlessons of Operation Husky.Transport and coordinationprocedures were changed sothat drop accuracy would beimproved and the disastrous“friendly fire” incident onD+1 would not be repeated.

Pathfinder unitswere createdand equipped to help guidethe transport aircraft to theirdropzones(DZs).Equipmentwas also improved,particularlyantitankweapons.British 6-pounder/57mmantitank guns were added tothe division’s equipment,though the anemic American“bazooka” would be acontinued failure for anotheryear.Onethingthathadgoneright for the paratroops was

their performance once theyhadhittheground.Nolessanauthority than GeneralGeorge Patton was full ofpraise for their fightingabilities and spirit. Theywouldneed it for thecominginvasion of the Italianmainland, OperationAvalanche.Anumberofdifferentstaff

proposals were made for theemployment of the division,

butintheendthe82ndwouldbe used to close a dangerous10-mile/16-kilometer gapbetween British andAmerican ground forces atSalerno.Threeregiments(the504th,505th,and509th)withalltheirgearweredroppedonthe night of September 14th,1943, with excellent results.The lessons from Sicily hadbeen rapidly applied, and the82nd took all of its assignedobjectives. Unfortunately,

various units of the 82ndwound up paying for theirexcellent performance bybeingheldonthelineinItalylong after their airbornemissionshadbeencompleted.As a result, many superblytrained paratroops wound upbeing killed in worthlessfirefights.Even more disturbing was

the use of the 504th as anassault infantry unit during

thedisastrousAnzio invasionnear Rome in early 1944.Onceagain,theparatroopsofthe 82ndwere used in a rolethat regular infantry unitswould have been perfectlyadequate for. Other than anumber of needlesscasualties, the only effect ofthe Anzio campaign on the82ndwastodenythedivisionthe use of the 504th for theupcominginvasionofFrance.

The invasionofNormandyinJuneof1944wastobetheformal validation of airbornewarfare for the Allies. Threefull divisions of airbornetroops (the American 82ndand 101st, as well as theBritish6th)wouldbedroppedbehind the Normandybeachhead in the hours justbeforeandafter the landings.Theideawasthattheairborneunits would block theadvance of counterattacking

German forces into thevulnerableAlliedunitsonthefive landing beaches whilethey gathered their strength.Some Allied leaders,especially the testy BritishAir Marshal Leigh-Mallory,tried to have the dropcanceledforfearoftheheavycasualties that might occur.Fortunately, GeneralEisenhower realized theneedto get maximum combatpower on the ground as

quickly as possible, and thedropswereon.For the Normandy

invasion, the 82nd wasassigned the tough job oftakingandholdingaseriesofroads and crossroads behindthe Utah beachhead. It wasgoing to be a tough target.The famous German “DesertFox,” Field Marshall ErwinRommel, had personallysupervised the anti-invasion

measures, and numerousobstacles had been laid tospecifically defeat airborneoperations.Largenumbersoflow-lying fields had beenflooded to drown heavilyladen paratroops when theylanded, and “Rommel’sAsparagus” (thick polestopped with barbed wireand/or mines) had beenplanted in fields to destroygliders. Despite all theseenemypreparations, the drop

planswentforward,andwerereadybyearlyJune.The night of the June

5th/6th, 1944, was anightmarish one for both thetroopersofthe82ndandtheirGerman opponents. Badweatherhaddelayed thestartof D-Day twenty-four hoursuntiljustaftermidnightofthe5th.Evenwith thedelay, theweather conditions werebarely adequate for the

invasion to begin. The worsteffects were reserved for thetroopers of the airborneassault, whose aircraftbecamehopelesslymixedandlost over Normandy. It wasthe nightmare of Sicily allover again as all threeregiments of the 82nd (the505th,507th,and508th)werescattered in the darkness.Some of the transport crewsflew all the way acrossNormandy, dumping their

loads of paratroops into thesea to drown. The worstdisaster was to befall acompanyof the505th,whichovershot its drop zone andlanded in the middle of thetown square in Sainte-Mère-Eglise. German troops,coincidentally fighting a firethere, massacred theAmerican troopers in theirchutes. The next day, the505thfoughtnotonlytotakethe town, but to recover the

bodies of their deadcomrades.All around Normandy,

mixed LGOPs, sometimescontainingtroopersfromboththe82ndand101st,foughttotake objectives, and hold thelinewhiletheinvasiontroopsfoughttheirwayofftheUtahand Omaha beach-heads. Byafternoon, though, help wasonthewayintheformofthe325th Glider Infantry

Regiment,which swooped into reinforce the division.Despitesomeheavylossesofgliders to obstacles, most ofthe regiment made it downsafely, and began to help inthegatheringfight.The82ndwould be in continuousdeployment for the nextthirty-three days, sustainingcasualtiesequalto46percentof thetrooperswhohadbeendispatched to France. Onceagain, thedivisionhad found

that success was rewardedwith more combat. Theirunrivaled tactical skillon thebattlefield kept themcommittedtobattlelongafterthey should have beenreturned to England fortraining and refitting.However,theyhaddonetheirjob well, and the fears ofthose likeLeigh-Mallory hadbeen proven groundless, inspite of the problems duringthedrop.

Lieutenant General JamesGavin, America’s greatestAirborne leader. Even today,“Slim Jim” Gavin is thestandard by which allAirborne officers aremeasured.OFFICIAL U.S. ARMYPHOTOBy the time the 82nd and

101st had made good their

losses and had regained theircombat edge, it wasmidsummer.Bynow,GeneralPatton’s Third Army hadfinally broken out of theNormandy bridgehead, andwas racing, along with otherBritishandAmericanarmies,tothepre-warbordersofNaziGermany. During this time,there were almost a dozenseparate plans to use theairborne forces, now formedintotheFirstAirborneArmy,

toassistintheefforttofinishoff Germany. Unfortunately,theAlliedforcesweredrivingso fast thatnoneof theplanscould be executed in time.Opportunity awaited, though,in the polder country ofHolland.In September 1944, the

82ndplayed a crucial part inOperation Market Garden, ajoint American-Britishattempt to penetrate the

SiegfriedLinealonganarrowfront extending throughBelgium, Holland, and theNorth German plains. Theplan was ambitious not onlyin its aim of driving thewartoBerlin in a single decisiveattack,butalso inconcept: Itwas to be the first truestrategic use of airbornetroopsby theAlliedmilitary,calling for parachute andglider troops to land deepbehindenemylinesandseize

five major bridges (and anumber of other objectives)inHolland, laying a “carpet”of paratroops across theRhine for the rapidlyadvancingunitsoftheBritishXXX Corps. Unfortunately,the Market Garden plan wasterribly flawed, resulting inatragic setback for Alliedhopes of ending the war in1944. Some of the flawsresulted from an overlyambitious schedule for the

groundforces,whichwere togo over 60 miles/97kilometers injust twotofourdays over a single exposedroad.Also, theoperationwasconceived and launched injust seven days, allowing anumber of oversights to slipinto the final details of theMarketGardenplan.ThentheBritishstaffofFieldMarshalMontgomery, which wasplanning Market Garden,ignored a number of

intelligence reports fromunderground and Signalsources that the plannedinvasionroutewasarestareafor German units beingrefitted. When MarketGarden started, it turned intoa bloodbath for the threeairborne divisions involved(the 82nd, 101st, and British1st, along with a brigade ofPolishparatroops).While the initial drops on

September 17th went well,things began to go quicklywrong. Several of the keybridges in the south nearEindhoven (covered by the101st) were demolished,requiringthegroundforcestorebuild them, causing delays.Then the paratroops of theBritish 1st Para Division inthe north at Arnheim foundthattheyhaddroppedrightontop of a pair of Waffen SSPanzerdivisions (the9thand

10th) which had beenrefitting. Only a singlebattalionmadeittotheRhinebridges, where it wasdestroyed several days later.In themiddle section aroundNijmegen and Grave, thingswentabitbetterforthe82nd,commanded by now-GeneralGavin. The division tookmost of the objectivesassigned, though it failed totakethebridgeoverthelowerRhine near Nijmegen.

Finally, in a desperate bid totake the bridge and clear theway for XXX Corps torelieve thebesiegedBritish1st Paras at Arnheim, Gavintook a bold gamble onSeptember 20th. Borrowingboats from XXX Corps, heordered Colonel Tucker’s504th Regiment to make acrossing of the river, so thatthe bridge could be takenfrom both ends at once. LedbyMajorJulianCook,several

companiesofthe504thmadethe crossing under amurderous fire, linking upwithBritishtanksfromXXXCorps, taking the bridgeintact. Unfortunately, it wasall for naught. XXX CorpswasunabletogettoArnheim,and the remnants of theBritish 1st Paras wereevacuated.Thousands of Allied

paratroops had been shot

down for an operation thatwould never have beenattempted had better staffplanning been present. The82nd, though, had done anoutstanding job, and Gavinwas clearly the rising star ofthe American airbornecommunity.Afterholdingthearea around Nijmegen for afew weeks, the 82nd, alongwith the 101st, returned tonew bases near Paris for awell-deserved refit and rest.

Though Market Garden hadresulted in heavy losses forthe airborne corps and fallenwell short of its goal, theoperation had left no doubtabout the 82nd’s combatefficiency.AsGeneralGavinpointed out, the valiant menof the division accomplishedall of their major tacticalobjectives, held firm againstevery counteroffensive theenemythrewatthem,securedthe key Nijmegen bridge in

one of the war’s legendarybattles,and liberatedachunkoftheNetherlandsthatwouldeventually become thestaginggroundfortheAllies’final strikes into Germany.The airborne had at lastgotten the vindication itdeserved.Therewouldbeonemore battle for the 82nd,though.On December 16th, 1944,

the Germans counterattacked

in the Ardennes Forest inLuxembourg, trying to driveto Antwerp and split theAlliedforcesinhalf.47Thinlyheld, the Ardennes wascovered by low cloud andfog, making Allied airpoweruseless. Unfortunately,General Eisenhower, thesupreme Allied commander,had only two divisions inreserve to commit to thebattle: the 82nd and 101st.

With most of the Alliedairborne leadership away onChristmas leave, it fell onGeneral Gavin to commandthetwodivisions,andgetthemost out of them. Movinginto Luxembourg in trucks,Gavin emplaced the 101st ina town at the junction of anumber of roads: Bastogne.Under the command of the101st Division’s artillerycommander, BrigadierGeneral Tony McAuliffe,

they were to make alegendary stand against theGermans.Atonepoint,whenordered to surrender,McAuliffe replied with auniquely American response:“Nuts!”Eventually,Bastogneand the 101st were relievedby General Patton’s ThirdArmyonDecember26th.Famous as the fight of the

101stwas, it fell to the82ndto stop the really powerful

wing of the Germanoffensive. Gavin moved theAll-Americanstothenorthernshoulder of the Germanpenetration.There,aroundtheBelgian townofWerbomont,Gavin deployed his fourregiments into a “fortifiedgooseegg,”ordering them todig in and hold theGermansat all costs. Equippedwith anew weapon, a capturedsupply of German-madePanzerfaust antitank rockets,

the division held off theattacks of four Waffen SSPanzer divisions, bluntingtheir attacks long enough forreinforcements to arrive andthe weather to clear so thatAlliedairpowercoulddestroytheGermanforces.The82ndwould spend a total of twomonths fighting in the worstwinterweatheronrecord,butit stopped the Germans coldwhenitcounted.

Now, having fought itsfifth major battle in justeighteenmonths, thedivisionwasagainpulledbacktorefit.Though there was a plan todropthe82ndintoBerlin,thewar ended before the plan,Operation Eclipse, could beexecuted. At the end ofWorldWar II, all but two ofAmerica’sairbornedivisions,the 11th and the 82nd, weredeactivated, with the formerremainingonoccupationduty

in Japan, and the All-Americans coming home toAmerican soil, and a heroes’welcome, in the summer of1945. Ithadbeenahardwarfor the All-Americans, butthey had forged a reputationfor battle that still shinestoday.Although airborne

operations played only alimited role in the KoreanWar,itwasduringthatperiod

that the concept ofairmobility—the idea thataircraft could deliver,support,andevacuategroundtroops in remote andinhospitable terrain—begantoevolve.Thisevolutiontookagiant leap forwardwith thedevelopment of rotary-wingaircraft(helicopters)andtheirextensive use in the steamyjunglesofVietnam.By1963,CH-21 Shawnee transporthelicopters and their

successors,thefamedUH-1B“Hueys,” had alreadyconductednumerousmissionsin Southeast Asia, but itwould take another yearbefore the Army’s upper-echelon strategists grew tohave full confidence in theairmobile concept—and thenonly because of thedetermination of two men:JimGavinandGeneralHarryKinnard.

A seasoned World War IIveteran and airbornecommander, Kinnard haddropped as a lieutenantcolonelwiththe101st,servedas the Division operationsofficer for the defense ofBastogne, earned theDistinguished Service Crossforhisvalor,andattainedtherankoffullcolonelwhilestillunder the age of thirty.During the 1950s he andGavin became strong

proponents of the helicopteras a tactical and logisticalcombataircraft.In 1963, Kinnard was

chosen to head theexperimental11thAirAssaultDivision and determinewhether his airmobiletheories would hold up inpractice.Thetestcamewithagrueling, month-long seriesof war games with the 82ndAirborne—whose soldiers

were matched against the11th’s and its UH-1 troopcarriers and gunships—thatwere conducted across threestatesandnearly fivemillionacres of ground. In virtuallyevery mock conflict with itscrack opposition force, thetrial 11th Division came outon top. Airmobility hadfinally gained acceptanceamong the top brass. As aresult, the 11th AAD (Test)was redesignated the 1st Air

CavalryDivisionandquicklydeployed to Vietnam. The82nd’s3rdBrigadeandotherunits soon followed—asairmobileratherthanairbornetroops.Unlike the rest of the

Army, however, the 82ndstubbornly upheld itstraditions,remainingtheonlyU.S. military organization toinsistthatall itspersonnelbejump-qualified: a capability

that has served the divisionwellinrecenttimes.Thishasbeen evidenced with itssuccessful performance inseveral airborne operations,including Operation JustCause (the December 1989mission to oust GeneralManuel Antonio NoriegafromPanama).Alongwithmaintaining its

airborne tradition, the 82ndhas also remained the U.S.

Army’s premier infantryforce on the ground.Althoughnoparachuteswereseen over the skies of thePersian Gulf region duringthe 82nd’s hasty deploymentduringDesertShieldin1990,itseliteattitudeserveditwellwhileholdingthe“lineinthesand” at the vanguard ofmassing Coalition troops.While many of the veteransof thedivision’s2ndBrigade(built around the 325th

Airborne Infantry Regiment)considered themselves just“speed bumps” for SaddamHussein’s T-72 tanks, theyheldthelinewhiletherestofthe Allied coalition cametogether. Later, they wentalong with the rest of XVIIIAirborne Corps into Iraq,guarding the left flankof thecoalition.Finally, therewas thedrop

that almost happened:

Operation UpholdDemocracy.Thiswastohavebeen the three-brigade dropinto Haiti which I describedat the beginning of thischapter. Had it gone off, itwould have been the biggestairborne operation sinceMarketGarden.Howeveryoulook at it, the 82nd is stillreadytodowhatevertheyareasked.Currently the 82nd is

designated as America’squick-response ground force,and continues to beheadquartered at Fort Bragg.It is prepared to be self-sustaining for seventy-twohoursaftercrisisdeployment,and has its own artillery,engineer, signal, intelligence,and military police aviation.With the proliferation ofregionalconflictsonthepost-Cold War map, and theemergence ofAirLandBattle

doctrines synchronizingtacticalair-groundoperations,itiscertainthatthe82ndwillbe an indispensablecomponent of our militarypresence well into the nextcentury. Now, let’s get toknow the All-Americans astheyaretoday.

The82ndAirborne

Division:America’sFireBrigade

Down the road from theXVIII Airborne CorpsheadquartersatFortBragg isan even bigger and moreornate building. Here, on ahill overlooking the rest ofthe base, is the nerve centerof America’s own firebrigade, the 82nd Airborne

Division. Security is tighthere,perhapsevenmorethanat the Corps headquarters.However, once you arepassed through the securitydesk, you arrive in a worldwhere the history andtraditionwashoveryoulikeatide. Everywhere, there arememoriesofthe82nd’smanybattles and actions. Battlestreamers hang from flags,andcombatphotosandprintsare on everywall. This is an

impressive place because,while everymilitary unit hasa headquarters, few have atradition like the AllAmericans of the 82ndAirborneDivision. The 82ndis a division that has done itall. From fighting in bothWorld Wars, to having beeninvolvedinalmosteveryU.S.military contingency andconfrontationsinceVJDay.Up on the second floor is

theofficeofthecommandinggeneral and divisionalsergeantmajor,theleadersofthis most elite of Americanground units. Interestingly,myfirstvisitherefoundtheiroffices unoccupied. This ishardly unusual, though. Theleadership of the 82nd isunique in the Army for itslackofrufflesandflourishes.There is also an image touphold. The 82nd is famousforneverhaving lost abattle

or given up an inch ofground, whatever the cost.One of the prices of thisreputation has been theextremely high casualty rateamong senior officers withinthe division. Another is thatevery officer who can walk,and some who cannot, isexpected to lead the fightfromthefront.DuringtheD-Dayinvasion,thecommanderof the 2nd Battalion of the505th Parachute Regiment,

Lieutenant Colonel BenVandervoot,brokehis legonlanding. Riding in acommandeered pushcart, heled his regiment for weeksbefore admitting himself fortreatment. Similarly, thedivision commander duringOperationMarketGarden,theimmortal General JamesGavin,foughttheentirebattlewith a cracked spine, whichhefractureduponlandingthefirstday.

These heroics are not justbravado, though. The natureof airborne warfare requiresthat leadership during theinitial phases come from thefront. For this reason, youalways find the divisioncommander being the firstone out of the jump doorduringaparachuteassault.Asamatteroffact,thiswashowIcame tomeet thedivision’scommandinggeneral (CG) inmid- 1996. Late one

afternoon,while touring FortBragg, I was informed that“the CG wishes to have thepleasure of your company atdinnertonight.”Aftermakingsure that I was not theplanned entrée, I quicklyRSVP’d, and continued mytour.ThiswashowIcametobe seated in the rear of a C-130E Hercules cargo aircraftof the 23rd Wing over atPopeAFBearlythatevening.Wondering what was up, I

foundmy curiosity rewardeda few minutes later whenabout fifty paratroopers infull gear started marchingaboard,movingpastmetositdown along the four rows offolding red-cloth-coveredseats.Oncetheywereseated,a HMMWV rolled up, andoutcametheCGof the82ndAirborne Division, MajorGeneral George A. Crocker,USA.Assoonashestrodeuptherampandsatdownnextto

me, the flight crew startedengines and we headed intothe air, followed by severalother C-130s.Once airborne,we began to talk over thenoise of the four bigturboprops,andIgottoknowsomethingaboutthisleanandlankyman.Born in 1943, George

Allen Crocker is a native ofRusselville, Arkansas. Agraduate ofWest Point, with

a master’s degree ineducation from DukeUniversity, he looks andsounds like a very seriousman.Witheyes likeaneagleandavoicelikeatruckfullofgravel, he is one of thecurrentgenerationofdivisionandcorpscommanderswhoseVietnam experience came tothem as young lieutenantsandcaptains.Along theway,he managed to pick up aSilver Star, three Bronze

Stars, and a PurpleHeart forhisserviceincombat.Priortojoiningthe82ndastheCGinMarch of 1995, he had donenumeroustoursallaroundtheArmy, with an emphasis onairborneoperations.

(Then)MajorGeneralGeorgeCrocker (left) speaks with

Major General MichaelSherfield (right), theCommanding Officer of theU.S. Army’s Joint ReadinessTraining Center. GeneralCrockerwas theCommanderof the 82nd AirborneDivisionin1995and1996.OFFICIAL U.S. ARMYPHOTOHis tour at FortBragg has

been a busy one, though notnecessarily for the reasons

thathewouldlike.Duringhistenure, hehasbeen forced todealwithastormofpublicityabout racial problems withinhis division. Nevertheless,GeneralCrocker isno rookiein dealing with suchproblems, and has gone alongwaytowardshealingthewounds with the public andthe country that the 82ndserves.Healsoisamanwholoves to lead by example. Ifound this out about twenty

minutes into our flight whenhegotupandsaid,“Seeyouatdinner!”Then,donninghisownparachuterig,heledtheparatroops (yes, he was firstout of the door!) in a mockassault onto a Fort Braggdropzoneforadelegationofcommunity and businessleaders watching on theground. The amazing thingwas that he did this withaboutasmuchconcernforhissafetyasImighthavegetting

intomycaranddrivingtothemarket for groceries! Laterthat eveningoverdinner in atentontheDZ,whenIaskedhimhowmanysuchjumpshehad made in his career, hepulled a notebook from hispocket and calmlycommented,“Oh...abouttwohundred and fifty ... andcould you pass me the steaksauce,please?”

The82ndToday:AGuidedTour

The 82nd Airborne iscurrently configured as anormal “triangular” militaryforce, which means that themajor units are designed tobreak down into threes. Forexample, the division canbreak into three equallypowerful brigade task forces.

Inturn,eachofthesebrigadescan further divide into a trioof reinforced battalions. Thistriangular system has beenstandard in the U.S. ArmysincetheSecondWorldWar.It provides a maximum offlexibilityforthedivisionandcorpscommanders,aswellasthe National CommandAuthorities (NCAs).However, before we get toodeeply em-broiled inorganization charts and unit

designations, it is importantthat you understand some ofthe standard building blocksthatmakeupa standardU.S.Armyinfantryunit.

An organization chart of the82ndAirborneDivision.JACKRYANENTERPRISES,LTD.,BYLAURAALPHERTheprimarybuildingblock

ofanyairborneunitisthefireteam.This isafour-manunitwhich provides the basicmaneuver unit for theairborne, and all the otherinfantryunitsintheArmy.Afireteamiscomposedof twotroopers armed with basic

M16A2 combat rifles,another with an M16A2equipped with an M20340mm grenade launcher, andafourthwithanM249SquadAutomatic Weapon (SAW).Mines, hand grenades, andAT-4 rocket launcherswouldalso be carried, dependingupon the mission and theestablished rules ofengagement (ROE). Usuallyled by a sergeant (E-5), thefire teamis theresultofover

two centuries of infantrytactical development in theU.S., and is the mostpowerful unit of its kind inthe world today. With threecombatrifles,alightmachinegun, and a grenade launcher,the fire teamcangenerateanincredible amount of lethalfirepower, and still be bothmobile and agile. Perhapsevenmoreimportantly,everyteam member has a weaponfiring common NATO-

standard 5.56mmammunition, which greatlysimplifies the logistics chainall the way up to Corps.Whendeployed,thefireteamtends towork inpairs (muchlikefighterplanesincombat),with one M16A2-armedtrooperbeingpairedwith theSAW gunner, and the otherbeing paired with thegrenadier.If you pair up two fire

teams and give them acommand element consistingof a staff sergeant (E-6—known as a squad leader),then you have an infantrysquad. Now things begin toget a little more involved. Ifyou combine three squadsandaweaponssquadunderalieutenant (O-½) and firstsergeant (E-5), along with aradio operator and forwardobserver, you get an infantryplatoon. The weapons squad

is normally made up of twoM240G 7.62mm mediummachine gun teams, as wellas a pair of Javelin (startingin 1997 these will begin toreplace the oldDragon) anti-tank/bunker missile teams.This gives the platoon theability to engage armor, laydown suppressive fire, or toengagetargetsatgoodranges.This is the smallest unit thatwould normally have a radioandGPS receiver, aswell as

some sort of transport like aHMMWV to act as acommand/resupplyvehicle.Take three infantry

platoons and give them acommand element composedof a captain (O-3), commandsergeant (E-8), a pair of60mm mortar teams, and asmallcommandstaff,andyouget an infantry company.Properly laid out, a companymight hold a line between

500—1,000 meters/550—1,100yardsinlength.Thenextstepistobuildan

infantry battalion, which iscomposed of three of theaforementioned infantrycompanies (usuallydesignated“A”through“C”),andananti-armor,or“Delta”(“D”) company. The Deltacompanyisusuallycomposedof five platoon-sized units,each of which has a mix of

weapons mounted onHMMWVs. These includeM2.50-calibermachineguns,Mk 19 40mm automaticgrenade launchers, andTOWantitank missile launchers.The anti-armor company isalso equipped with four81mm mortars to provideorganic fire support for thebattalion. This unit (withabout 600+ troopers) wouldbe commanded by alieutenant colonel, and he

wouldbe assistedby abattlestaff equipped for round-the-clock operations, as well asthe necessarycommunications to work aspart of a brigade task force.Alongwiththepersonnelandtheir weapons would be ahandful of vehicles(HMMWVs and five-tontrucks), as well as the staffand equipment needed toestablish a small tacticaloperations center (TOC).

Usuallyabrigadeismadeupofthreeinfantrybattalions,anartillery battalion, a supportbattalion,anaviationelement,as well as some otherattached units. More on thislater. With our lesson ininfantry building blockscompleted,itistimeforustobegin our tour of the 82ndAirborneDivision.We’ll start our tour with

the command section of the

Headquarters andHeadquarters Company(HHC). This is the nervecenter for the division, andtheprimarysourceoftaskingfor the various units in the“All-Americans.” Normallybased at the divisionheadquarters, theHHCformsthe staff for the 82nd’s TOCwhen deployed to the field.The HHC is formed into atypical staff structure ofnumbered sections. These

include:G-1-PersonnelG-2-IntelligenceG-3-Operations,Planning, andTrainingG-4-LogisticsandSupport

The core of the division’scombat power is resident in

the three organic infantryregiments assigned to the82nd.Thesearethe504thand505th Parachute InfantryRegiments (PIRs), and the325th Airborne InfantryRegiment (AIR). All share acommonheritagedatingbackto the massive airborneoperations of World War II.By the way, if you arewondering about thedifferenceinthenames,thereis a story behind that. The

504thand505thhavealwaysbeenparachuteinfantryunits.The 325th, though, wasoriginally formed as one ofthe glider infantry units thatwentintobattlewiththe82ndand101st.Therefore, inspiteof the fact that all threeregimentsare jump-qualified,the 325th is called anairborne, not parachute,regiment. There is a bit ofresentmentinthe325thaboutthis,andtroopersofthe504th

and 505th like to kid themabout “riding” into combat.Such is the mystique of the82nd that two words,“airborne” and “parachute,”canstillarouseemotionsfivedecades after the last combatgliderlanding.An infantryregiment (with

about twenty-two hundredtroopers) is composed ofthreeinfantrybattalions.Eachregiment is headed by a

colonel(O-6),whoisassistedbyacommandsergeantmajor(E-8/9) as well as an HHCstaff. They also provide thebrigade task forces with thebulkoftheirHHCstaffwhenthosearedeployedforaction.This is why each regimentalcommander is “dual hatted”with the extra job ofcommanding a brigade taskforce as well. Currently, the1stBrigadeofthe82nd(1/82)contains the 504th PIR, the

2/82 the 325th AIR, and the2/82the505thPIR.The three infantry

regimentsprovidethecoreofthe brigades. In addition, thedivision has a number ofotherorganicunitsthatcanbeused to provide additionalcombat power and capabilitytothebrigades.Someoftheseinclude:• 82nd Airborne DivisionalArtillery (DIVARTY):

This unit provides artillerysupport for the threebrigade task forces. The82nd DIVARTY iscomposed of the 319thAirborne Field ArtilleryRegiment (319 AFAR) anHHC and three artillerybattalions: 1/319, 2/319,and 3/319, each composedof three battery (with sixguns per battery) of M119105mmtowedhowitzers.Inaddition, each battalion is

equipped with a TPQ-36Fire-finder counterbatteryradars. Each brigade isnormally assigned onebattalionofM119s.

• 82nd Aviation Brigade:The aviation brigadeprovidesthedivisionwithabase of aviation supportthat also can be parceledout to the brigades.Currently, the aviationbrigade of the 82nd iscomposed of the following

units:1st Squadron of the 17thCavalry Regiment (1/17):This is a unit of OH-58DKiowa Warrior scout/light-attackhelicopters assigned toprovide the division withreconnaissance services.Composed of three troopseach with eight aircraft, the1/17 is a tiny but powerfulunit thatcaneitheractas thedivision’s eyes (by using its

onboardMastMountedSightand target-hand-off systems),or claws (with Hellfire andStinger missiles, as well asrockets and machine guns).1st Battalion of the 82ndAviation Brigade (1/82):Also composed of threetroops of OH-58D KiowaWarriors (each with eightaircraft),the1/82isprimarilyan attack unit. It was onlyrecentlyconvertedovertotheOH-58D, having previously

flown the now-obsolete AH-1F Cobra attack helicopter.2nd Battalion of the 82ndAviation Brigade (2/82):This is a utility unitcomposed of three aviationcompanies.CompaniesAandB are each equipped withfifteen UH-60L Blackhawkutility/transport helicopters.Company C is a “pickup”unit, equipped with six UH-60Ls set up for generalsupport and casualty

evacuation, three other UH-60Ls configuredwith specialradiogeartoactascommandand control aircraft for thedivision and brigadecommanders, and three EH-60 Quick Fix electronicwarfarehelicopters.When the division breaks

up intobrigades, theaviationbrigade can be broken downto provide an aviationcomponent for each. Since it

is rare for the division todeploymorethantwobrigadetask forces at a time, theaviationbrigadeusuallygiveseach one battalion/squadronofOH-58Ds, and a companyof UH-60Ls, along with asplit of the aircraft of 2/82’sCompanyC.• 82nd Airborne DivisionSupport Command(DISCOM): The 82ndDISCOMisabrigade-sized

element that provides thedivision with logistical,medical, and maintenancesupport. The 82ndDISCOM can be spit intothree equally sized andmatched brigade supportelements, each assigned toone of the brigade taskforces.

•82ndSignalBattalion:The82nd’s signal battalionprovides the division withcommunications equipment

and services (includingcryptographic and satellitecommunications). Alongwithbeingabletosupportadivisional command post(CP), the unit can createthreetaskorganizedsignalscompanies,oneofwhichisassigned to each brigadetaskforce.

•307thEngineerBattalion:The 307th provides the82nd with a variety ofcombat engineering

servicesandcapabilities.Inaddition to being able toconstruct revetments,berms, and defensivepositions, the 307th candeploy and clearminefields, repair runways,build bridges and bunkers,and provide specializedcombat demolitionsservices, such as clearingobstacles with bangaloretorpedoes and otherexplosivedevices.

•313thMilitaryIntelligence(MI)Battalion: The 313thisthedivision’sorganicMIasset. It is equipped withlinks to all the majornational intelligenceservices (CentralIntelligence Agency,National Imagery andMapping Agency, NationalSecurityAgency,etc.).Thisallows the 313th to act asan all-source supplier forthe entire division, or the

variousbrigade taskforces.Inadditiontohavingaccessto national sources, the313th contains significantsignals andcommunicationsintelligence assets,includingEH-60QuickFixhelicopters, ground-basedsensors, and otherequipment. Within severalyears,the313thwillalsobeable to control the newfamily of unmanned aerial

vehicles(UAVs).• 3rd Battalion of the 4thAir Defense Artillery(ADA) Regiment: The3/4th provides air defenseand early warning servicesfor the division. BasedaroundtheStingerweaponssystem (with bothAvengerand MANPAD fire units),the 3/4th is composed ofthreeADAcompanies.OneADA company is assignedto each brigade task force,

as well as a pair of air-defense/surveillanceradars.

•82ndMilitaryPolice(MP)Company: To providetraffic control, prisoner ofwar (POW) handling, andsecurity services for thebrigades, the 82nd MPCompanycansplitintofourMPplatoons.

•82ndChemicalCompany:Withthethreatofchemicalandbiologicalattackonourtroops growing every day,

the82ndhasbeenassignedan organic chemicalwarfarecompany.Equippedwith chemical warfarevehicles, as well aslaboratory anddecontaminationequipment, this companycan also be broken intoplatoons for assignment tothebrigadetaskforces.

Now some of you who

might be familiar with thehistory of the 82ndAirborneareprobablysaying,“Clancy,you forgot the tanks!” Well,actually, I have not, and thisleads us to one of theunpleasant developments inthe structure of the division.The tanks that I am referringto are, of course, the three-decade-old M551 Sheridansthat have equipped the 3rdBattalion of the 73rdArmored Regiment (3/73),

the only airborne armoredunit in the U.S. Army.Unfortunately, by the timeyouarereadingthis,the3/73will likelybenomore.AsofJuly1st,1997,theArmywilldisestablish the 3/73, andarmored support for thetroopers of the 82nd will beno more. Frankly, thisdecision is just downrightstupid.Ithadbeenplannedthatthe

3/73wouldbeequippedwiththe new M8 Armored GunSystem(AGS).Armedwithasuperb 105mm automaticcannon and clad with a newgeneration of compositearmor, theAGSwas to havebecome the backbone of the3/73 Armored and the 2ndArmored Cavalry Regiment(Light) (ACR [L]). Thecontractor, United DefenseSystems,wasonscheduleandcost,andthe3/73wasdueto

stand up with the newsystemsonOctober1st,1997.Unfortunately, the need tosupport the expensivepeacekeeping operations inplaceslikeBosnia,Haiti,andRwanda caused the topleadership of the Army tocanceltheAGSprogram,andreprogramthefunds.Frankly,given the small size of theAGSprogram,thiswasabaddecision. Unfortunately,without any replacement for

the M551, the same Armyleaders moved from baddecision-making to outrightstupidity when they decidedto stand down the 3/73Armored, thus denying the82nd even the services of 66thirty-year-old obsolete lighttanks.Allegedly, there is an

HMMWV-mounted versionofthehypervelocityLine-Of-Sight Anti-Tank (LOSAT)

antiarmor system. It will beyears, though, until LOSATbecomes operational, andthere are rumors that thosesame Army leaders maycancel this system as well.Right now, the only plan togetarmortothe82ndwhenitdeploysistoflyitinwithC-17GlobemasterIIIs.Moreonthis later. Frankly, though,someone near the office ofthe Army’s Chief of Staffneeds to take a hard look at

howmuch is being spent onsystems that don’t directlysupport infantry units, andthink about being a bit moreeven-handed. Itwould take aminimal amount of money(by Department of Defensestandards) to restart theAGSprogram. I will close thiscommentarybysimplysayingthat the cost of not doing somay be a lot of deadparatroops.Enoughsaid.

GettingThere:SupportingUnits

Ifyouhavebeenreadinganyof the earlier books of thisseries,youknowthatnoU.S.military unit goes into actionthese days without a lot ofhelp from supporting units.The 82nd is no exception tothisrule,andactuallyrequiresa lot more help than an

equivalent Marineamphibious or Air Forcecombat unit. Unfortunately,without the assistance of AirForce transport aircraft, the82nd cannot even get off oftherampatPopeAFB,muchless sustain operations in thefield. In addition, because offorce structure changes likethe deactivation of the 3/73Armored, the 82ndsometimes requires someaugmentation to give it the

necessary combat muscle tosurvive in the field. We’regoing to explore thosesupporting units, and showyou how theymake airbornewarfare possible in thesemoderntimes.

GroundMuscle:TheXVIIIAirborneCorps

GeneralKeaneunderstandsthatevenaneliteinfantryunit

like the 82nd Airbornesometimes needs a little helpfrom its friends, and is readyto use all of the resources ofXVIII Airborne Corps tomakeGeneralCrocker’sjobabiteasier.To thisend,XVIIIAirborne Corps has a vastarray of units to draw fromwhen the 82nd needs a littlehelp. Some of the morecommonattachmentsinclude:• 18th Aviation Brigade:

One of the biggest needsthat the 82nd may requirewillbeadditionalantiarmorand transport helicoptercapability. To supply this,the 18th Aviation Brigadecan be tasked to provideunitsuptobattalionsizeofAH-64 Apache attackhelicopters, and CH-47DChinook heavy-lifthelicopters.

• XVIII Airborne CorpsFieldArtillery:Itisalittle

known fact that the 82ndhasapermanentlyassignedbattalion of towed M 198155mmhowitzers from theXVIIIAirborneCorpsFieldArtillery. This battalion,made up of three batteriesofeightguns (with their5-ton trucks as primemovers), gives the 82nd ausable counterbatterycapability against enemyartillery. Normally, eachbrigade of the 82nd is

assigned one eight-gunbattery of M198s. Inaddition, should it berequired,additionalunitsofM198s could be assigned.Finally, the XVIII CorpsField Artillery is equippedwithM270armoredcarriersfor the Multiple LaunchRocket System (MLRS)and Army Tactical MissileSystem(A-TACMS).Thesesystems can provide avirtual “steel rain” for the

paratroopers, if the corpscommanders decide it isnecessary.

• 108th Air DefenseBrigade:WhiletheorganicStinger/AvengerSAMunitsgive the 82nd a good air-defensecapability,thelocalthreat level may requireeven more firepower. Forexample, the enemy mayhave a large number ofaircraft, or be equippedwith ballistic missiles like

the notorious SCUD thatwas used during DesertStorm. Should additionalhelp be required, XVIIIAirborne Corps can assignelements of the 108th AirDefense Brigade to assistthe 82nd. Thesereinforcements can includeadditional Stinger/Avengerunits, as well as extra airdefense /control radar sets.However, for the reallyserious threats

(ballistic/cruise missiles,etc.), the 108th can sendbatteries of the famousPatriot SAM system todefend the area. Recently,the advanced PAC-2missiles thatwere the starsofDesert Storm have beenaugmented by a newmissile, the LockheedMartin Loral-built PAC-3ExtendedRangeInterceptor(ERINT).This newmissileis designed to defeat

ballisticandcruisemissilesat longer ranges than thePAC-2, and will be mixedin the launcher units toprovidefullcoverageofthebattlefield.

• 3rd Infantry Division(Mechanized): As Imentioned earlier, with thedisestablishmentofthe3/73Armored, the 82ndwill nolonger have any sort ofarmored vehicles in itsinventory. However, there

are plans afoot to providethe 82nd with a limitedamount of armored power,in the form of the RapidReaction Company (RRC)ofthe3rdInfantryDivision(Mechanized).

The RRCwas created inthe aftermathof thedisastrousfirefight in

Mogadishu,Somalia, inlate 1993.Prior to thefight whichkilled over adozenAmericanRangers andaircrew, theSomali TaskForcecommanderhad requested

that he besupplied witharmoredvehicles (tanksand infantryfightingvehicles) andartillery.However, inone of themore idioticdecisions of afailed tenureasSecretaryof

Defense, LesAspin deniedthe task forcethe armoredmuscle thatmight haveallowed U.S.forces to savesome of themen that diedinthefirefight.When wordbroke aboutthe denial of

weaponry, thepress andpublic eruptedatthedecision,which wasreminiscent ofthesamekindsof denials thathadbeenmadeby LyndonJohnsonduring theVietnam War.Aspinresigned

shortlythereafter, andthe Armyimmediatelymoved torectify theshortcomings.Down at

Fort Stewart,Georgia, the24th InfantryDivision(Mechanized),

now reflaggedas the 3rdInfantryDivision(Mechanized),wasordered toform a smallcompany-sizedunit of fourM1A1Abramsmain battletanks and fourM2A2BradleyInfantry

FightingVehicles.Along with afew othercommand andsupplyvehicles, theforce, dubbedthe RRC, wasflown toMogadishu byAir Force C-5Galaxy heavytransports,

where theyserved untilthe pullout.Today, theRRC hasbecome apermanentpartof the XVIIIAirborneCorps plan forsupporting the82nd shouldthey needarmored

muscle in thefield. Today,the RRCstands on analert status,ready to beflown intoevenunimprovedairstripsbythenew C-17GlobemasterIIIs beingintroduced by

theAirForce.However,

the RRCconcept hastwoweaknessesthat will haveto be dealtwith. First,there is thequestion ofwhether theAir Force is

willing to risktheir C-17s,which costabout $300millionacopy,to thehazardous jobof flyingarmoredvehicles into apotentially“hot” airhead.This questioniscompounded

when youconsider thatthe 3/73 hadover fiftyM551Sheridans,whiletheRRChas only fourtanks and fourBradleys. Thisis a poorsolution atbest, but iscurrently the

onlyoptionforthe 82nd if itreally needsarmoredfirepower inthefield.

These various attachmentsmean that an airborne taskforce from the 82nd can betailored to meet most anykind of threat that it mightencounter. While there arereal concerns about getting

the 82nd’s troopers somekind of armored support intheearlystagesofanairborneassault, the mix of weaponsand personnel is fairly goodagainstmostkindsof threats.The big problem is gettingthem to the battle area, andthatisthejoboftheU.S.AirForce(USAF).

Transportation:TheAirForce

Itgoeswithout saying thatwithout transport aircraft, the82nd Airborne Divisioncannot even get off theground. For this reason, the82nd has formed a series ofstrong bonds with certainUSAF units around thecountry.Alloftheseunitsareassigned either to the AirCombat Command (ACC,headquartered at LangleyAFB, Virginia) or the AirMobility Command (AMC,

basedatScottAFB,Illinois).These USAF elementsprovide a variety of supportservices for the 82ndAirborne Division as well asthe other units of the XVIIIAirborne Corps. Withoutthem, the components of thecorpswouldnotevenbeableto leave the United States.While any number of USAFunits are capable ofsupporting these operations,the following are the most

commonly assigned to thetask:• 23rd Wing (the “FlyingTigers”):The23rdWingisacompositeunit,similartothe 366th Wing atMountain Home AFB inIdaho.48 Unlike the 366th,which is optimized forstrike and air superiorityoperations, the 23rd iscomposed of theatertransport and close air

support/forward air control(CAS/FAC) aircraft. The23rd is specificallydesignedtoactasapartnerfor the 82nd AirborneDivision, which lies justover the fence at FortBragg. Composed of twofightersquadronsofA/OA-10A Warthogs (the 74thwith eighteen aircraft andthe 75th with twenty-four)andtwoairliftsquadronsofC-130Es (the 2nd and 41st

eachwitheighteenaircraft),the 23rd can provideenough ready transport toget an airborne battaliontask force into theair foralocal mission (say, within1,500 miles/2,400kilometers of Fort Bragg),while additional airliftassets can be gathered tostart moving other parts ofthe division. Along withhelpinggetanairbornetaskforce to their target and

supplying them, theWarthogs of the 74th and75thFighterSquadronscanalso deploy to the combatzone to provide CAS/FACsupport.Whileallthissoundsreally

neat, there are significantchanges coming for theFlying Tigers (yes, these arethe direct descendants of theoldChina hands fromWorldWar II) in 1997. There had

originallybeenasquadronofF-16FightingFalcons assigned to the 23rdto help provide fightersupport.However,thesewereeliminatedafterafatalmidaircollision /crash between a23rd F-16 and C-130. Thefatalities came when theflamingwreckageoftheF-16fell intoaC-141 loadedwith82nd paratroops on the PopeAFBramp,killingorinjuring

dozens. More recently,though, theUSAF leadershipdecided to return control ofall the C-130s from ACC toAMC. The idea is that thiswill put all of America’sairlift assets under oneorganization, simplifying theprocessofgettingpeopleandstuff overseas in anemergency. This will meanthat thewing and PopeAFBwill change ownership onApril 1st, 1997, to AMC.

Once this happens, the planshave the airlift squadronsbecoming part of the new43rd Airlift Wing, and thetwo A/OA-10 squadronsbecoming the 23rd FighterGroup,whichwillbeanACCtenant unit at Pope AFB.Whatever happens, though,plan on seeing therelationship between theUSAFunitsatPopeAFBandthe 82nd continuing for theforeseeablefuture.

• 347thWing: The 347th atMoody AFB, Georgia, isanother composite unit,though with a slightlydifferent flavor than the23rd.The347thisdesignedto work with the 3rdInfantry Division(Mechanized) at FortStewart, Georgia. The347th’s focus is on CASand interdiction strikes,withonlyaminoremphasisonairlift.Thus,youfindthe

347th composed of twofighter squadrons of F-16CFighting Falcons (the 68thand 69th with twenty-fouraircraft each), a fightersquadron of A/OA-lOAs(the 70th with twenty-fouraircraft), and an airliftsquadron of C-130Es (the52nd with eighteen birds).Like the 23rd, the 347th isdesigned to rapidly moveinto a theater of operationsand set up support

operations within a matterofhours.

•314thAirliftWing:Whilethe 23rd Wing can get abattalionortwooftroopersinto the air, they lack thenumbersofC-130stomovetheentiredivision.For thattrick (as was requiredduring the planned Haitiandrop), the 82nd normallycallsthe314thAirliftWingdown at Little Rock AFB,Arkansas. The 314th has

fourfullairliftsquadronsoffactory-fresh C-130Hs (the50th,53rd,61st,and62nd),enough to lift three entirebrigades of troops (this isthe entire division) in onelift if the 23rd helps out.This is an extremely well-run unit that has derived alot of benefit by beingbased at the same locationas the USAF’s CombatAerialDeliverySchool, theC-130 post-graduate tactics

school.•437thAirliftWing:C-130sarenice,buttomovereallyheavy stuff (likebig trucksand 155mm M198howitzers)orlotsofpeopleto the other side of theworld, you need the heavyiron: C-17A GlobemasterIIIsandC-141BStarlifters.The 437th is just the unitfor the job, being the firstUSAF unit to field the C-17. Located at Charleston

AFB, South Carolina, the437th is a wing intransition. Originallyequipped as the primaryEastCoastC-141unit, it isright now divided evenlywith two airlift squadronsofC-17s(the14thand17th,with a total of 24 aircraft),and two of C-141 Bs (the15thand16thwithsome35birds). In theevent that the82nd needs the 3rdDivision’s RRC, it will

probably be the 437th thatwilldrawthedeliveryduty.Currentplanshavethe15thconvertingovertoC-17sin1997 and 1998, with the16thASasthelastinlinetobe converted. This isbecausethe16thistheonlyC-141 unit in the USAFthat has special operationscapabilities built into theiraircraft. These speciallyconfiguredStarlifters(thereare just a handful with

qualified crews) can berecognized by their FLIRsensorswhich aremountedin special mounts on thenose. Inside, these special-141 are equipped witharmor plate, specialnavigation andcommunications gear, androomforanextrapilotandnavigator. This gives thecrews of the 16th AS theability to fly low-levelcovert penetrationmissions

at intercontinental ranges,andthendelivertheircargowithextremeprecision.

•305thAirMobilityWing:The 305th, which is basedout of McGuire AFB inNewJersey,issomethingofa “swing” unit in AMC.This four-squadronwing isdesignedtosupportamajoroverseas deployment byproviding both cargo-carrying capacity and in-flight refueling services

while deploying. Ascurrently structured, the305th has two airliftsquadrons of C-141BStarlifters(the6thand13th,each with sixteen aircraft)aswellas twoair refuelingsquadrons of KC-10AExtender tankers (the 2ndand 32nd with ten birdseach). This is a powerfulcombination, with enoughrefueling capacity, cargostowage, and personnel

space,whencombinedwiththeaircraftof the437th, todo a full division drop onthe other side of theworldin a single lift.Once there,the KC-10s can offer arobust refueling force forthe aircraft in the theater,whatever nation they maybe from.Thisunit isa truenationalresource.

•CharterAircraft/CivilAirReserve Fleet (CRAF):Every now and again, life

throws you a lucky break.Back in August of 1990,when the 82nd’s 2ndBrigade deployed as thefirstgroundunit intoSaudiArabia during DesertShield,theydidnothavetofight their way in. Instead,the 2nd Brigade trooperswalked aboard a bunch ofchartered jumbo jets,weapons and all, and flewto the Dhahran air base inair-conditionedluxury.This

is, perhaps, the ultimateexample of a “permissive”entry by airborne forcesintoatheaterofoperations.Today, commercial charteraircraftremainanimportanttransport option for U.S.forces deploying overseas.The series of deploymentstoKuwaitoverthepastfewyears have all usedcommercial charters,because they are cheap forthe taxpayers, comfortable

for the troops, andwonderfully profitable forthe airlines that sell theentire plane flight at full“pop”tothegovernment.Theflipsideof thecharter

business is theCRAF,whichwascreatedtoprovideafleetofairlinersandcargoaircraftfor times of nationalemergency.Theseaircraftareowned by airlines, butsubsidizedbytheDepartment

ofDefense.Thismeansthatifa suitable crisis breaks out,the President can order aphased CRAF activation toprovide extra airlift capacitywhen and where it isrequired. Thus far, the onlytime the CRAF has beenactivated was during the1990/1991 Persian Gulfcrisis. However, CRAFremains available to deployunits like the 82nd, should apermissive entry option, like

Saudi Arabia in 1990, beavailabletoU.S.forces.

There are, of course,

numerous other USAF unitsthat might be committed tosupporting a deployment bythe 82nd. Everything from“Global Power—GlobalReach” strikes by B-52s, B-1Bs, or B-2As to additionalair superiority aircraft couldbe assigned to the mission,

depending upon therequirements. Whatever isrequired,though,countontheUSAFtofindawaytogettheairborne task force to thetarget, keep them supplied,andkeepthemprotected.

OtherServices:TheNavyandMarines49

In addition to the AirForce, the services from the

Department of the Navy canfrequently provide aid andsupport for an airborne taskforceonceitisontheground.Oneofthemostusefulthingsthat the Navy and MarineCorps cando for the82nd isto relieve them. Morespecifically,theycanbringinfollow-onforcesandsuppliessothatthe82ndcanfinishitsjob, be packed up, and senthomeonce thoseheavierandmoresuitableunitsarriveand

takeover.Thisisparticularlycritical in overseas situationslike those encountered in theMiddle East. Sometimes thehelpcancomeintheformofoneof theNavyAmphibiousReady Groups (ARGs)carrying a MarineExpeditionary Unit (SpecialOperations Capable) (MEU[SOC]). Another situationmight have an airborne taskforce taking a port/airfieldfacility and holding it open

foraMaritimePrepositioningSquadron (MPS) that cansupply and equip a fly-inArmy or Marine unit. Eitherway, the stores aboard theships can be used by theairborne troopers to augmenttheir own meager supplies.This is what happened whenthe 2nd Brigade troopersbegantodrawonthesuppliesof a Navy MPS from DiegoGarciain1990.Inadditiontoequipping a Marine

regimental combat teamcomplete with armor andaircraft, the MPS shipsprovidedtheairbornesoldierswitheverythingfromfuelandwatertoMREs.

NationalAgencies:SpooksandSupport

Youwouldhaveneededtobe on the other side of thesolar system to not know

about the informationrevolution that has swept theplanet over the last twodecades.Sincethecreationofthe first lightweightcomputers and satellitecommunications systems, thearmed forces have developedan insatiable hunger for anever-increasing flow of dataaboutthebattlefieldstheyareon, and the world aroundthem. In addition to civiliansources like CNN, MSNBC,

SkyNET, and otherworldwide news-gatheringservices,thereareavarietyofnational agencies that canspeedvitalandtimelydatatoan airborne task forcecommander.Along with the signals

intelligence of the NationalSecurity Agency’s fleet ofelectronic ferret aircraft andsatellites, there is a newagency designed to support

the warfighter in getting aproper flow of map andimagery data on thebattlefield. Called theNational Imagery andMappingAgency (NIMA), itisaconglomerationoftheoldDefense Mapping Agencyand Central Imaging Office,withpiecesfromtheNationalReconnaissance Office,National PhotographicIntelligence Center, andDefenseIntelligenceAgency.

Whatthisallmeansisthatanairborne task forcecommander can now makejust one phone call to get allof the photos andmaps of aparticular area that thetroopers will require. NIMAspecializes in rapidlygeneratingmapsand imageryof an area, and then quicklydistributing the materials tothe users. Sometimes, thiswill involve shipping severaltons of maps and photos on

pallets for the troops. Othertimes, the imagery may betransmitted via the SpaceWarfighting Center inColorado Springs, Colorado,through satellite links to abrigade or division TOC.However it gets there,though,therapidflowofthisdata is going to represent avital combat edge to theairborne warfighter in the21stcentury.

ForeignFriends:JointInternationalSupport

It’s nice to have friends,especially when they comefrom other nations. In thepost-Cold War world, takingmilitary action without atleastoneinternationalpartnerisagoodway towinduponthe losing end of aninternational embargo. Ifyoudoubt this, just ask GeneralCedras or Saddam Hussein.

Today, American nationalleaderswouldgenerallynevergo into a crisis area withoutsome sort of internationalconsensus, and preferably aUnited Nations resolution ortwo. In addition, there are afew countries that cancontribute forces to anairbornetaskforcethatcouldbe genuinely useful. TheUnited Kingdom, France,Germany, and the RussianRepublicarejustsomeofthe

nations thatwould contributeairborne units of battalionsize or larger to a U.S.-ledeffort. Along with airborneunits, these samenations canalso contribute airlifttransport to the effort. Forexample, during DesertShield/Storm, over a half-dozennationssuppliedC-130Hercules transports to theCoalition theater airlift pool.In the future, it is possiblethat you might see Russian

Aeroflot 11-76 jet transportsdropping supplies to anAmericanairbornebrigade inthe field! Stranger thingshavehappened in the last tenyears, and one can onlywonderwhatthenexttenwillshow us in the way ofcoalition warfare. Likepolitics here in the U.S.,international politics makesforstrangebedfellows.

BuildingtheAll-AmericanTeam

Now that I’ve shownyou allthe building blocks of anairborne task force, let’s putonetogether,justthewaythefolksatthe82ndAirbornedoit. The troopers of the 82nd,like most other units in theU.S. Army, fight in brigadetask forces. These are units

with between three thousandand forty-five hundredpersonnel, as well as thenecessary equipment toaccomplish their missions.The 82nd has the necessaryunits to form three suchbrigades, and this is how thedivision forms to fight.Normally, each airbornebrigade task force iscomposed of the followingcomponentunits:

•AbrigadeHHC.• A parachute or airborneinfantryregiment.

• A brigade support elementcomposed of a forwardsupportbattalion.

•AbattalionofM119105mmhowitzers.

• A battery of eight M 198155mmhowitzers from theXVIII Airborne CorpsArtillery.

• An aviation component oftwo troops of OH-58D

Kiowa Warriors, acompany of UH-60LBlackhawks, and one ortwo EH- 60 Quick Fixhelicopters.

• One company each ofsignals, engineering,military intelligence, andair defense personnel andequipment.

• Platoons of both militarypoliceandchemicaltroops.

• Other attached fire supportand special operations

units.

Each brigade is

commanded by the colonelwho runs the core airborne/parachute regiment. Put allthese pieces together in thetime-tested82ndmethod,andyou have a force capable oftaking down and holding avariety of different targets.Someoftheseinclude:

An organization chart ofBrigadeTask Force from the82ndAirborneDivision.JACK RYANENTERPRISESLTD., BYLAURAALPHER

• Internationalairports andmilitaryairbases.• Port, rail, andother transportationfacilities.• Oil drilling and

productionfacilities.• Bridges, viaducts,androadroutes.• Ballistic-missile,chemical,biological, or otherweaponsfacilities.• Refugee campsand other areasrequiringpeacekeepingand/or protectionforces.

Theseare justafewof the

things that airborne forcescan take and hold until theyare relieved by moreconventional forces. Morelikely, though, is somethingthat has not even beenimaginedyet.Thisisbecausethe inherent flexibility ofairborne forces to rapidlygetinto an area and take controlisveryhigh.Thispointalone

gives the airborne a lot ofdeterrence value against thebadguysaroundtheworld.

The82ndWayofWar:OperationRoyalDragon

By now you are probablywonderingjusthowallofthis

comes together for thetroopers of a brigade taskforce.Well, toget some ideaof just how it does cometogether, I took the time toobserve the largestpeacetimeairborne exercise since theend of the Second WorldWar, Operation RoyalDragon. Royal Dragon waspartofamuchlargerexercisebeingrunbytheU.S.AtlanticCommand (USACOM), theprimary packager of U.S.

military forces for overseasoperations. Code-namedCombined Joint Task ForceExerciseʼ96(CJTFEX96),itwas run between April 25thand May 20th, 1996, alongthe mid-Atlantic seaboard.Over 53,000 personnel wereinvolved, including thecarrier battle group of theUSS Enterprise (CVN-65),the USS Saipan (LHA-2)ARG, and the 24th MEU(SOC). These forces were

combined into Task Force950, and were practicingamphibious forced-entryprocedurespriortodeployingtotheMediterraneanSeathatsummer. CJTFEX 96 is partof the same series ofexercises thatwefollowed in1995 when the 26th MEU(SOC) was getting ready fortheir Med cruise, andrepresents the final exam fora number of different unitsaroundUSACOM.

For the 82nd Airborne,CJTFEX 96 represented theopportunitytorunadivision-sized drop with roughly thesame numbers of troopersthathadbeenplannedfor theHaitian drop back in 1994.Prior to the Haitian mission,therehadbeenaseriesoftestexercises, known as “BigDrops,” to see if such amission was even possiblewith the downsized airliftforces of the time. Now the

82nd would run asimultaneous three-brigadedrop for real, albeit in anextremelylargeexercise.Theexercise area for RoyalDragon would be the FortBragg training complex westofthemainbase,anditwouldbeabusyplace.Alltold,oversix thousand paratroopswould jump from 133transportaircraftinaseriesofeight night drops over threeseparate drop zones. From

there, the paratroops wouldmove south for threedaysofforce-on-force groundmaneuversagainstaseriesofopposing force (OPFOR)units drawn from the 10thMountain Division and otherunits.Along with the large size

of the drops, anotherinteresting feature of RoyalDragon was the inclusion ofvarious international forces.

A number of naval vesselsfrom around NATO wouldjoinTaskForce950,oractasnaval OPFORs. The bigforeign unit, though, wouldbe the entire British 5thParachute Brigade, whichwould face an OPFORcomposed of a battalion ofworld-famousGurkhas.Morethan one of us in the pre-exercise briefing chuckledand wondered just how fairthat matchup would be! D-

Day for thenaval part of theoperationwouldbeMay10th,but the big day for theparatroops would beWednesday,May15th,1996.Since it would be

impossible to watch all theactionofRoyalDragon,Iwasteamed with the HHCelementof the1stBrigadeofthe 82nd, which would havethebattleinthemiddleoftheFort Bragg exercise. 1 st

Brigade is based around the504thPIR,whichwasRubenTucker’s outfit duringWorldWarII. In Italy, theybecameknown by their Germanopponents as “the Devils inBaggyPants.”Today,theygoby the name of the DevilBrigade.In1996,1stBrigadewas commanded by ColonelDave Petraeus, U.S.A.Known as “Devil-6” by hisfriends and on thecommunications nets, he

actually is Dr. DavidPetraeus, Ph.D. This isbecause he also carries adoctorate in internationalrelations (from Princeton) inaddition to his otherintellectual and militaryachievements. During thesummerof1996,hewasablyassisted in this job byCommand Sergeant MajorVincent Myers, who wasresponsible for looking afterthe welfare and professional

development of the enlistedand non-commissionedtroopersforColonelPetraeus.Facing 1st Brigade during

Royal Dragon would be abrigadeofthe10thMountainDivision from Fort Drum,NewYork.The1stBrigade’smissionwouldbetolandonatraining DZ known asNormandy (each Fort BraggDZ carries the name of afamous airborne battle),

establishanairheadtosustainfurther operations, and thenattacksouthtotakeaseriesofroad junctions and otherobjectives. They would haveonly three days to completethemission, and everymovewouldbewatchedandscoredby judges from XVIIIAirborne Corps andUSACOM. Along with 1stBrigadewould be theBritish5th Paras landing to theirwest in the big Holland DZ,

and another 82nd brigade totheireastintheSicilyDZ.Alltold, it would be the biggestsingle drop event since D-Day,andquiteashow.

Wednesday,May15th,1996

Ihaddrivendownwithmyresearcher John Gresham toget set for the start of RoyalDragon, but things werealready starting to take a

nasty turn. The weather wasgoing bad in a hurry, as aresult of a cold spring stormthat had rolled in from theAtlantic. Nevertheless, thestart of Royal Dragon wasgoingaheaddespitetheheavyrain and fog that haddeveloped. As long as thecloud base stayed above1,000 feet/305 meters abovegroundlevel,thedropswouldgo forward. With this inmind,JohnandIcheckedthe

raingearinourfieldpacksaswe prepared to link up withtheHHCof1stBrigade.We got our first look at

ColonelPetreausandhismenout at the PopeAFB “GreenRamp” that evening.As theyprepared to load up ontotwenty-eight C-130s (withtwenty more for theirequipment and vehicles), weheadedout toHollandDZ towatch the first of the British

dropsat9:00PM/2100hoursthatevening.Bythattime,therainhadsubsided, thoughthecloudbasewasonlyataround2,000 feet/610 meters abovetheground.AlongtheedgeoftheDZwereanumberofourold press friends, here tocoverthislargestofexercises.Already, though,CJTFEX96had been troubled withproblems. The previousFriday, while practicing anight helicopter insertion, an

AH-1W Cobra attackhelicopter and a CH-46Etransport chopper hadcollidedoverCampLeJeune.Over a dozen Marines haddied, and the USACOMexercise controllers weretakingextracarenottorepeatthe accident. With 133transport delivering theirtroops and cargo in a periodof just five hours, the skiesover Fort Bragg were goingtobebusyandfullthisnight.

Precisely at 9:00 PM/2100hours, the curtain on RoyalDragonwent up as flights ofUSAF C-141Bs swept overHolland DZ, dropping theheavy equipment of theBritish 5th Para Brigade.Since theentireexerciseareawas blacked out to simulatereal-worldcombatconditions,Major Mark Wiggins, the82nd’sPublicAffairsOfficer(PAO), had lent us sets ofPVS-7B night-vision goggles

(NVGs) to be able to watchthe drop. Through the eeriegreen readouts of theNVGs,eachof thebig loads silentlysank to the ground under acluster of cargo parachutes.Then,abouttenminutesaftertheheavydrop, severalmorewavesofC-141sarrivedoverthe battlefield, dumpingalmost two thousand BritishParas onto the Holland DZ.Thedropwentwellwithonlyone serious injury, a spinal

andcranialinjurytoonemanwhose chute had streamedduring the jump, landinghimon his head! Amazingly, hesurvived.

Thursday,May16th,1996

In less than an hour, thedrops in the Holland andSicily DZs were completed,and the friendly (“Blue”)forceshadlinkedupandwere

fighting out of their DZtowards the first objectives.Forus,therewouldnowbeathree-hour wait for 1stBrigade to make their jumpinto the Normandy DZ.Unfortunately, the weatherbegan to take a hand. Thecloud base kept droppingcloser to the exerciseminimums, and a heavy foghad settled over the DZ.Visibility was now under1,000 yards/915 meters, and

it was getting hard to seemuch. Finally, at 1:00AM/0100hours,theflightsofC-130sbegantheirequipmentdrops, followed fifteenminutes later by thetransports carrying the 1stBrigade troopers. A numberoftheC-130hadtogoaroundseveral times to make theirdrops, and most of thetroopers were landing over1,000yards/915meters awayfrom us, down at the South

end of the DZ. John and Iwere to have joined up withColonelPetraeusat thistime,but heavy fog prevented ourmeeting. After waiting for awhile with General Keane,who was also observing thedrop, we headed back to theFortBraggPAofficetoawaitanopportunitytojoinupwith1stBrigade.While we slept on

surprisingly comfortable cots

in the PA office that night,the rain came down andturnedtheexerciseareaintoaquagmire of red clay mud.However, it did not stopPetraeus and his men fromgetting down to the businessoftakingtheirfirstobjectives.Having landed near hisplanned impact point at thebottom (southern end) ofNormandyDZ,heassembledwhat troopers he could, andmoved into the tree line to

establish the 1st BrigadeTOC.Despiteonly60percentof 1st Brigade’s troopershaving jumped before theexercise controllers hadcloseddown theDZ,LGOPswere formed and all of theprimaryobjectivesweretakenbeforedawn.Bythetimetherain stoppedand the troopersthathadbeenunable to jumphadbeendeliveredtotheDZ,itwasnoon. Itwasalso timefor us to finally join upwith

1st Brigade, now that MajorWigginshadbeenabletogeta set of GPS coordinates fortheTOC.Driving south through the

Normandy DZ, we watchedC-130s dropping loads offood, water, fuel, and othervitalsupplies for thebrigade.Almostassoonas thepalletshit theground, troopers fromthe forward support battalionwerecrawlingoverthem,and

loading the pallets onto PLStrucks and other vehicles fordelivery to cache sites anddistribution points. Less thantwelvehoursafterthedropinthefog,thebrigadewasfullyon-line and taking the battleto the brigade from the 10thMountain Division (the“Red” or OPFOR force). AswefoundtheBrigadeTOCina grove of trees, ColonelPetraeus and Sergeant MajorMyersgreetedusandoffered

us a lunch of MREs andcoffee. Handing us off toSergeant Major Myers,Colonel Petraeus headed offto take advantage of anintelligencewindfall that hadarrivedwhilewewereeating.Petraeus is a big believer inpatrolling and winning thecounterintelligence battleagainst an opponent, and hiseffortshad justpaidoff.OneofhispatrolshadoverrunthecommandpostofanOPFOR

unit, capturing the entirecommandelementwithallofits valuable planningdocuments. So now Petraeushad the plans for the nexttwenty-four hours ofoperations by the Red force,and he was moving to takeadvantageof theopportunity.While he went to work, thesergeant major took us on atour of the DZ perimeter,which was growing by leapsandbounds.

The sergeant major tookhis personal securityseriously, because enemypatrols had already madeprobing attacks against theTOC the previous night. Sowhile we rode in hisHummer, several othersmounting machine guns andTOW launchers convoyedwithusso thatwewouldnotlook like something thatneededkillingbythetroopersof the 10th Mountain. All

around the Normandy DZ,OH-58Ds were buzzing justover the trees searching fortargets, and transporthelicoptersweremovingunitsandsupplieswheretheyweregoing to be needed. Clearly,an attack was planned forsometime soon, andweweregoingtoseehow1stBrigadedid business.As the sunwassetting,wearrivedbackattheTOC.AnothermealofMREswasgiventous,andtheplan

for the evening wasexplained.Armed with the captured

documents, signals interceptinformation, and scoutingreports from the Red force,Petraeus had planned abreakouttothesouththroughacriticalroadjunctionnearasmall DZ known asCampbell’s Crossroads. Thiswas themain defense line ofthe enemy brigade, and if it

was broken through, thatwould effectively finish theirability to defend against 1stBrigade. The problem wasthat the crossroads waslocated between a pair ofartillery live-fire impactzones, which would not beused for maneuver thateveningwhen the attackwasscheduled. This created afunnel-shaped path that thetroopersofthebrigadewouldhavetoattackdown.Petraeus

was betting that the data hispatrols had collected wasaccurate, and that he couldconcentrateenoughfirepowertokilltheheavyenemyforcesconcentrated at the junction.Justtomakesurethathedid,GeneralCrockerhadassignedhim the RRC from the 3rdInfantry Division(Mechanized), which hadbeendeliveredthatafternoon.Along with a company ofM551 Sheridans (they still

were in service at this time),Devil-6 was planning a hottime for the 10th Mountaintroopslaterthatevening.Petraeus also hit upon an

idea to decoy further enemyforces away from hisattacking units. As relatedearlier, the Red force hadalreadyfoundthe1stBrigadeTOC,andhadattackeditwitha small force of infantry andan attached infantry platoon.

Hoping that theywoulddo itagain in greater strength, hehad the HHC dig deepfighting positions and lay aheavy tangle of barrier wireto stop the expected assault.He then shifted primarycontrol of the brigade’soperations to a force of ahalf-dozen HMMWVsconfiguredasamobileTOC,andmovedthemtothetopofadesertedhill.Fromthere,hewould control the fight from

the front seat of a Hummerwithacoupleofradiosandaplastic-covered 1:50,000scale map from DMA. Itwouldbe littledifferent fromhowRubenTucker had doneitduringMarketGardenoverahalfcenturyago.Around10:00PM,thetwo

attackingbattalionsheadedtothe line of departure withtheir supporting armor, andthebrigade’sforceofartillery

andattackhelicoptersbeganaheavy simulatedbombardment of the Redforce positions around theCampbell DZ crossroads.Now we would just have towaitandseewhathappened.

Friday,May17th,1996

By midnight, it was clearthat 1st Brigade had madeexcellent progress towards

their objective of taking thecrossroads. The artillerystrikes had been scoredhighly effective against theenemypositions,andnowthebrigade’s force of OH-58DKiowaWarriorswasworkingover what was left of theenemy armor and guns withsimulated Hellfire missiles.Thisstillleftabattalion-sizedblockingforce in frontof thecrossroads, and this wouldrequire some deft

maneuvering to defeat. Thenarrow passage between thetwo impact zones made forverylittlemaneuveringroom,though the darkness helpedshield the brigade’s leadinfantry elements as theymoved south. At the sametime, theRed forces stagedaheavy attack on the BrigadeTOC, just as Petraeus hadplanned for. You could seethe smile on the face ofDevil-6asheheardhisHHC

staff fight for their simulatedlives, and win a tough fightagainst the intruding Redforceinfantry.Therestofthefight would take hours tofinish, since the brigade’sinfantry was legging it totheir objectives. As a heavyfog closed over the hilltopTOC, we laid our ponchosdownand tried tograba fewhoursofsleepuntildawn.By the time the sun began

the burn away the fog, wewere up and checking thestatus of the fight. ColonelPetraeus and his staff weretired but happy. The leadunits had taken thecrossroads, after some heavyfighting and the armor andfollow-ontwobattalionswerefanning out from the bottomof the funnel-shaped exittowards the southernboundary road, the final stopline for the brigade. Before

sundownon thisFriday, theywould achieve their goals,completely victorious againstthe tough opposition of the10thMountain’sbrigade.Things had not been so

easy for theBritsover in thewestern part of the exercisearea, though. Their GurkhaOPFOR opponents hadproven extremely tough, andhad even driven them off ofpartoftheHollandDZatone

point! It would take the 5thParas until the end of theexercise on Saturdayafternoon to achieve all oftheir objectives, though theywouldeventuallysucceed.

A map of Operation RoyalDragon inMay 1997 at FortBragg,NC.JACKRYANENTERPRISES,LTD.,BYLAURAALPHERWhen the“ENDEXTime”

signal was issued the nextday,RoyalDragonwasbeingjudgedanunqualifiedsuccessby the USACOM exercisedirectors.TheBlueforceshadbeen faced with bad weatherand a number of difficult

“real world” challenges,whichtheyhadovercome.Allinvolved, including theOPFOR units, had gotten agreat week of time in thefield, with over four days ofsimulated combat time. Bestofall, the82ndhadgottentopractice their trade on amassive scale, proving thecontinued viability ofdivision-sized drops in the1990s. It was both fun andinformative to watch, and a

greatwaytolearnthetradeoftheairborne.Colonel Petraeus and his

troopers would need thepractice, because they wouldshortly be headed into theeighteen-week cycle that isthe core of the brigadelifestyle in the 82nd. We’llexplore thismore in thenextchapter. For now, though, Ihope that our little narrativeof Royal Dragon has taught

you a bit about how theairborne does their deadlyandvitaljob.

DivisionReadyBrigade:EighteenWeeksintheCycle

Whenthereareproblemsintheworld,the

phonealwaysringsfirstatFortBragg.

—MajorMarkWiggins,82ndAirborneDivisionPublicAffairsOfficer

For the airborne troopers ofthe 82nd Airborne Division,troublealwaysseemstocome

inthedarkofnight.Thistimewas no exception. Two daysearlier, onAugust 6th, 1990,at 2300 hours/11:00 PMEastern Daylight Time, thedivision had received a “RedLine” or “Red X-Ray”message. Thiswas to informthem that they had beenplacedonalert forapossibledeployment to Saudi Arabiain response to the Iraqiinvasion of Kuwait a fewdays earlier. The next day,

less thaneighteenhoursafterthe arrival of the alertmessage,thefirstunitsofthe82nd, a battalion of thedivision’s2ndBrigade(325thAirborne InfantryRegiment),were ready to roll. All theyneeded was an order to go.Thatcamequicklyenough.On the other side of the

world, an Americandelegation of top-rankingAdministration and military

leaders were briefingmembers of the Saudi Royalfamily, including KingFahd.50 Viewgraphs wereflipped, satellite photos wereshown, ideasandofferswereputforward.Then,afterjustafewminutesofdeep thought,a profound decision wasreached. U.S. military forceswere to be invited to theKingdom to defend against apossibleIraqiinvasion,andto

help begin the process offreeingKuwaitfromtheholdofSaddamHussein.SecretaryCheney and GeneralSchwarzkopf made phonecalls home to the U.S., andthegreatdeploymentwason.However, Saddam’s forces

were already on the ground,just a few miles/kilometersfrom the Saudi Arabianborder and the oil fields thatwouldclearlybethetargetof

any invasion. The nearestU.S. forces designed for thiskindofdeploymentwereover8,000 miles/12,850kilometers away. The keywould be who could holdcontrol of a handful of airbases and ports in northernSaudi Arabia through whichvirtually all of the Coalitionforceswouldflowinthenextsix months. Clearly, if Iraqhad any sort of ambition fortaking a piece of Saudi

Arabia,theyhadahugeheadstartovertheU.S.forcesthatwould be defending againstaninvasion.TheUnitedStatesandtheir

allies had something just asimportant: forces that weremore agile and mobile thananything Iraq has ever had.Back at Fort Bragg, in theCorps Marshaling Area(CMA, a sealed compoundwhereunits canprepare their

equipmentandthemselvesfora combat deployment), theunits of the 82nd’s 2ndBrigadewereallsettoanswerthecallwhenitcame.Withinminutes, the first unitsboarded buses for the shortride over to the Pope AFBGreen Ramp. There, anumber of chartered jumbojets waited to take them onthe trip to the airfield atDhahran, Saudi Arabia. Justeighteen hours later, the first

of the chartered jets toucheddown, and were personallyguided to a revetment. Then,in a crush of newspaper andtelevision personnel, the firstground troops strode off thejet and headed off to anassemblyarea.Within just a fewhoursof

landing, they would bedigging in north ofDhahran,holding the line for whatwould eventually be a flood

of a half-million personnelfrom America. For the nextfew days, they would be theonlyU.S.groundforcesintheKingdom.Itwasascarytime.The 2ndBrigade had arrivedwith only three days’ rations(MREs,ofcourse!),noheavyarmor, and only whateverammunition they could carryon their backs. Thetemperatureswentupto130°F/54.4° C, forcing thetroopers to drink over eight

gallons/thirty liters of fluidseach day. Three RepublicanGuards Divisions were only60 miles/100 kilometersaway, and the paratroopswryly joked that if the Iraqiscame south, they would belittle more than “speedbumps”!However,theIraqisdidnot

come on August 8th, 1990.Their reasonsremainperhapsthe greatest “what if” of that

entire episode in the PersianGulf. Was it that they hadactually run out of supplies,and needed time to refit andresupply?Orwasaninvasionever one of Saddam’s goals?Wemayneverknowthetruthfor sure.However, one thingis certain. Had the Iraqiscomesouth, theywouldhavebeen engagingAmerican andother Coalition soldiersdefendingthesoilofanationthat had done themno harm.

It would have happened infull view of the world press,causing what became knownas the “CNN effect” sixmonths earlier than iteventuallydid.Troopers of the 82ndAirborneDivisiontrudgeintotheSaudiArabiandesert (therear trooper is carrying amortar base plate) north ofDhahran. During OperationDesertStormthe2ndBrigade

ofthe82ndAirbornewasthefirstU.S.groundunittoreachthe Persian Gulf followingthe Iraqi invasion of KuwaitinAugust1990.OFFICIAL U.S. ARMYPHOTO

In the end, though, thoseRepublican Guards divisionsstayed on their side of theborder, where they wouldhavetowaitsixmoremonthsto be chopped up by ChuckHorner’s airmen and thearmored troopers and attackhelicopters of Fred Franks’sVII Corps. The 82ndAirbornewouldbe there too,though playing a relativelyminor role in the actualfighting. But during those

heart-stoppingdaysinAugustof 1990, the “speed bumps”of the 2nd Brigade of the82ndAirborneDivisionwereall that stood between Iraqand control of 70 percent ofthe world’s known oilreserves.No matter how you view

the results of the 1990/1991militaryactionsinthePersianGulf,onethingiscertain.Therapid deployment of the

82nd’s first units toDhahranwasadefiningmomentinthecrisis. It showed the world,especially Iraq, that Americawas serious about itscommitment to keeping Iraqin check. It also showed thatthe U.S. was capable ofrapidly putting ground forcesinto the theater, albeit oneswith limited weapons andsupplies.These imageshadaheartening effect on ourallies, and probably caused a

pause or two in places likeBaghdad, Amman, andTripoli. Quite simply, therapid deployment of thosefirst airborne troopers mayhave made Saddam blink.Once again, the 82nd hadlikely deterred aggressionagainst an ally, thoughperhaps only by a narrowmargin.In the Persian Gulf, the

narrow margin was their

deployment speed. Theabilityofthe82ndtogofromacoldstarttohavingthefirstcombat unit in the air inunder eighteen hours is theirvital edge. The famousConfederate cavalry leaderGeneral Nathan BedfordForrest is supposed to havesaid that victory goes to thecombatant “that gets therefirstest with the mostest.”Today,the82ndisAmerica’sliving embodiment of this

classic concept. When theAll-Americans go off to acrisis, they do so leaner,meaner, and faster thanalmost any other unit in theU.S.military. They do pay aprice for their strategicmobility in terms offirepower and sustainability,butthepayoffistheabilitytobeatthebadguysintoacrisiszone. In a time whenappearances (at least ontelevision) are frequently

more important than reality,getting there first can be asimportant as victory itself.Sometimes,itisvictory!Havingshownyouhowthe

82ndisconstructedaswellashow it gets towar, it is timeto finally show you how thewhole concept comestogether: the Division ReadyBrigade and the eighteen-week/eighteen-houroperationalcyclesthatarethe

cornerstones. When you arefinished, I think you willunderstand why the 82nd issorespectedbyourallies,andfearedbyourenemies.

DivisionReadyBrigade:The82nd

ConceptofOperations

To understand the 82ndAirborne Division’s rapidabilitytodeploy,youneedtoaccept a few little rules thatmightbeconsideredthe“fineprint” of airborne warfare.First, you do not normallymove an entire airbornedivision (over 16,000personnel) all at once. It canbe done, but it takes days ofplanning and preparation,something usually lacking ina crisis situation. The next

point is that since youprobably will not have days,but just hours to react to afast-breaking situation, youneed to have systems andorganizations in place thatcan move the largest andmost balanced combat unitspossible. Finally, you cannotjust dump men andequipment into themiddleofnowhere, and then notsupport them with supplies,replacements, and

reinforcements. Americanshaveahabit ofwanting theirtroops to come home insomething other than bodybags, so you have to have awayofgettingthemback.Allof these are huge problems.Huge, but manageable.Fortunately forAmerica,BillLeeanticipatedmostoftheseproblems over a half centuryago, and the Army and AirForce has kept things goingsincethen.

These points made, let’smake a few assumptions.First, theNationalCommandAuthoritieswillgiveyoujusteighteen hours to go from acoldstarttothefirstbattaliontask force (roughlya thirdofan airborne brigade) being“chuted ups” loaded andwheels-up, flying to theirassigned objective area.Second,thosesamecommandauthorities will wantadditional units making up

the rest of the brigade taskforcetofollowintheshortesttime possible. Finally, thenational leadership somehowwill find air and logisticalbases close enough to thedeployment area to supporttheairborneforces,aswellassomeway toget themhome.A lot of assumptions, butones that are consideredunbreakable by airborneplanners.

Thekey tomakingall thishappen is a rotation schedulebased around somethingcalled the Division ReadyBrigade (DRB). The idea isthis: Each of the division’sthree brigades spends sixweeks on a round-the-clockalert status, as thedesignatedunit that is ready to go ondeployment. Then, withineach DRB, the battalionshave their own rotationwithin the six-week alert

period.At any time, a singlebattalion is assigned as theDivision Ready Force-1(DRF-1, the battalion taskforceIdescribedearlier),andisfullypackedandprimedtodeploy within the prescribedeighteen-hourtimelimit.You may think that the

ability to put only 1/9th of adivision into the air at onetime sounds trivial, but youneedtorememberacoupleof

things. First, that battaliontask force is a powerful unitthat can sustain itself for asurprising amount of time inthe field, especially if it isdropping into an area awayfrom the core of enemystrength and with surprise.Secondly, additional DRF-sized units will be arrivingshortlyifrequired,sometimesonlyhoursafter thefirstone.Otherbrigadetaskforcescanalsobeontheirwaywithina

day or two of the first beinglanded. The bottom line ofthis is that an internationalbully with ambition couldhave an entire 3,500-manairborne brigade in hisbackyard before a day goesby. Manuel Noriega foundthis little lesson out the hardwaybackin1989.By now you may be

wonderingwhattheothertwobrigades of the 82nd are

doing while this one brigadeisonalertstatus(calledDRB-1 by the 82nd leadership).Well, they are usually eitherrecovering from having justbeentheDRB(calledDRB-3status),orgettingreadytobethe DRB (called DRB-2).This means that the entire82ndAirborneDivisionisona continuous eighteen-weekcycle. A cycle that has beencontinuously run since theendoftheVietnamWar,with

the exception of the periodthe entire division spentdeployed to Southwest Asiafor Desert Shield and DesertStorm.Asmightbeimagined,the livesof thoseassigned toduty with the 82nd aremolded around this cycle,whichbreaksdownlikethis:• DRB-1 (Six Weeks): Thebrigadehasonebattalionona continuous two-hourrecall status with the other

two on five- and six-hourstatus respectively. Thismeans that every troopermust be able to be rapidlycontactedandabletoreturnto Fort Bragg. When onDRB-1, the brigade is ableto“push” theDRF into theair within eighteen hours,and get ready to sendadditional units over thenextfewdays.

• DRB-2 (Six Weeks): Thebrigade is in a six-week

training period gettingready to go on DRB-1status. In addition, in thecase of a multi-brigadedeployment, thebrigadeonDRB-2 would be thesecond to go. Also, eachyear while on DRB-2status, the brigade isdeployed to the JointReadiness Training Center(JRTC) at Fort Polk,Louisiana, to sharpen itsfightingskills.

•DRB-3(SixWeeks):Thisiswhere a brigade goes rightafter it finishes DRB-1.Calledthe“SupportCycle,”this is the time whentroopers take some leave,and get to know theirfamilies again. It also iswhen new replacementsrotate into the brigade, aswell as a good time forexperienced troopers to goto one of themany serviceschools necessary for

keepingthemsharp,aswellaspromotable.However,inthe event of an actualdeployment by the DRB-1brigade,theDRB-3brigadeisassignedthejobofbeingthe“push”unit.Thismeansthat they will packparachutes,serviceandloadequipment, or do anythingelse necessary to get theothertwobrigadesreadytoheadofftowar.

As might be imagined,living in “the cycle” (as thetroopers call it) is a toughbusiness, especially onfamilies and friends. At anytime, day or night, a DRB-1unit’s personnel may bebeeped or called, andexpected to be back to theirunitinlessthantwohours.Itislikewalkingatightropeforsixweeksat a time,with thethreat of being thrownoverseas into a war on less

than a day’s notice! Clearly,thisisnotalifeforeveryone.Along with the parachuteskillstrainingthatyousawinthe second chapter, this isprobably the toughest part ofthe airborne lifestyle.However, the folks at FortBragg, fromGeneralCrockerto the office clerks down atthe brigade headquarters, allseemtowantthiswayoflife.It sets themapart, and isoneof the reasons that many of

themjointheairborne.It isalifeofstructureandtiming,aswell as calculated risks andskills.Forthe“rightkind”ofsoldier,it isthekindofthingthey can build a careeraround.It must also be said that

this lifestyle does not justbelong to the airbornetroopersof the82nd.Aroundthe country at a number ofAir Force bases (AFBs),

airliftandothersupportunitsare standing their ownwatches to be ready for thecall. For example, at anygivenpointintime,therewillprobably be one or twosquadronsofC-130son alertat either Pope AFB, NorthCarolina,orLittleRockAFB,Arkansas. In addition, therewillalwaysbesimilarunitsatCharleston AFB, SouthCarolina, andMcGuireAFB,New Jersey, prepared to

accommodate heavy-lift orintercontinental deployments.Remember,theeighteen-hourrule applies just as much tothe transport units as it doesfortheairborne.Intheircase,though, the airlifters have tobe ready with enough airliftaircraft to move the units,equipment, and suppliesspecified by the alertcontingency, and then getthemtoPopeAFBintimetoload and launch within the

eighteen-hour time limit.That’s a really big deal forfolkswhohavetooperateandmaintaincomplexaircraftlikeC-130s, C-141s, and C-17s!However,itiswhatisneededtomake the airborne capableof keeping its promise to thenational leadership, and thecountry.

LifeintheCycle:The

Summerofʼ96

Perhapsthemostexcitingandamazing part of all that wehave shown you thus far inthisbookisthatitisdonebypeople. Not robots orcomputers,butpeople.Thosepeoplehavetowanttodothisjob for the President andothernationalleaderstohavethe option of putting a

military unit into the airtowards a crisis area withineighteen hours. However,peopledowanttodothisjob.In fact, they line up for theopportunity. To be part ofAmerica’s own fire brigade,soldiers will go toextraordinary lengths. Evento the point of living justeighteen weeks at a time.However, just what is it liketo live in the cycle?Well, tofind out, I took the time to

follow Colonel Petreaus andhis 1st Brigade troopersthrough one completeeighteen-week cycle in thesummerof 1996.During thiscycle,theydidawidevarietyofthingsandhadanumberofdifferent adventures. I’ll trytodistillthemdownandshowyou some of the high points,aswellassomeoftheuniquetrainingopportunitiesthatareprovided to make the 82ndAirborne Division

“America’sHonorGuard.”

Prequel:DRB-1(May31sttoJuly26th,1996)

For an 82nd Airbornebrigade, a rotation cyclereally starts when the unitcomes off a DRB-1 status.ForColonel Petraeus and his1stBrigade,thishappenedonJuly 26th, 1996, when theycompleted the DRB-1

rotation that they started thepreviousMay31st.Theyhadgone onto DRB-1 just afterfinishing up Royal Dragon,which had been their finalpreparation to get sharpbefore the alert rotation.During this period a numberof significant events tookplace, the biggest of whichwas the return of the 3rdBattalionofthe504th(3/504)Parachute Infantry Regiment(PIR) from the desert of the

Sinai. One of the interestingjobsthatperiodicallyneedstobedonebytheunitsofXVIIIAirborneCorps is to provideforces for peacekeeping dutyintheSinai.51Thisisdoneinconjunctionwithsimilarunitsfrom other nations, and theduty lasts for six months. In1996, the 82nd supplied thepeacekeeping effort with theservices of the 3/504.However, by July, their tour

of duty completed, the 3/504wasreadytocomehome.OnJuly 7th, 1996, the first ofthree contingents from the3/504 began their journeyhome. The two othercontingents came home onJuly 15th and 22ndrespectively. During theirdeployment the3/504hadanoutstanding record ofachievement.Somuchsothatthe unit was put in for anArmy Superior Unit Award,

which is being processed asthisbookgoestopress.Inaddition, the troopersof

the 3/504 got to show theirmettle bywinning theMulti-National Force SkillsCompetition trophy for theirrotation. This is a series ofscored combat-skills drills.Winning is a really big dealwithin the peacekeepingcommunity, and the 3/504wasonlythesecondU.S.unit

to do so since 1982. The3/504th command team ofLieutenant Colonel TomSnukis and Sergeant MajorDave Draughn had done anoutstandingjobofholdingupthe U.S. end of thepeacekeeping effort, and hadgood reason to be proud oftheirtroopersandthemselves.Having all three of his

battalions back home was agreat relief for “Devil-6,”

sincehewas alreadydoingaDRB-1 cycle with only twobattalions. To accommodatethis,the1stBrigadehadsplittheDRB-1cycleinhalf,withthe3/504thbeingtheDRFforthe first threeweeks, and the3/504 taking the duty for thefinal three. Now, some folksmight say that this was anunfair burden for the brigadeto have to bear given theimportance of their mission.Colonel Petraeus, in his role

as “Devil-6” (the 1stBrigade/504th PIRcommanding officer), wouldjust tell you that it is one ofthe many challenges that theairborneprovides itsofficers.Alongwith getting the 3/504startedhome, the1stBrigadestood their alert quietly andcoolly,with very little in theway of alert activity. Earlierin 1996 there had beenseveral “tickles” that hadresulted in contingency plans

very nearly being executed,but these had passedwithouttheneedtodeployanyoftheforcesfromthe82nd.For1stBrigade, this DRB-1 cyclepassedwithoutincident.Troopers of the 82ndAirborne on peacekeepingduty in the Sinai Desert.Everyyear,abattalionof the82nd spends six monthsassignedtokeepingthepeacebetweenIsraelandEgypt.

OFFICIAL U.S. ARMYPHOTO

TimeOff:DRB-3(July26thtoSeptember13th,1996)

OnFriday,July26th,1996,the1stBrigadehandedofftheDRB-1 duties to the troopersof the 2nd Brigade. Thisdone, everyone headed homeforatouchofleaveandsometime with their families.However, within a week ortwo, everyone got down towork. Like any unit in theairborne, there were new

paratroops to bring into thebrigade, and it was time forotherstomoveon.Forsome,the DRB-3 period was anopportunity to attendPathfinder or JumpmasterSchool, or to attend someother service course. Theseschools are essential to asoldieriftheyaretomoveupthe ladder tohigher rankandresponsibility.In addition to these

happenings, there was thewhole process of refreshertraining for the units of thebrigade. The constantmovement in and out of thebrigade means that basicweapons and airborne skillsneed to be constantlyreinforced if the troopers areto stay combat ready. Thetraining is also vital to theprocess of integrating newpersonnel into the variousunits of the brigade. It was

essential that this becompleted prior to the 1stBrigade going onto DRB-2status, since the brigadewouldbeheavily involved inadvanced combat trainingduring this period. Inparticular,theywouldmakearotation to the world’s finestinfantry training center, theJRTCatFortPolk,Louisiana.Therealso is therequirementto be ready to follow theDRB-1 brigade into action,

should world events dictatethat. By Friday, the 13th ofSeptember, 1996, the DevilBrigade had finished its“rest” period, and was readyto head into the “work-up”phase of their eighteen-weekrotation. It would be aneventfulmonthandahalf.

GettingReady:DRB-

2(September13thtoNovember1st,1996)

ThestartoftheDRB-2phaseof 1stBrigade’s rotationwasthestartofanexcitingperiodfor Colonel Petreaus and histroopers. Almostimmediately,theywerefacedwith the upcomingdeployment to Fort Polk fortheir JRTC training rotation,

whichwasscheduledtobeginin early October. This is ahuge undertaking, given thata trip to the JRTC is costly,both in dollars and time.However, I think you willfind when I describe theirtime at Fort Polk that it wastime well spent. However,therewereotherplaces togoaswell.AsItoldyouearlier,there are other parts to anairborne task force than justtheparatroops.Withoutairlift

units ready with skilledaircrews and maintenancepersonnel, as well as theproper aircraft, there cannotbe any “air” in airborne. Sofollowmesouthonavisit tothefutureofAmericanairlift:the 437th Airlift Wing atCharleston AFB, SouthCarolina.

CharlestonAFB,SouthCarolina,Saturday,

September14th,1996

There isnomorebeautifulSouthern town in the U.S.than Charleston, SouthCarolina. Out of this famousriver and seaport town camethebeginningoftherebellionthat became the AmericanCivil War, our nation’sbloodiest conflict. Charlestonhaspaidahighprice for thisindependent streak over theyears. In 1865, General

Sherman’s army burned thetown to embers as paybackfor starting the conflict byfiringatFortSumter.Thecitywasagainwrecked124yearslater, when Hurricane Hugopaid a visit, destroyingmuchof the downtown section ofthe scenic port. Today,Charleston has recoveredfrom both disasters, and ispoised to leap into the 21stcentury with a whole newgroup of industries popping

up around the formerstronghold of theConfederacy.Whilemany oftheoldtextilemillshavegoneoffshore, new factories forthingslikeBMWautomobilesand Robert Bosch ignitionsystemshavemorethanmadeuptheslack.Thisisacityonthe move, and you can feeltheexcitementassoonasyouarrive.Inland from the city is the

Charleston InternationalAirport, which is a dualcivilian/military facility. Onone side is a wonderful newcivilian terminal, and on theotheristhehomeoftheC-17Globemaster III, America’snewest transport aircraft.CharlestonAFBitselfisnotanew facility. The originalbasedatesbacktoWorldWarII. However, the steadypatronage of Congressionalleaders like Mendell Rivers

and the immortal StromThurmond have kept thefacilities at Charleston state-of-the-art, lookingasgoodasnew. The base has also seenits share of history. Back inthe1970sthefirstactiveunitof C-5A Galaxy heavytransports was based here.Today,the437thAirliftWing(AW)isdoingthesamethingwithanewheavyairlifter,theC-17AGlobemaster III.As Imentioned in the previous

chapter, thewing iscurrentlyequippedwith two squadronseachofC-17AsandC-141Bs.Commanded by BrigadierGeneralStevenA.Roser, thewing is also co-residentwiththe 315th AW. Commandedby Colonel James D.Bankers, the315th iswhat isknown as a “ReserveAssociate” unit. This meansthat they share the base’saircraft and work in concertwith the 437th on a daily

basis, providing additionalflight crews and groundpersonnel. In fact, the 315thflies almost a third of themissions out of CharlestonAFB. It is, however, the437th that I came to see andfly with. At the invitation oftheAirForce,Ihadoriginallyplanned to fly a five-daymissionaround thePacific toget to know how the C-17and the 437th works.However,worldeventstooka

hand in changing myitinerary.For the third straight year,

Saddam Hussein had againflexed his military muscle,this time supporting aparticular Kurdish sectagainst a rival faction. Inaddition, theIraqiairdefensesystemshadgottensomewhatactive. Strikes by sea- andair-launched cruise missileshad damaged part of the air

defense systems, but the restremained intact after thestrikes. Once again, U.S.forces made the annualpilgrimagebacktoKuwait toshow their fangs against theIraqis. For this reason, thetrans-PacificmissionIwastofly onwas canceled, and themission reprogrammed totakepersonnelandequipmentfor the 49th Fighter Wing(flying the F-117SNighthawk,alsoknownasthe

Stealth Fighter) fromHolloman AFB in NewMexico toKuwait.However,other opportunities for merapidlypresented themselves.Thefollow-ondeploymentofground personnel andequipment from the 1stArmoredCavalryDivision toKuwait wound up beingdelayed several days, and Imanaged to get in severalfascinating flights with thecrewsofthe437th.

Youmightwonderwhythe437th would continue flyingtraining missions when therewasavery realpossibilityofthis crisis erupting into ashooting war. Well, theirview is that no matter whathappens, they still have ashortage of qualified C-17flight crews, and their job isto get them ready as quicklyaspossible.TheGlobemastercommunity is growing sofast,and is flyingoperational

missions so frequently, thatqualifiedmissionandaircraftcommanders are in highdemand. This is particularlychallenging, since the C-17Schoolhouse unit has movedto Altus AFB in Oklahoma,takingsomeof thebestC-17flight crews away asinstructors. So life andtraining goes on atCharleston, the will ofSaddam and other globalthugsnotwithstanding.

MyfirstchancetoflycameonSaturday,September14th,when I was invited to join atraining qualification flightfor several new aircraftcommandersfromthe437th’s17th Airlift Squadron (AS).The flight would becommanded by one of the437th’s instructor pilots,Major Tim Higa. The twocommand pilot trainees,Captains Eric Bresnahan andDougSlipko,wouldalternate

in the front seatswithMajorHiga. The loadmaster dutieswould be handled by SeniorAirman Christina Vagnini, ayoung woman working atnight on her nursing degree.Wewouldbe joinedby JohnGresham(withhisubiquitouscamera and notebook), aswell as 2nd LieutenantChrista Baker, one ofCharleston AFB’s PublicAffairsOfficers.Thismissionwouldallowthetraineepilots

to practice low-levelnavigation, as well as short-field takeoff and landingtechniques.

C-17AGlobemasterIIIheavytransportaircraftontheflightlineatCharlestonAFB,SouthCarolina. These aircraft arethe crown jewels of the AirMobility Command’sTransportFleet.JOHND.GRESHAMAbout 1700/5:00 PM,

Christa,John,andIpresentedourselvesontherampinfrontof Aircraft 930600, alsoknown as P-16. This is a

nearlynew(FiscalYear1993[FY-93]) C-17A. However,don’t get the idea that the437th is babying these birds.P-16 already had over 1,750flight hours before wearrived, and would acquiremore before the night wasout. As we got aboard,Christinagaveusaquicktourof the aircraft as well as asafety briefing. Then weheaded upstairs to the flightdeck toget ready to takeoff.

MajorHigatookthecopilot’s(right) seat, while Eric tookthepilot’s (left) spot.ChristaandItookthetwojumpseatsbehind the flight crew,whileJohnandDougsatintherear-facing passenger seats in thecrew rest area, and Christinatook her seat at theloadmaster stationdownstairs. After less than ahalfhourofpreflightchecks,EricandTimstarted thefourengines and completed the

preflight checklist. By1748/5:48PM,wewerelinedup at the end of theCharleston AFB runway,readytoroll.Ourcallsignforthis evening would be“Heavy-51,” a directreferencetoouraircraft’ssizeandweight.Eric advanced the engine

throttles, and I got my firstshock of the evening. Theacceleration was more like a

fighter plane than a transportcapable of hauling a mainbattletank.Inlessthan3,000feet/915meters,wewereoff,headedupintotheCharlestonAFB traffic pattern.Followingaquicktouch-and-go back at Charleston, weheadedsouthtowardsthecityitself.Itwasagorgeousnight,and the huge panoramicwindowsmakeiteasytokeepan eye on nearby airbornetraffic. They also are

wonderful for sight-seeing.We continued south towardsSavannah, Georgia, makingland-fall just north of thehuge container port. At thispoint, we began a low-levelflight (about 2,500 feet/762metersoverthewater)headednorth along the coast. Therideofthebigairlifterwassosmooth, I almost forgot thatwe were airborne as Iwatched the sights go by.Shrimpboatsofallsizeswere

visible, as were naval andcargo vessels out ofCharleston.Aswe passed bythe mouth of CharlestonHarbor, Fort Sumter wasclearly visible on our portside. By this time, the sunwas low in the western sky,and the visibility wasprobably over 50 miles/80kilometers. The flight wasgoing like a dream, andMajor Higa seemed pleasedwith Eric’s performance.

However, the interesting partof our mission was yet tocome.Heading west, we crossed

the coastline, headingtowardswhat is calledNorthField.Thisisasmallmilitaryairfield which the U.S. AirForce (USAF) uses forpracticeinshort-fieldtakeoffsand landings.Alongwithouraircraft, several other C-17swere using North Field for

practice this evening, soTimmadeconsiderableuseofourextraeyeballs tokeepaneyeout forotherair traffic in thearea. Arriving over the fieldat about 1900/7:00 PM, welined up for a high-angle-of-attack (AOA) short-fieldlanding.I’vedonetheseinC-130s before, but never anaircraft the size of the C-17.However, P-16 was stablethroughout theapproach, andonlythesuddenthumpasthe

landing gear hit the runwayand the sudden decelerationfrom the engines’ thrust-reversers indicated that wehad touched down. Therollout was again less than3,000feet/915meters,andwepulledaroundbehindanother437th AW C-17, call sign“Heavy-64.” As we waitedour turn on the runway,Christina disembarked fromP-16, wearing acommunications headset, to

guide the crew in thedarknessofNorthField.Lessthan ten minutes afterlanding, we were up again,getting back into the patternto do another short-fieldlanding/takeoff cycle. Thistime Captain Doug Slipkotook over the left seat,whileMajor Higa stayed in thecopilot’s position. Whatfollowed were three moretakeoffs and landings atNorth Field, before we

headed southwest towardsAugusta,Georgia.By 2000 hours/8:00 PM,

we were in the Augustaairport traffic pattern, gettingready for another series oftouch-and-gos.DougandTimdidapairoftheseinthenow-darksky,beforeheadingeasttowardsCharlestonAFB.By2100/9:00PM,theyhadP-16in the Charleston trafficpattern,readytofinishupthe

mission. Once again, Dougand Eric changed seats, andsetup foranother touch-and-go.Once theyhadcompletedthis, they finally linedon themain runway to land andfinish up for the night. Welanded at 2105 hours/9:15PM, and taxied over to ourparking spot. It had been abusy night, but also aninformativeone.One immediate impression

that you get from watchingtheC-17 flight crews is howlittle their hands are on thethrottlesandstick.Otherthanduring takeoff and landing,mostof their interactionwiththe flight-managementsystemisthroughthecontrolsrunning across the top of thecontrol console and thevarious multi-functiondisplays (MFDs). This ismuch more like that of a“glasscockpit”airliner likea

Boeing 777 or Airbus than,say, a C-5 or C-141. Theautomated flight controls oftheC-17meanthatthecrewshavetobetrainedinawholenew science: flight crewresource management. Thismeans that with only twocrewmen on the flight deck,there is a lot ofwork duringhigh-stress situations (liketakeoffandlanding)thatmustbe effectively distributed.However,theUSAFseemsto

bedoinganexcellentjobwiththis, and I felt very safe andcomfortable throughout theflight. I was also impressedwith the ease with whichChristina was able to handleall of the loadmaster jobsaround theaircraft.ThankingTim, Eric, Doug, andChristina, we hopped aboardthecrewvanforourridebackto the parking lot and ourcars.Ithadbeenamemorablenight.

CharlestonAFB,SouthCarolina,Monday,

September16th,1996

After a pleasant Sundaytouring Fort Sumter anddowntown Charleston, wewentbacktoflywithanothercrew from the 437th. Thistime, Christa, John, and Iwere assigned to take part ina two-ship airdrop missionthat would take us up toNorth Field and then Little

Rock AFB, Arkansas. Wewould fly with a 14th AScrew aboard an FY-94 C-17(940065, also known as P-20). We would fly aswingman (call sign “Moose-12”) to a 17th AS C-17(930600/P-16, the same birdwe flew on the previousflight;thistimetheircallsignwas ”Moose-11”), eachcarrying a single airdroppallet, which wewould dropat Little RockAFB. For this

mission, along with 2ndLieutenant Baker, we werejoined by Lieutenant GlenRoberts, the deputy in theCharleston Public AffairsOffice.We all showed up on the

flightlinearoundnoon,sincethis was to be a long day offlying and training. Onceagain, I buckled into one ofthe jump seats, and we tookoff around 1230 hours/12:30

PM. Once again, we headedoutoverthecityandAtlanticOcean,and then turnednorthto run up the coast. Today,though, was hardly the clearflyingweatherofthepreviousmission.Overnight, a pair ofweatherfrontshadcollidedina late-summer storm frontthat was extending fromTexastoSouthCarolina.Theair was filled with puffyclouds that looked likecathedrals in the sky.During

ourrunupthecoast,theflightcrew engaged the StationKeeping Equipment (SKE)systems,which automaticallytrackedtheP-16aheadofus,and then directed theautopilot to fly in an exact1,000-foot/305-meter trailposition. This gear is one ofthe keys to a successfulprecision airdrop, and caneven work among differentkinds of aircraft (C-130, C-141, C-5, or C-17) within a

formation. What made thisevenmore impressive is thatall of the SKE functions arecontrolled and displayedthrough the color MFDs onthecontrolconsoles.

A C-17A Globemaster III,call sign “Moose-11,” on aflighttoaLittleRockAFBinArkansas. This photo wastaken from the cockpit of“Moose-12,” the secondaircraftintheflight.JOHND.GRESHAMBy 1300 hours/1:00 PM,

wehadpassedMyrtleBeach,South Carolina, and hadturned inland towards NorthField.Thistime,wewoulddo

a simulated airdrop aspractice for the real thing alittlelateratLittleRockAFB.While Christa I stayed upfront, John and Glen moveddown to the cargocompartment to watch theloadmasters at work. Theystrapped in and watched asthe loadmasters (there weretwo today) prepared for thesimulated drops. Then, at1340 hours/1:40 PM, as theflight crew lined up on the

field, the loadmastersopenedthe rear ramp, and executedthetrainingdroppreciselyonthe planned target.Buttoningup the rear ramp, the crewsturned the two aircraft of“Moose” Flight southeasttowards Little Rock,Arkansas. During the two-and-a-half-hour run toArkansas, John took theopportunitytogetsomesleepinoneof thecrewrestbunksbehind the flight deck.

Despite his large size (at 6’3”/1.9 meters tall, John is abig guy!), he looked terriblycomfortable,andtoldmelaterthathesleptwell.By 1600/4:00 PM, Little

RockAFBwas in sight, andwe headed down to do thetraining drop. This time,Christa joined Glen, John,and the two loadmasters inthe rear of the aircraft as thepallet was readied for

dropping. The flight crewsdropped the two aircraftdown to 500 feet/152metersabove ground, and theloadmasters opened the rearramp for the drop. However,asthetwoaircraftreachedthedrop point, the ugly weatherthat we had been skirtingfinally reached out andtouched us. Both aircraftpassed through a small windshear (downdraft) directlyover the drop point, causing

them to go slightly nose-down for a moment. Thisslowed the gravity-poweredpallets’traveldowntheramp,and both went severalhundred yards/meters longdue to the delay. In spite ofthe deployment delay, bothpallets dropped safely withinthe base perimeter, andwerequickly recovered. Followingthe drop, both aircraft linedup in the Little Rock AFBpattern, anddidavery-short-

field landing on one of therunways.Wethentaxiedoverto the flight line, and shutdownforawhile.A 437th AirliftWing C-17Adrops a cargo pallet overLittle Rock AFB, Arkansas.A fully loaded C- 17 mightdrop several dozen suchpackages on a resupplymission for the 82ndAirborneDivision.JOHND.GRESHAM

As I mentioned in theprevious chapter,LittleRockis one of the largest C-130bases in the USAF, and thelines of Hercules transportsseemedtogoonformiles.Infact, there are almost eightyC-130s assigned here, to thefourASsofthe314thAW.Along with the 314th,

Little Rock AFB houses aspecial C-130 training unit,the USAF Combat Aerial

Delivery School. This is aspecial post-graduate-levelcourse designed to providesquadrons with pilots trainedin the latest operationaltactics and concepts for usewiththeHercules.Duringourshort stayatLittleRock,oneof the C-17 crews gave thecurrentclassafamiliarizationbriefing on the Globemaster,since the Hercules crews aregoing to see so much of theC-17overthenextfewyears.

Then,afteraquickruntothebaseBurgerKingforasnack,we headed back to ouraircraftfortheflighthome.Already, the weather was

takingonanominouslookaswe got aboard the P-20. Theline of thunderstorms wasnow between us andCharleston, so at some pointin our flight we would haveto penetrate the spectacular-looking thunderheads. By

1930hours/7:30PM,wehadlaunched out of Little Rock,and headed east towardshome.Aswesettledontoourcourse at about 30,000feet/9,144metersaltitude,theline of thunderheads was offto our right, about 50miles/80 kilometers south ofus. On the Guard channel ofthe radio, we could hear thesounds of numerous civilianairliners that were having atough time penetrating the

line of storms, and thespectacular cloud-to-cloudlightning was proof that wemight have a bumpy rideahead of us. The front wasshifting to the north a bitnow, and airline traffic allthroughthesoutheasternU.S.was being affected by thepowerfulstormcells.As we approached the

towering clouds, the flightcrew switched on the

weather/navigation radar inthe nose of the aircraft, andbegan to look for a routethrough the storm. Finally,after deciding upon whatlooked like a “thin” spot inthe storm line, we alltightened up our five-pointrestraint harnesses and hungon.Surprisingly,theridewasnot as bad as had beenexpected. While rough, theturbulence was not nearly asbad as on some 737s that I

have flown in overmountains. However, as wegot into the heart of thestorm, the clouds closed in,makingitlookliketheinsideof a cow outside. Suddenly,there appeared theintermittent flashing oflightning,making thecockpitlookliketheinsideofadisco.Even more ominous was theappearance of Saint Elmo’sfire(astaticelectricalbuildupon the airframe), causing a

sicklyblue-greenglowonthecockpit window frames andedgesofthewings.Then,justas suddenly as a lightningflash, we were out of thestorm line less than 200miles/322 kilometers outfromCharlestonAFB.

A fleet of C-130s on theflight line at Little RockAFB, Arkansas. Foursquadrons of Herculesmedium transports call thisbasehome.JOHND.GRESHAMThe heavy weather had

also been bothering ourfriendsfrom1stBrigadeupatFort Bragg. Their pre-JRTCdeployment training includeda number of brigade-sized

drops in preparation for theplanned airborne entry intoFort Polk the followingmonth.Oneofthesehadbeenscheduled for this evening,but a few things had gonewrong. When the storm linemoved north into NorthCarolina, the brigade wasalreadyairborneinagroupof437th-supplied C-141BStarlifters and 23rdWing C-130Es.Theweatherbegan toclose in, and four of the big

transports had to abort theirdropsandrunforcover fromthe storm. The Starlifters,loaded with over 420 1stBrigade troopers (as well asone surprise guest), werediverted by the AMCtanker/airlift control center atScott AFB, Illinois, back toCharleston AFB until thestorms over North Carolinamoved on. As it turned out,wewere about to get a first-hand update on the brigade’s

training activities, as well asaninvitation.As we got clearance from

the air traffic controllers toline up for an approach, weheard about the divert of thefour big transportswith theirload of paratroops. Since theskies over Charleston AFBwere getting decidedlycrowded, our crew called forastraight-inapproach,andwearrived a few minutes after

theStarlifters.After thankingthe flightcrewfora fineday(and night) of flying, weheaded over to the hangerwhere the paratroops werebeingkeptoutoftheweather.Bynow, the rainhadpassed,and the air was warm andhumidafterthepassageofthestormline.As we pulled up to the

entrance, we saw the 437thAW commander, Brigadier

General (he was an one-starselectee at the time) StevenRoser, as well as a tall andfamiliar figure standingoutside.GeneralCrocker, thecommander of the 82ndAirborne Division! Stunnedat seeing John and me, hemade a comment about our“being everywhere,” andexplained what hadhappened.Hehad been flyingwith 1

st Brigade when his aircrafthadbeendiverted(alongwiththe other three), as theweatherclosed in.Now, theywere waiting to get backaboard for a drop later thatnight.Ashe told the story, atruck pulled up with waterand MREs for the 420troopers who were trying toget some rest inside thebrightlylithanger.Afteraboutfifteenminutes

ofchatting,GeneralRosergota call over his radio that theweather was clearing, andthat it soonwouldbe time toreload C-141s for the rideback up to Fort Bragg.Bidding us a good evening,GeneralCrocker invitedJohnandmetojoin1stBrigadeontheir JRTC deployment thefollowing month. Then andthere aswewatched the fourStarlifterstaxioutfortakeoff,wedecidedthatwewould.

For now, though, our visitto the 437th had come to anend. Though it had not beenpossible to take the longtrans-Pacific flight that hadbeen planned, the trip toCharleston had been wellworth the visit. In fact, weprobablysawmoreofday-to-day C-17/C-141 operationsthan we would haveotherwise. The 437th is theAir Force’s premier heavy-airlift wing, and they are

doing a fantastic job ofgetting theC-17 into service.Keep watching the news;you’re going to see a lot ofthem!

FortPolk:TheJointReadinessTrainingCenter

The folks in centralLouisiana call it “the lowcountry,” a mass of slow-running rivers and

swamplands, with alligators,wildpigs,andhorses,aswellas nearly every kind ofpoisonous snake that can befoundontheNorthAmericancontinent. Whatever youchoose tocall it,FortPolk isas far away from moderncivilization as you are goingto find in America today.Over 50 miles/80 kilometersfrom the nearest interstatehighway, thisWorldWar II-erabaseishometothefinest

infantrytrainingcenterintheworld: the U.S. Army JointReadiness Training Center(JRTC).Probably more than a few

of you reading this arethinking, “Yeah,Clancy, thisis just another force-on-forcetraining center like the U.S.Army National TrainingCenter (NTC) or the USAFRed/Green Flag exercises atNellis AFB, Nevada, except

that it’s for light infantryforces.” Well, actually youwould be partially correct.Yes, the JRTC is a force-on-force kind of training center,and it is for infantry forces.However, there is a lotmoreto JRTC than just a glorifiedNTC,andthatisthestorywewilltellyouabouthere.JRTC originally started up

at FortChaffee,Arkansas, in1987,andwasmovedtoFort

Polk in 1993. Up until thattime, Fort Polk had beenhometotheColdWar-era5thInfantry Division(Mechanized). However, theend of that conflict and thereorganization/realignment ofthe Army resulted in the 5thmoving to FortHood (whereit was initially reflagged asthe 2nd Armored Division,and later as the 4th InfantryDivision [Mechanized]), andthe decision to move JRTC

fromFortChaffee.Sincethattime,millionsofdollarshavebeenspent to turn JRTC intothemost intenseand realisticwarfare training center inhistory. What makes JRTCdifferent are the subtlenuances thatareadded to thetraining experience, ascompared to NTC orRed/Green Flag. Forexample,NTCandtheUSAF“Flags” usually presume ahigh-intensity, “hot” war

situation that has alreadybroken out, without any realpolitical context or rationalefor the troops to understand.JRTC is capable ofsimulatingnotonly“hot”warscenarios, but also low-intensity /insurgencyconflicts, counterterrorismoperations, and even peaceandreliefoperations.Thekeyto this has been an open-minded and practicalapproachtofindingnewways

to simulate equipment andexperiences that soldiers inthe real world wouldregularly encounter. Theseincludethingslike:•OpposingForces(OPFOR):Almostallmilitary trainingcenters have some sort ofOPFOR to enhance thetraining experience of theparticipating units.However, the JRTCOPFORteamismuchmore

flexibleandaggressivethanthose at other trainingcenters. Drawn from the 1st Battalion of the 509thPIR (1/509), they are ableto simulate threat militaryunits as large as a Soviet-style regiment, thoughusually they work insmaller formations. At anygiven time, the JRTCOPFOR personnel may besimulating terrorist orguerrilla groups, or regular

army troopswithparticularnational“bents”orbiases.

• Non-Enemy Players: Mostwarstakeplaceinlocationsthat people (civilians)choose to live. However,very littlehasbeendone tosimulate the effects of acivilian population orcivilian agencies on thebattlefield. At JRTC, theU.S. force will be facedwithavarietyofsuchfolks,ranging from law

enforcement personnel andrelief agency workers, tothe local gentry and ahighly aggressive mediapool. These are all real-world problems forbattlefieldcommanderslikeColonel Petreaus, andfailure to deal with themduring a JRTCdeploymentmay result in not fullycompleting your assignedmilitary missions.However, the lessons

learned are almostimmeasurable. The playersare role-player civilians onthebattlefield,employedbythe local mission supportcontractor, and are quitegoodattheirjobs.

•Casualties:Thereisahighlyrealistic depiction ofcasualty assessment,combined with real-worldcasualty evacuation andreplacement procedures. Inshort,ifyouhavepersonnel

“wounded” or “killed” atJRTC,thenyouwillhavetoMEDEVACand treat themas you would a realcasualty. The payoff fordoing this right is that youwill quickly get thewounded soldier backthrough the replacementsystem.Onenote:Everyoneonthebattlefield,exceptformembers of the O/C team,iswiredwiththesamekindofMultipleIntegratedLaser

Engagement System(MILES) scoring system,includingthenoncombatantrole players. God help youif your forces hurt or killoneofthose!

•Realism:Oneoftheprimarycomplaints about the NTCand other military trainingcentersisthatthesituationsare “sterile” or “canned,”more like unreal or“laboratory” exercises.Well,atJRTC,everysingle

deploymentisdifferent,andisbaseduponalotofinputfrom the command staff ofthe unit being trained. Inaddition, the JRTC stafflike to throw in little“chunks”of realisticdetail,just to keep things livelyand interesting. Forexample, the size of aparticular threat force willbe what drives theobjectives of the friendlyforces.Butintheeventofa

friendly force unit gettingtoo far ahead of theirOPFORopponents,planonseeing the exerciseobserver/controller (O/C)staff ramp up the threatlevelorsizeoftheOPFORthe friendly unit is facing.Finally, wherever possible,the O/C and OPFORpersonnel try to salt thebattlefieldwithexamplesofreal-world threats andcapabilities, just to keep

everyone on their toes. Forexample, there is a smallsquadronofactualRussian-built aircraft for use inJRTC exercises, includingan AN-2 Colt biplane, aswell as an Mi-17 Hiptransport and an Mi-24Hindattackhelicopter.YouhavetoseethelooksonanAvenger gunner the firsttimehestaresdownaHindonanattackrun!

•MineWarfare:Despitetheir

generally bad reputationthesedays,nobodyisaboutto stop using land mines,including theU.S.military.Since mines are a primarycause of infantry wounds,mine deployment, clearing,andcasualtyassessmentarecloselymodeledatJRTC.

• Friction Elements: Onceupon a time, Count VonClausewitz, the greatPrussian military mind,defined “friction” elements

as things that keep youfrom carrying out assignedtasks or achievingobjectives. In the realworld, these are things likeblown tires, forgottenequipment, and lostmessages. At JRTC,though,theexercisecontrolstaffhasadiabolical listofevents that are carefullydesigned to stress and testthe players’ units and staffto the maximum degree

possible. Things liketerrorists throwing satchelcharges and detonatingtruckbombsatcheckpointsand other critical locations.Or perhaps the localcivilian population turningtheir “hearts and minds”over to theenemy,becauseof a poor “CommunityRelations” policy towardsthe non-combatant roleplayers.

This Russian-built Mi-24Hind-D Attack Helicopter ispart of the Joint ReadinessTraining Center’s (JRTC)opposing force. Assigned tothe Operational Test andEvaluation CommandSupportActivity thisaircraft,along with other former-Soviet aircraft, is used toprovidearealisticairthreattoJRTCexerciserotations.JOHND.GRESHAM

Simulated casualties areevacuated from the JointReadiness Training CenterBattlefield at Fort Polk,Louisiana. The CasualtyEvacuation/Treatment/ReplacementCycle is a vital part of thecombatsimulationatJRTC.JOHND.GRESHAMThis youngwoman is one ofthe non-combatant role-players that are used on theJoint Readiness Training

Center Battlefield at FortPolk.JOHND.GRESHAM

All of these elements are

combined with the mostsophisticated telemetry andassessment system in theworld to make the FortPolk/JRTC range completethe finest schoolhouse in theworld.The schoolmaster (and

commanding general) of thismassive enterprise is MajorGeneral Michael Sherfield.

Himself a careerparatrooper,Sherfield has managed tofight the budget battles thathave allowed the FortPolk/JRTC facility to growand conduct training in areasthat previously would havebeen thoroughly impossible.Someoftheseinclude:• Live Fire Training Range:To the north of the mainforce-on-force trainingrange atFortPolk is an all

new live-fire trainingcomplex. Here, deployedinfantry can use virtuallyevery kind of weapon intheir arsenal fromM16s to155mm field howitzerfiring live high-explosiveshells! This is far differentfrom the automatedshooting gallery that is theNTC live-fire range. JRTCcan simulate almost anykind of open-field combatthat the O/C teams can

imagine.• Military Operations onUrbanizedTerrain(MOUT)Training Facility: Severalyears ago, there was alarge-scale firefight inMogadishu between U.S.Rangers and the militiaarmy of the late GeneralAidid. Frankly, the resultsstank from our point ofview. Over ninetyAmericans were woundedor killed, along with the

loss of two UH-60Blackhawk helicopters. Tohelp better prepare U.S.Forcesforsuchcombat,theJRTC has built a brand-new, $70-million MOUTfacility thatallowsforbothforce-on-force as well aslive-fire training in anurbansetting.Resemblingasmall town, the MOUTfacility uses state-of-the-artvisual effects (someborrowedfromHollywood)

to provide an impressivearray of visual and auralfeedback for the trainees.Perhaps the mostimpressive is that when aparticular building (beingusedasanOPFORarmory)gets hit by certain types ofmunitions (like rockets orgrenades), the wholebuilding can be set toexplode on command! Therecognized importance ofprovidingextensivetraining

for infantrymen in urbansettings was evidenced bytheconstructionofamulti-million-dollar complexmadeupofanairfieldtake-down facility, a militarycompound, and an urbancity at the JRTC. In honorof two brave and valiantinfantrymen who lost theirlives in Mogadishu,Somalia, the JRTC staffnamed the main citycomplexafterSFCRandall

D.ShughartandMSGGaryI.Gordon.

Letme tell you, this place

is impressive! Beyond thesethings, JRTC generally doesresemble the NTC in thatunits rotate in for severalweeks at a time for the largeforce-on-force phase oftraining,aswellasaweekorso of preliminary live-firetraining. Normally, the main

deployment lasts eleven daysfrom start to finish, withseveraldaysonbothendssetasideforplanning,debriefing,cleaning up the training areaor “box,” and making surethat everything out in thebottomlands is safe for thecritters!52

Aportion of Shugart-GordonMOUT site at Fort Polk,Louisiana. Named after twoMedalofHonorwinnerswhowere killed during a firefightin Mogadishu, Somalia, in1993, thisfacilityis themostadvanced MOUT TrainingFacilityintheworld.JOHND.GRESHAMNormally, the Army tries

to get every light infantrybrigade in service through a

JRTCrotationeveryeighteenmonths. In 1996 JRTCrotation, the 1st Brigadewould actually conduct itsdeployment in two phases.The first,whichwouldbegininearlyOctober,wouldhaveseveral companies going infor an extensive regimen oflive-fire training. Then,starting on October 12th,1996,theothertwobattalionsof the brigade would dropinto the force-on-force

exercise area, following anonstop deployment flightfrom Fort Bragg. All told,nearly1,300paratroopsoftheDevil Brigadewould drop ina mass twilight jump, justbefore dark on the 12th.However, the O/C team andthe OPFOR had a fewsurprises in store forColonelPetreaus and his troopers.These folks have a specialplace in their hearts forairborne units, and they had

heard about the brigade’sexploits inRoyalDragon.Byany standard, itwasgoing tobe a challenging couple ofweeks for Devil-6 and histroopers.

JRTCLive-FireArea,Friday,October11th,1996

John Gresham and Idecided to go down a littleearlytolookoverthelive-fire

trainingthattheplatoonfrom1/504wasgoingthrough.Wearrivedin timetoseethelasttwo days of their training.You need to know that U.S.infantrylikestoworkatnightwheneverpossible.Thenightdarkness is like a stealthycloak for them, reducingcasualties and making lifedifficult for enemy units thatdon’t have the kind of third-generation night-visiongoggles (NVGs) that U.S.

forces are deployed with.Whenequippedwith systemslike the PVS-7B NVGs, thePAQ-4C target designator,and the other night systemsthat I described in the fourthchapter, our troopers areeasilysuperiortoanyinfantryintheworld.However,allthetechnology in the worldwon’t keep you from takingcasualties ifyoufail toapplyproper infantry tactics andprinciples toyouroperations.

So the live-fire operations atJRTC are designed to teachthe benefits of such tacticsandprinciples,andofkeepingnational casualties down(and, of course, the playerssafe!).The operation scheduled

for this day had actuallybegun the night before atabout 0700 hours/7:00 AM.Inthisparticularscenario,theinfantry platoon from the

1/504 was scheduled toassault a simulated enemytrench/bunker complex at0400/4:00AM.The complex, which is

wired with a variety ofpyrotechnicdevices andpop-up/out targets, is designed toresemble the ones used byIraq in 1991. Roughlytriangular in shape, it hasfiring bunkers at the cornersand along the trench lines,

and multiple strands ofdefensivewire and simulatedminefieldsdefendingit.Setina dense wooded area of theFort Polk range, this is anobstacle designed to inflictthe maximum of casualties(simulated,ofcourse!)ontheassaulting infantry unit. Thismorning’s live-fire probleminvolved a long (roughly2,000-yard/meter) hikethrough total darkness (nomoon!), over broken terrain,

then an assault on the strongpoint from two directions.When the platoon’s fire hadreduced the strong pointenough, an engineer squadwould blast an openingthrough the minefield andwire barricades with a longstring of bangalore torpedodemolitions. These aresectionsofmetalpipepackedwith explosives that can beclamped together, shovedunder an obstacle or

barricade,and thendetonatedto blow open a lane forassaulttroopstoentersafely.At 0330/3:30 AM, John

andIarrivedat thedeparturesite in the care ofMs. PaulaSchlag, the Fort Polk mediarelations officer assigned tohelp us during the comingdeployment. Also escortingus would be LieutenantColonel Walt Wilson andCaptain Mike Dominqus of

theJRTCLive-FireDivision.AftereachofushaddonnedaKevlarhelmetandflakjacket(for safety, asyouwill see!),we fell into line behind thecommand section of thecompany,andbegantogropeour way forward to theassaultsite.Thiswastougherthan it sounds, because therewasalmostnolighttoseetheperson or ground in front ofus, and the terrain was quiterough.Also, therewereother

distractions,liketwobatteriesof M119 105mm and M198155mm howitzers firing liveHEroundsjustafewhundredyards/meters in front of us.Occasionally, an illuminationroundwouldbefired,burningslowly with an eerie lightfromaparachute.By 0600 hours/6:00 AM,

theplatoon(withPaula,John,andmyself,andourescortingofficers in tow) had reached

the line of departure, about100 yards/meters from thesimulated bunker complex.By this time, the artillerybarrage on the objective hadstopped, and the assault wasjust minutes away. Wheneveryone was under cover,the leftandright flankof theassault opened fire on thebunker/trench complex. Assoon as the troopers openedfire, the O/Cs turned on thefiring simulators in the

bunker complex, and therefollowed a scene of absolutepandemonium. For about tenminutes, the 82nd trooperslaiddownawitheringfireonthe corner bunkers, withM203 grenade launchersfiring illumination rounds tokeeptheviewofthecomplexclearforeveryone.

A simulated Iraqi-stylebunker on the live-fire rangeat Fort Polk, Louisiana. Thisfacility, alongwith a numberof other simulated enemytargets,isusedtotraintroopsto assault such targets incombat.Thedamageyouseewas done during a pre-dawnassault drill by a platoon ofparatroops from the 1stBattalion of the 504thParachute Infantry Regimentassignedtothe82ndAirborne

Division.JOHND.GRESHAMSuddenly, we were all

ordered facedown into aditch, and there followed aloud “shoosh,” then a loudbang. This was a live AT-4antitank rocket being firedinto one of the bunkers.Several minutes later, asecondrocketwasfiredfromtheotherflank.While all this was going

on, their squad of combatengineers was placing theirbangaloretorpedoesunderthewire. Once again, we weretold to“GetDown!”and thistimethewholeearthrumbledand shook. The bangaloreshad blown open a 10-foot/3-meter-wide gap in the minesandwire,andnowtheassaultcould proceed.We could seeand hear the assault troopsheadingup into thecomplex,since by this time the first

pink glow of dawn wasbreaking. All through thetrench complex, trooperswere carefully clearing theditches, shooting pop-up/outtargets wherever theyappeared. In less thaneighteenminutes itwasover,and the O/Cs had called“Ceasefire”toallinvolved.Ittook a few more minutes toverify that all the weaponshad been “safed” before wecouldgoupandlookoverthe

remainsofthecomplex.The quiet following a

“battle”likewehadjustseenis a bizarre sensation, almostunwelcome in its emptiness.Nevertheless, we eagerlyclimbedthoughtheBangalorebreach, and began to lookaround. The artillery haddone an impressive job,cavinginseveraltrenchesanddamaging the bunkers.Everywhere, razor-sharp

shrapnel marked the deadlyremains of the barrage. Bestofall,whentheassaulttroopshad gone in, they hadsuffered only six estimatedcasualties,only twoofwhichwereKIA.53Now,while thismay not sound great, itactually is an excellentmeasure of the performanceofthecompany.Theyhad,inshort,takenaheavilyfortifiedpositionwithmaximumforce

andminimumcasualties.The O/Cs assessed this as

something of a textbookperformance (“standardsetting,” in their words),though not all such exercisesgo quite so well. Thefollowing morning, during asimulated road march with alogistics convoy, thecommander of the airborneescort,mountedinHummers,seemed to have forgotten

almosteverythingthathehadbeentaughtaboutroad-marchsecurity. Vehicles hit minesregularly, and a truck bombthat had not been looked atwas responsible for somevaluable lessons beinglearned ... the kind that cansavelives!Withthislastlive-fire exercise, the activityaroundFortPolkrapidlywentforward to get ready for thedrop of 1st Brigade thefollowing evening. As for

John and me, we got somesleep before what was goingtobeacoupleoflongdays.

JRTC/FortPolk,Saturday,October12th,1996

The drop of the 1 stBrigade was scheduled for1815 hours/6:15 PM thatevening,sowehadsometimeto get briefed on the comingscenario. For this rotation,

known as JRTC 97-1 (thiswas the first JRTC operationofFY-97),thefirstfivedayswould be devoted to whatwascalledthe“lowintensity”phase with the initial actiondirected mostly againstguerrilla forces; then thescenariowouldtransitiontoa“hot war” with the brigadefighting against a morepowerful and numerousmotorized and armored forcefrom a neighboring foreign

country. The basic scenariohad a friendly host nation,suffering from a guerrillainsurgency, asking for U.S.forces to pacify its territory.Later, the neighbor statesponsoring the insurgencywould actively invade thehostnation,causingageneraloutbreak of war. We werebriefedonthespecificsofthescenario by the O/C staff inwhat is known as the “1600Briefing Room,” after the

time of the daily situationbriefing that is held in theheadquarters building.Following the briefing, Johnand I were driven out to theexerciseareainaHummerbyMajor Jim Beinkemper, thehead of the Fort Polk PublicAffairsoffice.Hetookuseastalong what is known asArtillery Road, out to thedrop zone and dirt airstripwhere the brigade wouldarriveinaboutanhour.Atthe

southern end there is a smallcontroltowerandfirestation,where we would watch thedrop.Even as we parked our

HMMWV,we could feel theeyes of men upon us. ThesewereOPFOR forces, playingthe part of the local“liberation front” ofinsurgency forces. Theguerrillas were easilyrecognizable from their

floppy “boonie” hats, whichthey are required to wear atall times. 1st Brigade wasrequired towear theirKevlar“Fritz” helmets at all times,and O/Cs and other non-combatants had to wearcamouflaged patrol caps.Sincewehad a fewminutes,we took the time to talkwithsome of the OPFORguerrillas. They were cockyand proud, partially becausetheyweregoingtobefighting

on their “home” base, wherethey know all the hills andvalleys, and their opponentswould be at a seriousdisadvantage. Excusingourselves, we headed up thehill to the control tower,where General Sherfield andhis staff were alreadystanding by, as he normallydoes to oversee and observeairborneoperations.Airborneoperationsareariskyventure,asshownduringtheprevious

daywhenthebodyofa82ndAirborne trooper had beendiscovered, dead after afailure of his parachute andimpact with the ground. Theparatrooper had been part ofthe Division long-rangesurveillance detachmentdropped early to monitorOPFOR intentions.With thishideous reminder of howdangerous the profession canbe, everyone went back towork, praying that all went

wellwiththisnextjump.These thoughts were

somewhat muted by thegorgeous weather andvisibilitythathadfallenuponthe lowcountry thisOctober.Normallyaterribleplacewithhigh temperatures andhumidity, as well as killerinsectsandreptiles,FortPolkwasputtingonitsbestforthetroopersofthe1stBrigade.Agroupofsimulated“Rebel”

troops from the 1st Battalionof the 509th ParachuteInfantry Regiment await theAirborne Assault of the 1stBrigadeofthe82ndAirborneDivision,justpriortothestartof the Joint ReadinessTrainingCenter (JRTC) 97-1Deployment.JOHND.GRESHAM

Precisely at 1815hours/6:15PM,weheard thesound of C-141s in thedistance, and then thetransports were upon us.Eleven C-141Bs from the437th at Charleston AFB,carrying almost 1250troopers.The transportswerelined up in formations ofthree(exceptforthelastone),staggered to reduce thechances of a midair with ajumper. First out the door of

the lead aircraftwasGeneralCrocker, followed by theDivision Command SergeantMajor(CSM),SteveEngland.Right after them cameColonelPetraeusandhisnewCSM,DavidHenderson,whohad replaced Vince Meyersafter Royal Dragon. The airseemedfullofparachutesandsoldiers and the transportstreamneededseveralrunstofinish unloading the entirebrigade. In theend, the jump

went almost perfectly, withonly a few minor back andleg injuries in the dimmingtwilight. In less than half anhour, the brigadewas on thegroundandmovingout.As soon as the first

troopers hit the ground,LGOPs began to form andmove off towards theirobjectives. Several groups ofparatroops headed in ourdirection, beginning to

engage the guerrillas thatwehad chatted with a fewminutes earlier. Simulatedfirefights broke out (usingblank ammunition and thelaser-activated MILES gear).Thingsbegantogetexciting.At the major’s suggestion,

we left thearea to thosewhoneeded the training andretiredtoourquartersbackatFortPolk.Thenextmorning,though,wewere out early to

visit Devil-6 and hisheadquarters unit.Unfortunately, when wefoundthem,itturnedoutthatthe Brigade TacticalOperationsCenter(TOC)hadnever been set up theprevious night. The originalsiteselectedfortheTOChadturned out to be full ofguerrillas, and theheadquarters would be sitedin a new place later in theday.Thismeant that the first

day’s fightwould have to bedirected out of the mobileTOC(loadedintoHummers),which was much lessefficient. The brigade wouldpay for this failure to set uplater, but for now, thingsseemed to be going well. C-130swereflyingsuppliesintothesmalldirtairstrip,andthevarious units were alreadydigginginwiththeassistanceof the engineering companyand their earth-moving

equipment. Within twenty-four hours, the brigadecommandposts,artillery,andlogistical sites would be dugin deep. Theywould need tobe, because the guerrillasweregettingnasty.The airborne assault of the82ndAirborneDivision’s 1stBrigade onto the SimulatedJoint Readiness TrainingCenter Battlefield at FortPolk, Louisiana. About 1250

1st Brigade “Devils”parachutedintotheJRTC97-1 Rotation Exercise duringOctoberof1996.JOHND.GRESHAM

By dawn of the D-Day+2(Monday, the 14th ofOctober), theunits in theDZwere taking intermittent firefrom a handful of peskyguerrilla mobile mortarteams. In addition, man-portablesurface-to-airmissile(SAM)teamswerebeginningto get shots at some of theBrigade’s helicopter force.Therefore, Colonel Petraeusordered those teams hunteddown and killed by the

brigade’s force of OH-58DKiowa Warriors and thehowitzers firing in acounterbattery mode againstmortar teams. By the fourthdayoftheoperation,theyhaddone a pretty good job,having killed something liketwo thirds of the enemyweaponsteams.However,notallwaswell.The simulated casualties

had been heavy during the

initialphasesoftheoperation,and the brigade was late ingetting theMEDEVAC/treatment/replacement cycle started.Partofthereasonforthiswasthe delay in setting up theTOC until D-Day+1. Theresult was the brigade’sstrength was dropping, andwould bottom out aroundD-Day+5atabout70percentofdrop strength. From there,theywouldslowlybuildback

up, this vital lesson learnedthe hard way. Other lessonswouldbelearnedaswell.Someofthesewerelearned

by folks like Major RobBaker, the Brigade’sOperations Officer (S-3).Unusually a very sharpofficer,hefailedtofollowtheadvice of CSM Hendersonone day while visiting thevarious battalion TOCs, andverynearlybecameacasualty

when he left his securitydetailbehind.Asniperstartedpopping off at him, and hewound up scampering off tosafety, a vital lesson aboutbalancing physical couragewithhisresponsibilitiestotheBrigadefullyimpresseduponhim.Another young officer got

a lesson in humility on thenight of D-Day+2. Thatevening,JohnandIwerewith

Major Beinkemper, sitting inonaneveningbriefingbythestaff in theBrigadeTOC.Atthe precise moment that theyoung intelligenceofficer (S-2) announced the apparentdemiseofmostof theenemymortar teams, severalcontractor support personnelon all-terrain vehicles pulledup and dumped nine firemarkers (mortar-shellsimulators) around the TOC.Aseveryoneranforthecover

of the force protectiontrenches,andthebrigadestafftried to get the section of155mmguns to fire onto theapparent position of themortar team, you could seeColonel Petraeus smiling ateveryone in the TOC andshouting, “No pressure,people!” It was hard not tosmirkatthediscomfortoftheyoungofficer.Butsuchisthewaythatyoungofficersgrowandlearn.

Colonel David “Devil-6”Petraeus, Commander of the82ndAirborneDivision’s 1stBrigade, makes a joke withhis headquarters staff duringa simulated opposing force(OPFOR)MortarAttack.Hiscommentduringthescramblefor slit trenches andinformation? “NOPRESSURE,PEOPLE!”JOHND.GRESHAM

JRTC/FortPolk,Sunday,October16th,1996

By D-Day+5, the brigadehad achieved all of itsplanned objectives for the“low intensity” phase of thedeployment. Over the pastseveral days, thebrigadehadenlarged its airhead, gottencaughtuponMEDEVACandcasualtyreplacement,andhadfinally opened up a secureroad route to thewestwhere

the brigade aviation elementwas based, close to themainbase at Fort Polk. This hadbeenabitsticky,becausethesingle company assigned toprotect the aircraft and theirvulnerable Forward Armingand Refueling Point (FARP)hadnearlybeendestroyedbyaggressive patrolling by therebelforces.Inaddition,therehad been several terroristincidents, the worst of thesebeing an attack by enemy

sappers on the brigademaintenance center near theDZ. For the next few days,maintenance on vehicles andother equipment would beheavily restricted as thepersonnel went through thereplacement system and theequipmentwasrepaired.Other attacks at JRTC can

be damaging as well. Theyrange from emplacingsurprise minefields on roads,

to the most wild of thecivilian role-players,Grandma “Truck Bomb.”This is an elderly civiliancontractor employee whoplaysthewifeofthemayorinoneoftheciviliansettlementsaround the DZ. What shedoes is make friends withtroopers at a particularroadblock or other importantsecurity checkpoint, andbring them snacks andcookies for several days.

Then, when she sees themgetting complacent, shedrives up in a truck, walksaway,andremotelydetonatesa simulated truck bombwhich will simulate killingeveryonewithina largearea!While this may sound sick,remember some of theassassinations and bombingsofthelastfifteenyearsorso,and ask yourself if a grannytruck bomber is possible ornot.

A simulated terrorist truckbombisdetonatedattheJointReadiness Training Centerduring a unit rotation. Such“real world” events helpmake the JRTC the world’sfinestinfantrytrainingcenter.OFFICIAL U.S. ARMYPHOTOButnowthetimehadcome

to transition to the “hotwar”phase of the deployment,where the regular forcesof a

neighboring nation to thesouth and east were movinginto the territory of the hostnation for an invasion. Theforces, built around asimulated Soviet-stylemotorized rifle regiment(much like theones inuseatthe NTC), are supposed tosmash into the lightly armedU.S. infantryunits and try topush them off theirobjectives. Colonel Petreaushadotherideas,though.Heis

abigbeliever inwinning theintelligence/counterintelligencebattle before the big fightdevelops, and he wasaggressively patrolling withhis troopers to find the routeof the enemy advance, duefor the morning of D-Day+8(October19th).That night, his patrols

destroyedmanyoftheenemyreconnaissanceunits,andhadestablishedthelikelyrouteof

theenemyattack.Hequicklyputhistwoinfantrybattalionsside by side along the route,laidaviciousstringofminesand barricades, and choppedtheenemyregimenttopieceswith artillery and Hellfiremissiles from the OH-58Ds,lending to a successfuldefenseoftheirpositions.Thiswasastunningvictory

for1stBrigade,anditsettheOPFORbackontheirheelsa

bit. They did ramp up thethreat level a bit with morerebel activity, and even achemical weapons attack onone of the forward infantrycompanies, but Devil-6 andhisstaffweregettingstrongernow, and their agility on thebattlefield was starting toshow.

JRTC/FortPolk,Friday,October18th,1996

With their victory in thedefensive fight, it was timefor the 1st Brigade to set upfor theirfinalbigfightof thedeployment: the force-on-forcebattle for theShughart-Gordon MOUT facility. Asanygood infantry leaderwilltellyou,thereisnofasterwayto suffer heavy casualtiesthan toget intoa slowurbanassault. Nevertheless,Shughart-Gordon was one ofthe primary objectives that

the brigade had to take, soColonel Petraeus decided tofind an indirect route to theobjective. Most JRTCparticipants move toShughart-Gordonviatheeast-westArtilleryRoad that runsfrom the main base at FortPolkout totheDZ/airfieldintheeast.To thisend,“Devil-1” decided to grease thewheels of the Shughart-Gordon assault with anindirectapproach.Todothis,

he sent a “pinning” force ofM551Sheridans(thedivisionstill had these in late 1996)and Hummers loaded withinfantry along the ArtilleryRoad in front of Shughart-Gordon,todrawtheattentionoftheOPFORblockingforcein front of the MOUT site.Then, once he knew that theOPFOR troops were solidlyinvolved with thediversionary force, he force-marched the majority of his

force in a wide arc to thesouth,aroundtheoldartilleryimpact zone that lies in themiddle of the range area.Most folks don’t use thisarea, but Petraeus hadchecked with the O/Cs andtheyhadruled themovementlegal.So, on thenight of the19th (D-Day+9), the bulk ofthe brigade moved to aposition behind Shughart-Gordon to the northwest oftheMOUTsite.Then,putting

four infantry companies online together, they just rolledforward over the smallsecurity force that theOPFOR had left in thecomplex. His men justwalked in, taking over like a“Big Dog” with a minimumof casualties. Suddenly, thegamewasallbutover.Therewould be several otherterrorist bombings, includingatruckbombingoftheFARPafter it was moved to the

north end of the DZ.However, only a couple ofUH-60L Blackhawks werelost,andtherestwereabletoholdtheload.A C-130 Hercules from the314th Airlift Wing at LittleRock AFB, Arkansas, comesin to landon thedirt landingstripintheFortPolkTrainingRange. During their JointReadiness Training Center(JRTC) deployments,

airborne units draw theirsuppliesfromairdropsandairdeliverieslikethisone.JOHND.GRESHAM

Totryandputsomefurtherpressure on 1st Brigade, theO/Cs and OPFOR forcescounterattacked,andstagedanumberofairattackswiththeRussian attack helicopters aswellasF-16susedtosimulateSoviet Su- 22 Fitter fighterbombers. However, thebrigade’s Avenger andMANPAD SAM systemsgaveasgoodastheygot,andthe attacks generally wereblunted. By the time the

“ENDEX Time” (End ofExercisesignal)messagewassent on D-Day+11 (October23rd), the brigade hadachieved virtually all of itspre-deploymentobjectives.This is not to say that

everythingwentperfectly.Onthe contrary, the delay in thesetupoftheBrigadeTOC,theproblems with theMEDEVAC system, and thefailure to clear the Artillery

Roadout for theFARPearlyintheexercisewerejudgedtohavebeenthingsthatrequiredwork. But in general, thetroopers had learned a lot,andgiventheperfectOctoberweather, it had been aglorious stay in the“Sportsman’s Paradise.”Oddly, the weather turnedugly and rainy after theENDEX Time, when thebrigade was policing up thebattlefield (retrieving

defensive wire and filling inexcavations). Once this wasdone, thebrigadewas loadedup on buses for the twenty-four-hour ride back to FortBragg and home. ThoughJRTC deployments are notsupposed to be about“winning” and “losing,”Colonel Petreaus and his 1stBrigade had clearly donewell. Not perfectly, butexceptionally by JRTCstandards. By the time they

arrivedhome,theyweretiredbut happy. They were nowreadytogobackontoDRB-1alert status, which occurredonNovember1st,1996.

Soldiers at the U.S. ArmyJoint Readiness TrainingCenter (JRTC) breaching awire obstacle at a MOUTSite. The JRTC/Fort Polkrangeshaveanumberofsuchfacilities, giving rotatingsoldiers unparalleled traininginMOUTtactics.JOHND.GRESHAM

Good-to-Go:DRB-1(November1stto

December13th,1996)

Following the end of JRTC97-1, the brigade finished itspreparations to take over asthe DRB-1 Brigade. Despitehaving all three battalions athisdisposalthistime,ColonelPetraeus decided again tohaveonlytwoofthethreeon

DRF-1 status during thecoming alert period. Asplanned,the3/504wouldtakethe alert spot for the firstthreeweeks(November1stto22nd), and then 1/504,commanded by LieutenantColonel Leo Brooks andSergeant Major CurtisWalker, would go DRF forthe final three weeks(November 22nd toDecember 13th) of therotation. In reserve would

be2/504,actingasthe“push”battalion for the other two,should a deployment beneeded. Fortunately, no suchcontingencyarose.However, the XVIII

Airborne Corps leadershipkeepsafewsurprisesin theirbag for the units on DRB-1alert,andthe1stBrigadewasabout tobe tested again.Thetest is known as anEmergency Deployment

Readiness Exercise (EDRE),andthesearesomeofthebestevaluationsofjusthowreadya unit is to go off to warshould it be required. In thiscase, the EDRE began onDecember 3rd, 1996, whenthealertorderwentouttothebrigade (the 3/504 had theDRF-1 duty at this time).This was run exactly like areal emergency deployment(in fact, the troopers initiallyhad no idea if it was real or

anexercise),completewithatwo-hour recall deadline andlock-downof theDRF in theCMApriortoheadingovertothe Green Ramp at PopeAFB. Less than eighteenhours after the alert wasissued, the 3/504, alongwiththe brigade headquarters, aspecial team of specialistsfromthe82nd,jumpedintoasimulated evacuationsituation at 0210 hours/2:10AM on December 4th at the

Avon Park Airfield inFlorida.Once on the ground,the special team from thedivision conducted asimulated Non-CombatantEvacuationOperation(NEO),to remove a number ofsimulated U.S. citizens froma crisis. In a little overtwenty-four hours, theoperation was finished, andthe entire DRF re-embarkedand flew back on December6th. Once there, the force

again jumped at night fromtheir transports, having doneso twice in just three days.Overall,itwasanoutstandingoperation that showed justhow sharp a combat edgeColonel Petraeus had giventhe 1st Brigade. By the timethat the 1st Brigade handedoff theDRB-1alertstatusonFriday,the13thofDecember,1996, they were as taut andcombat ready as they everhadbeen.

FortBragg,Wednesday,November27th,1996

There was one otherimportant event in theeighteen-week cycle of thedivision, and a happy one atthat. Shortly after we hadseen General Crocker on theramp atCharlestonAFB, thewordcamedownthathewasabout to be promoted tolieutenantgeneral,andmovedup to the command of a

corps.ThusitcametobethatthedaybeforeThanksgiving,the newly frocked GeneralCrocker andhis replacement,Major General Joseph K.Kellogg,Jr.,stoodtogetherinthe time-honored way as thebaton of responsibility forAmerica’s only airbornedivision was handed on to anew leader. For GeorgeCrocker, this day meant athirdstarandcommandoftheU.S. I Corps out at Fort

Lewis, Washington.However, it was hard toimagine that toughmanwhoembodies everything thatmakes the airbornecommunity great could handhis command over without atwinge of emotion. But hewasgivingthejobtoanotherskilledparatrooper.Infact,tolook at General Kellogg’sbiography is to see thestandard path for 82ndAirborne Division

commanders.He is the latestin a long line of All-American commanders whohave commanded America’sbest-known combat unit. Onthe walls of his headquartersare names like Ridgway,Gavin, Stiner, and nowGeorge Crocker. Each ofthesemenlefttheirownmarkonthe82nd,anditremainstobe seen what his will be.Whateverhedoesaccomplishin the next two years of his

tour, you can bet that he toowill keep up the tradition ofAmerica’sHonorGuard.

The82ndAirborneintheRealWorld

Onceagain,I’mgoingtospinacoupleofshortyarnsaboutjust how units like the 82ndAirborne might ply theirdeadlytradeintherealworldof the future. To this end,we’regoing to lookadecade

or so into the early years ofthe21stcentury(yes,itreallyis that close!) at what kindsof things theparatroopsfromFortBraggmightbeaskedtodo. Interestingly, and unlikethe other kinds of units thatwe have explored in otherbooksinthisseries, the82ndwill probably keep doing thesame jobs they have alwaysdone: peacekeeping, pre-invasion assaults, airfieldraids. More difficult and

involved jobs, and probablyin new places around theglobe,butstillthesamekindsof kick-in-the-door and bust-heads jobs that have beentheirspecialty foroverahalfcentury. So read on, and seewhere and what the All-Americans of the 82ndAirbornemaybeupto in tenyearsorso.

OperationFortApache:Sudan,2007

Hamedan-NielMosque,Omdurman,Sudan,February5th,2007

In the dusty courtyardoutside the mosque, Hassanal-Mahdi stood flanked bymembers of his personalguard,watchingmenwhirlto

the beating of hand drums,their arms flung out forbalance, their eyes closed,expressions of rapture ontheir faces as they soughtoneness with Allah in thefrenziedrhythmsofthedhikr.Swirling loosely around theirthin,asceticbodies,therobeswere blurs of color under askystainedredwithsunset,adeep bloodred that made al-Mahdi think of those whosepath to God had demanded

far more than spiritualexercises—those who hadsuffered the pain ofmartyrdom so that theSudanese people might findtheirdestiny.Earlierthatday,adecisionmadebyal-MahdiinKhartoumhad thrust themfurther toward that destinythananyoneoutsidehisrulingcouncilcouldhaveimagined.His brown, almost black

eyes narrowed in the fading

light, al-Mahdi rubbed hisfingers over his rituallyscarred cheeks and reflectedon the pivotal meeting thathad taken place in thenation’s capital across theconfluence of the Blue andWhiteNiles.Hewasawareofhis persuasive leadershipabilities, and knew thatwithout his will, his vision,the Islamic LeadershipCouncil (ILC) would neverhave embarked upon the

coursetheyhadchosen,neverhavecalledforacampaignofopen hostilities against theWest. However, he was nottoo proud to acknowledgethat every great harvestoriginated with the plantingof small seeds. His successtoday owed much to theeffortsofhispredecessors.

AmapoftheAirborneActioninKhartoum,Sudan.JACKRYANENTERPRISES,LTD.,BYLAURAALPHERFor years the Sudan had

been quietly increasing itspower and standing withinthe Middle East and PersianGulf regions. Its rise hadbegun with the institution ofMuslim shari’a law twodecades before, andcontinued throughout the

1990s with radical economicreforms and the cleansing ofnon-Muslimsintherebellioussouth.Alsoduringthatperiod,the

Sudanese rulers hadstrengthened their ties withother Sufist regimes,sponsoring anti-Egyptianguerrillas in the northernborder territories, smugglingfoodstuffs and other suppliesto Iraq during the

interminableperiodofUnitedNations sanctions, firmlyaligning themselves withYemen and Iran in theircampaign to excise thecancerous influence of theWest from Arab politics andsociety.At the same time, the

Sudan had lured privateEuropean and Canadianfinanciers into investing inthe development of its

petroleum fields like a cobradoing a subtle dance toconfound and draw its prey.Now that Western money,technology, engineers, andlaborers had given theSudanesepeoplethemeanstoextract and process the oil—enough oil to satisfy theirneeds for at least anotherdecade—the infidels finallycouldbesentpacking.Hassan al-Mahdi had

waited long for this day. Adistant descendant ofMohammed Ahmad—thegreat Sudanese warrior whointhe19thcenturyledaholywar against Europeancolonialists, laid siege toKhartoum, and displayed itsBritish governor’s head on apole for all his troops to see—al-Mahdi had sincechildhood been filled with asense of exalted andinexorable mission. While

still shy of his thirtiethbirthday,al-Mahdihadunitedhis country’s two mostpowerful religiousmovements, the Ansar andthe Ikhwan al-Muslimeen,under his sole authority, andconvincedthetribalchieftainsto proclaim him as theirMahdi,ormessengerofGod.Three years ago, he hadwrested control of themilitary government in aswift and bloody coup,

selectedsympatheticgeneralsfrom the former regime tocommandhisarmy, launcheda vigorous effort to improvehis country’s economicinfrastructure, and used thetax profits to increase hisbacking of anti-Westernmilitias.Nowtheculminationofal-

Mahdi’s plans was at hand.At the council gathering thathadendednotanhourago,he

had won approval for apositive campaign ofharassment of Western—andespecially American—nationalsinKhartoum.For the present, it was

essential that these incidentsappeared to be randomoutbursts of mob violencerather than orchestratedassaults.Thiswouldnotonlygive the Sudanesegovernment deniability, but

allow it to express righteousoutrage at the chargesAmerica was bound to raisein the United Nations. Aslong as thegodlessmongrelswere unable to bolster theirclaims with definitive proof,anyretaliatorystepstheytookcould be labeled as acts ofaggression. How would itappear to the internationalcommunity if they sentmilitary planes and warshipsagainst the will of righteous

street fighters? Surely then,whatever response the Sudaninitiated in its defense mightbeconsideredjustifiable.No matter how events

unfolded, America and itsallies would find themselvesin an untenable position. Atthe very least, their citizenswouldhavetofleetheSudanwith their tails between theirlegsandtheirflagsstuffedintheir pockets. And if they

were goaded into openhostilities, flare-ups of anti-Western violence wouldspread throughout the regionlike chain lightning,prompting further diplomaticand civilian withdrawals.Eventually the hordes offoreigners would return totheir own lands, and thebalanceofpowerintheArabdomainswould shift to thosewho remained faithful to thewordofAllah.

Now al-Mahdi nodded tohis guards, signaling he wasready to depart. Dusk hadsettled over the field and thecircleofdust-blownmenhadnearly lost its cohesion,dissolving like a group ofcelestialobjectsthathadbeenpushed out of orbit.Most ofthe elder devotees hadsuccumbed to fatigue, whiletheiryouthfulinitiatesdizzilyspun out the remainingmoments to nightfall. Al-

Mahdi wondered if any ofthem had found thedetachment from worldlyconcerns—the communionwith Allah—that theceremonywasmeanttobringabout. As a youth he hadoccasionallyjoinedin,buthehad never been able toabandon himself to thedeliriousmovement,andsuchbliss had always remainedelusive. For him, the path toGod was best attained

throughaction.

Shariaal-Gamaʼa,CentralKhartoum,Sudan,February14th,2007

Therustytourbuscoughedand wheezed down theavenue like an asthmaticdinosaur,movingpaststringsof cheap restaurants, banks,travel offices, and drearygovernment buildings whose

sagging arcades hearkenedbacktothecaptiveprosperityof British colonial rule.Ragged beggars, mostlydisplaced Nuer tribesmenfrom the south, crowded thebus route, dozens of themshambling through the souqshaabi, or “people market,”where the group of thirtyAmerican and Europeanpassengers had boarded.Others were drowsing in thesolid,shadelessnoondayheat.

This particular bus wasscheduledtomakefourstops:the old Khartoum zoo, theNational Museum, MorganFamily Park, and, for thosewilling to wait on endlesslines for a stamp or sporadicfax service, the post office.Every one of the so-calledtourist attractions was ascheerless as thepopulace.Atthe zoo a smattering ofmangy lions, sad-eyedhippopotami, and blighted

crocodilesbaked in cramped,unattended cages. Half therides in the amusement parkwereout of commission, andthe rest just seemed to creakalong like tiredoldmenwhocould hardly wait to be freeoftheirlongandburdensomeexistences. With its ancientartifacts and reconstructedEgyptian temples, themuseum alone could havebeen considered a trueattractionfor foreignvisitors.

Today, though,wasMonday,and according to thebrochures it was only openfromTuesdaytoSunday.Perhaps a quarter mile

fromthestartofitsroute,thebus lumbered into a small,cobbled square that markedthe intersection of Sharia al-Gama’a and Sharia al-Muk.Just aheadwas the sprawlingPeople’s Palace, behindwhose sunbaked walls

hundreds of administrativeofficialsaddedtheirweighttothe massive governmentbureaucracy. The bus driverslowed, squinting out of thedust-caked windshield. Asmall knot of local men insandals and loose-fittingwhitejalabiyyashadgatheredin the middle of the square,directlyinthepathofthebus.Frowning, the driver slappedthehornwithhismeatypalmtogetthemtoscatter.Instead,

perhaps five of the youngermen began walking towardsthebus,shoutinginsultsatitspassengersinArabic.Thedriver leanedhishead

out the window. “Out of theway!” he yelled. Almostbefore the words left hismouth,hesawthatseveralofthemenwere carryingmetalpipes. Nor was that all thedriver noticed. As the noisygroup moved forward, he

spottedamakeshiftroadblocklessthantenfeet/threemetersbehind where they’d beenstanding when the bus hadfirst rolled into the square.Although it was little morethan a pile of wood andtwisted scrap metal, thebarricade extended from onesideofthestreettotheother,and would be impossible tobypass. His eyes widenedwithalarm.Overthelastfewweeks there had been

increasing tension betweenthe native inhabitants ofKhartoum and Westerntravelers. Ostensibly, thecausehadbeenanincidentortwo that had involved streetgangs hurling threats attourists, and in one casepickingafightthatresultedinminor injury to the visitingson of an Americanagriculturalist. But theseoutburstshadseemedtohaveno connection with each

other, other than the basicanti-Western sentimentsshared by many locals, andafter the obligatorydiplomatic protests, thingshadquieteddown.Forhisownpart,thedriver

harbored no particular illfeelings toward theWesterners, since he earnedhis living off them. But hewasnotgoingtorisklifeandlimb by staying in the bus

with the mob closing in.Jerking the gear shift intopark,hesprangoffhisfrayedbucket seat and pushed outhis door, shouting praises toAllahat the topofhis lungs,leavinghispassengerstofendfor themselves. Withinmoments the angry, cursingmen were streaming aroundthebus,batteringitwiththeirclubs. Metal buckled undertheir furious pounding.Windows shattered. One of

the men pulled a smallautomatic handgun fromunder his gown and shot outall the tires. Inside the bus,passengerswerescreaminginpanic and confusion, somebadly cut from the explosivesprays of glass while otherscrouched in their seats withtheir hands foldedprotectively over their heads.One old man clutched hischest in pain, groaned andthen spilled limply to the

floor mat. A young womanpulled a dazed, crying littlegirlinablood-soakeddresstoher breast. All were certainthe howling mob would tearthem apart if they tried toescape.Nowthebusbegantorock

and sway, the axles creakingastherobedmobgatheredonthe driver’s side and beganshoving themselvesagainst itin unison, leveraging it with

their hands and shoulders.The leftwheels lifted off theground, bumped back down,lifted again and droppedagain. Then, with the bustiltingfarthertotherightwitheachconcertedpushfromthemob, it finally overturnedamid the tortured grating ofmetal and helpless shrieks ofthe people trapped inside.Onememberof themobhadpulled a video camera fromunderhisgown,steadiediton

his shoulder, and caught theentire scene on tape. Twentyminutes later the recordingwould reach the barracks ofhis militia leader. An hourafter that a copy would begiven to Hassan al-Mahdi,who viewed it on a large-screen television in hissumptuous palace quarters,thinking it would play verywell indeed, once it fell intothe hands of the Americanmedia.

U.S.Embassy,Khartoum,Sudan,February16th,2007

The newscasters werecallingittheValentine’sDaymassacre: a mob attack on atour bus that had left twentyof the Western sightseersaboard dead, and theremainder seriously injured.More than half of thefatalities had beenAmericans. Fourwere youngchildren. In his residential

quarters in the U.S. embassycompound,NevilleDiamond,American ambassador to theSudanese Republic, reachedforhisremoteandclickedoffthe television set, cursing the“talking head” anchorman asheblinkedintothevoidofitsdarkenedscreen.Enoughwasenough,hethought.CNNhadbeen running the videofootage of the tragedy dayandnight sincean“unnamedsource”haddeliveredittothe

network’s Middle Easternoffice. Running it until thesounds and images hadbecomeindeliblyimprintedinthe minds of viewers aroundthe globe. The bus topplingover. Passengers screaming,their terrified faces visiblethrough the smashedwindows.And then the spurtof flame from the gas tankjust before the boomingexplosion ... Reporters werehaving a field day with the

story, and somebodyatCNNhad even come up with agoddamn theme song to playwhenevertheyrepeatedit.Enough. Within hours of

the incident—it seemed apale, almost obscenelyinadequateword toDiamondwhenyouwere talkingaboutinnocent people who’d beenreduced to charred, mangledcorpses. An incident? Butthatwaswhatdiplomatswere

supposed to call such things,wasn’t it? The British,French, and Germans hadclosed down their embassiesand evacuated their staffs,simply packed up theirtroublesintheoldkitbagandleft the country. Only theU.S. had kept its diplomaticfacilities open. It wasn’t amatter of holding the linebecause of principle orpolitics, although both hadbeen factors in the decision.

To pull out would be anacknowledgment of thecomplete disintegration ofinternational relations withthe largest country on theAfrican continent, one thattook up 2% of the world’stotal land surface and sharedkey strategic borders withnineothernations,LibyaandEgypt among them. Humanliveswerethemostimportantconcern, however. Therewere perhaps two hundred

non-American Westernnationals currentlywithin theborders of the Sudan.Businesspeople and theirfamilies, relief workers,students, travelers, even ahandfulofGreekandEnglishexpatriates whose familieshad arrived during the lastyears of the imperialist era.These foreign citizens wouldneed a safe haven, and aportal out of the countryshould the political climate

worsen. Without a friendlyembassy as a fallback, theywouldbesittingducks.Diamond sighed wearily,

checked his watch, and ranhis palm back over his headto smooth a stray hair intoplace. Fifteen minutes untilhis meeting with theSudaneseMinisterofStatetodiscuss the possibilities forimproving relations with theWestern powers.Hewas not

at all optimistic about itsoutcome.

ILCHeadquarters,Khartoum,Sudan,February16th,2007

“What do you mean theembassyisstayingopen?”al-Mahdi snarled, rising fromhis chair and slamming hisfist down on the counciltable. Seated across from

him,MinisterofStateAbdel-Ghanitriednottoflinch.“Just that, Highness. The

American ambassador statedthis to me unequivocally,citing his government’sbenevolent intentions to helpprevent us from becomingisolated in the worldcommunity. Due to theactions of a few renegadestreetthugs,asheputit.”Al-Mahdi’s black eyes

gleamed like chips of mica.“Diamond is a man ofsophisticationandexperience.Surely he cannot be naiveenough to believe the so-called thugs were actingwithout our council’ssanction.”“He plays the typical

American game, and it ispitifully transparent,” hissenior advisor said frombeside him. Ahmad

Saabdulah was a wiry,compactmanwiththickblackhair and hawkish features.“Everything is couched inmoralistic rhetoric. They sitin our homeland and tell uswhat must be done for ourowngood,asiftheirnationalinterests were of noconsequence.”“Perhaps we should clear

the esteemed Americanconsul of the impression that

he continues to be welcomehere,” al-Mahdi said. “In themostforcefulwaypossible.”Thereweresevenministers

intheILC.Allwerepresentlyseated at the large circularconferencetable,watchingal-Mahdi with intent faces. “Isaywetaketheembassy,”hecontinued, his gaze brieflylevelingoneachministerasitpassed around the table.“MuchasourIranianbrothers

didnearly threedecadesago.Only we will not leave theoperationtoanunrulymilitia,but employ regular armytroops to secure thecompound.”“Youspeakofanovertact

of war,” Abdel-Ghani said.Uncertainty flickered in hiseyes.“These are the inmates of

the fire and they shall abidein it,” al-Mahdi replied,

quoting from the Koran.“Allah shall guide us tovictory.” The ministers keptlooking at him. “Are you allasleep, or does your silencemean we are in agreement?”heasked in abiting tone. “Ifwe are, then letme see yourhands.” Saabdulah’s armcame up first, rapidlyfollowed by five more.Abdel-Ghani hesitated amoment, but then caught asharp, meaningful look from

his ruler and raisedhishand.The vote, as always, wasunanimous in al-Mahdi’sfavor.

U.S.EmbassyCompound,Khartoum,Sudan,2300Hours,February16,2007

Ed Sanderson was whatyou’d call a meat-and-potatoes kind of guy To hellwith his cholesterol count,

justgivehimajuicysteaksixnights a week, and acheeseburgerwithfriesontheseventh,andhe’dbesmiling.Oh, yes, easy on theseasonings too, please. Apinchofpepper,asprinkleofsalt, a dash of A-1 saucewould do him just fine. Itwas, Sanderson had alwaysthought, anunfortunate ironythat his culinary preferencesand professional interestsweresogreatlyatodds.Asa

renowned Middle Easternexpert, and the resident CIAstationchief inKhartoum,hefound himself sitting over aplateoffuul,aregionalstapleprepared from mashed beansand spices, far more oftenthanadelectablyfat-drippinghamburger. Likewise, he hadahard timegettingholdof agood cup of his favoriteWestern-style coffee,Maxwell House or ChockFull O’ Nuts, with just a

splash of milk and spoonfulof sugar. In Khartoum yourchoices were limited tojebbana, a pitch-black brewheavily spiced with gingerand cinnamon, or the eventarrier, spicier Turkish blendcalledgahwaturki.Now, sipping his jebbana

fromtheunwieldychinabowlin which it had been served,Sandersonmadeaharderthanusual effort to hide his

distaste, concerned that hislate-night visitor, the SouthAfrican attaché, wouldmistakenly construe his sourexpressionasdirectedathimrather than the beverage.With the risk he’d takentonight, Nathan Butto hadonceagainprovenhimself tobe a close friend anddiplomatic ally. He was thelast person on earthSandersonwantedtooffend.

“Nathan,what you’ve toldmeisincredible,”hesaid,andlooked across his desk at theattaché.“Pleaseunderstand, Ipersonally have utmost faithin your information.But youmust be aware that when Irelay it to Langley and theState Department they’llinsist on being given thesource.”“Tell him what exactly I

told you,” Butto said. “It

came to me directly from ahigh-level minister in theSudanese government. Onewho sits close to al-Mahdi’srighthand.”“That as specific as you

canbe?”Butto nodded. “My

informant has already placedhimselfingreatjeopardy.Weboth know that men havebeentorturedtodeathmerelyfor expressing their

disagreementwithal-Mahdi’sopinion. Hewould be flayedalive in public if his identitywererevealed.”“For al-Mahdi to think he

canoverrun theembassyandget away with it, commit anact of flagrant aggressionagainst the United States ...it’sastonishing.”“So you’ve already

indicated, although I believethe word you used a minute

agowas ‘incredible.’ ”Buttogave him a grim smile. “Butin his mind he is bothmessiahandwarlord.”“And in mine he’s a

delusionary sonovabitch,”Sandersonsaid.Heraisedhiscoffeetohislips,heldittherea moment without takinganotherdrink,andset itbackdown. “I’d better wake upDiamond, let him know thegoddamjihad’s set tostart in

less than forty-eight hours,”he said, reaching for thephoneonhisdesk.“Indeed,”Buttosaid.“You

say that with surprisingaccuracy.” Sanderson gave agrimsmileinreply.

TheWhiteHouse,Washington,D.C.,0100

Hours,February17th,2007

The President was used to

working until all hours,having long ago given uptrying to remedy hisinsomnia,deciding to insteadputhisrestlessnightstogooduse. On the other hand, theconstellation of militaryadvisors and cabinet officialsinthebriefingroomwithhim—particularly the SecretariesofStateandDefense—lookedfrazzled and overtired. Onlythe Chairman of the JointChiefsseemedtohaveallhis

burners lit, which saidsomething for militarydiscipline,nowdidn’tit?“I still advise we get

further confirmation of thisleak before taking action ofour own,” the Secretary ofState was saying. “If wedispatch forces prematurely,andtheSudanesedon’tmoveontheembassy, it’llbemorethanaseriousembarrassmentto us. Every sheikhdom and

caliphateintheregionwillbeup in arms at our aggressionagainst a sovereign Muslimstate.”The President shook his

head vehemently. “I’m notwaiting until the embassy’sbeen overrun and I have ahostage crisis on my hands.Thereareover threehundredU.S. personnel in thecompound with their wivesand kids included. Plus

maybe a couple hundredcitizens of Western nationswho’ve gone there to seekrefugefromarmedgangsthathavebeenrunningwildinthestreets. These people have tobeextracted.”“I agree with you on

principle,” the Secretary ofDefensesaid,asthePresidenthad expected. Pick an issueand his view tended to bediametrically opposed to that

oftheSecretaryofState.Thetwo men were thick asthieves, however, theirfriendship seeming to thriveonargument.“Myconcern isthe strategic difficulty oflaunchingarescue.It’sasurething we’re not going to getanyhelpfromothernationsintheregion.”“Not even theEgyptians?”

the President asked. “Theirtroops have been involved in

border skirmishes with theSudan for almost twodecades.”The Secretary of State

shrugged. “True, but whenpushcomestoshove,it’ssuretobethesameoldstory.TheEgyptian president’s got hisown problems with terroristsandradicalfactionswithinhisgovernment. He won’t wantto rile them over an issuethat’s essentially got nothing

todowithhim.”“Mr. President, I think we

ought to look at shaking themothballs off Operation FortApache.” This from GeneralRichard Hancock, theChairman of the JointChiefsof Staff, who sat thererubbinghischin,ameditativeexpressiononhisface.The President glanced at

Hancock, gesturing with hishand for him to continue.

“FortApachewascookedupinthenineties,butcouldhavebeen tailor-made for thesituation we’ve beendiscussing. It’s based on theidea that anairborne infantrybattalioncanbedropped intoan urban area on or near athreatened or overrunembassy compound withoutexternal support from othernations.”“SoundstomelikeCharlie

Beckwith’s old nightmarescenario,” the Secretary ofStatesaid.“The extraction would be

dicey, to say the least.We’dneed to fly the choppersnonstop from theRedSea toKhartoum and have themtouch ground on a hot LZ ,”theDefenseSecretarysaid.“That’s where the Osprey

comes in. TheMV-22Bs cando the job without any

refueling, and three timesfaster thantheoldCH-46sorCH-53s.It’sagile,and,forallintents and purposes, self-deployable.”“Which makes it ideal for

plucking our evacs out of abrushfire,” the Secretary ofDefensesaid.“Exactly.” General

Hancock sipped from thewater glass at his elbow andthen glanced at the Secretary

of State. “You mentionedColonel Beck-with a secondago.IfheandtheDeltaForcehad been given a piece ofequipment like theOsprey athis disposal for Eagle Claw,the 1980 Iranian hostagerescueattemptmightnothaveended in a wash. Same goesfor the Son Tay POWextractiontenyearsearlier.”“Okay, let’shear therest,”

thePresidentsaid.

Hancock nodded. “Oncethe troopers have beendelivered,theyfighttheirwayinto theembassy, relieveandreinforce the Marine guarddetachment, and thenestablish a perimeter aroundthe compound. This done,they hold on until thehelicopters of an offshoreMarineExpeditionaryUnit—Special Operations Capable[MEU(SOC])cancome intothe compound and fly the

evacuees to the waitingships.”“What about the paras?”

the President asked. “Whogetsthemoutafterthepeopleinsidetheembassyhavebeenremoved?”“The troop evac’s been

thoroughlyintegratedintotheplan, sir.As the civilians arebeing taxied offshore, theairborne troopers and theirMarine supporters will

conduct what’s known as a‘collapsing bag’ defense,tightening their perimeterwitheachsuccessiverelayofchoppers, and finally exitingthe area on the last relaywave.”“There’s still the question

of air support,” theSecretaryofStatesaid.“I feel confident that the

embarked MEU (SOC) willhave what it takes to do the

job,”Hancocksaid.Therewasasuddensilence

in the room. It stretched. Atlast the President looked atthe Chairman and noddedsoberly.“Let’s get this train on

track,”hesaid.

PopeAFB,NorthCarolina,0400Hours,February17th,

2007

Long before dawn brokeover the airfield, the “GreenRamp”assemblyandaircraft-loading areas at Pope AirForce Base were alight withsodium lamps and bustlingwith activity, the readinessstandard operating procedure(RSOP) moving along likeclockwork. Indeed, like thegearsandknobsofthefamedSwissclockagainstwhichtheaccuracy of all othertimepieces are measured. As

America’s quick-reactionground force, the 82nd wastrainedandequipped togetabattalion task force ready fordeployment to any corner ofthe world within eighteenhoursofreceivingitsexecuteorders.Thesehadcomedownby way of an encryptedredline telephonecommunication from a dutyofficer at XVIII AirborneCorpsHeadquarters,whohadrushed to the emergency

operationscentertomakethecall after he received theclassified message from aDoDcourier.The82ndDivisionconsists

of three brigades, each ofwhich remained on alert asthe division ready brigade(DRB) for a standard six-week rotation. The DRBpresently doing its tour wasthe3rdBrigade(builtaroundthe 505th Parachute Infantry

Regiment), and by N+1(notification hour plus one)its commanding officers hadhastily gathered in a briefingroom and received themission outline. The DRBalways keeps one battalion,knownastheDivisionReadyForce (DRF) on alert status.Today it was the 2ndBattalion of the 505thParachute Infantry Regiment(2/505), and they werepegged for the drop into

Khartoum. Two hours later,the 2/505th’s troops hadrushedtoamarshalingareainFort Bragg to await thedelivery of their urbancamouflage BDUs and otherequipment from nearbysupply depots. Now ColonelBill “Hurricane” Harrison,commander of the 2/505th,stood looking out over thetarmac of Pope Air ForceBase, the complicated digitalwristwatch his wife had

gotten him for his birthdayticking off the minutes andhourstillN+18.Hewasbothun-characteristically tenseand vastly impressed: thelatterbecauseoftheseamlesscoordination of theprocedures that wereunderway,theformerbecausethiswouldbehistrialbyfire,his first opportunity to leadhismenintocombat.Ahundredyardsinfrontof

him, a pair of big-bellied C-17A transports that had beenflown in from the 437thAirlift Wing at CharlestonAFB, South Carolina, werebeing loaded with cargo.Others assigned to carry theparatroops were already inthe landing pattern. Fortonight, the task force’scontingent of heavy lift waslimited to a half dozenHMMWV“Hummers”armedwith M2 machine guns and

Mk. 19 40mm grenadelaunchers, and two M119105mm Howitzers. Otherthan MANPADS PredatorandJavelinanti-tankmissiles,thesoldiersthemselveswouldcarry only small-armsammunition and a single dayof rations and water. Theywouldbemovingswiftlyandtraveling light, the plancallingforthemtodropintoasoccer field near the Shariaal-Geish, or Ring Road,

which swings around centralKhartoumandcomeswithinahalf mile of the embassy.Once on the ground, theywould then infiltrate the areaaround the embassycompound before anyonecould raise a hue and cry. Ifall went well, they wouldcompletetheevacandbeoutof harm’swaywithin twelvehoursofhittingtheground.Hurricane watched the

loading a while longer, thenimpatiently glanced at hiswristwatch and frowned.Although it seemed as if anhour had crawled by sincehe’d last checked the time, ithad, in actuality, been awhopping ten minutes. Timecompression from the stresswas taking effect. Taking adeep breath to slow thingsdown, he jumped into hisHummer,drivingfromGreenRamp toward themarshaling

area to inspect the troops.When he reached the area afew minutes later, he foundtheassembledparasoutfitted,on their feet,andready.LikeHurricanehimself,theycouldhardlywaittobeinthesky.

AboardUSSBonhamRichard(LHD-6)intheArabianSea,0600Hours,February17th,2007

As he listened to hiscommanding officer,Lieutenant Colonel WesleyJackson was having troubledecidingwhetherhe’dwalkedunder a figurative ladder orseen his lucky star the dayhe’d accepted command ofHMM- 164, the Air CombatElement (ACE) for the 13thMEU (SOC). Seeing the six-monthIndianOceantourasagolden opportunity foradvancement, Jackson had

accepted.Littlehadheknownthat he’d be flying into themiddle of “bad-guy” countryasaresultofhisdecision.“Our mission is to airlift

the embassy personnel andrefugees as the 2/505thdefends the sector,” his COwassaying,histonecrispandfactual. Colonel GregLeVardier pointed his laserpointeratacircledareaonthedigital map being projected

behind him. “In addition,Echo Company will bedeployed to reinforce theairbornebattalionholdingtheperimeter. Fire support willbeprovidedbyartilleryinsidethe...”Jackson listened intently,

thetinydown-curvedthoughtlines forming at the edges ofhis mouth and eyes. Unlikethe other Marines in theroom, he took no written

notes, a practice that wouldhave brought a thorough andfar-from-gentle reprimandfrom LeVardier had he beenanyone else in the 13th. ButJackson’s blue-eyed goodlooks and athletic physiquewere only his most visibleattributes, for he was alsogifted with a unique eideticmemory that would allowhim to retain everything thatwas said and done at thebriefing in perfect detail. If

the fact that he’d graduatedAnnapolis third in a class ofseven hundred without everjottingawordontoasheetofpaper hadn’t been proofenoughofhisinfalliblerecall,LeVardier’s obliviousness tohis lack of writing toolswouldhavesatisfiedthemostunyieldingofskeptics.“The third and final relay

must be completed no laterthan 0800 hours,” LeVardier

said, wrapping up. “Okay,that’s it. Any questions?”Therewereveryfew,andtenminuteslaterthesoldiersrosefrom their desks and clearedthe room, hastening to begintheirpreparations.

AboardC-17GlobemasterIII,overKhartoum,Sudan,0400Hours,February18th,

2007

Flying low to evade theSudaneseairdefensesystems,the Globemaster III bankedover the Drop Zone (DZ)beneath a sliver-thin crescentmoon, having reached itsdestination three thousandmiles and three aerialrefuelings after takeoff.Braced in the jump door ofthe cargo compartment,Sergeant Vernon Martin, theflight’s jumpmaster, glanceddown through the darkened

sky,seekingthebeaconlightsof the cargo that had beendropped seconds earlier. Hiscombat jacket flappedcrisplyaround his body, and thecombined roar of the windand turbofans filled his ears.He grunted with satisfactionas his eyes picked out thepaleorangeglowofthelightsfar beneath him. Each pieceof heavy equipment hadbegun its descent under twintwenty-eight-foot drogue

parachutes, and had itsearthward plunge furtherslowedbyseveralbigG-11Xcargo chutes that hadsprouted from the airdropskids. The tiny beaconsattached to the payloadserved a twofold purpose:They would help the parasavoid crashing into it whenthey touched down, andwould make it easier torecover the vehicles andarmament once the ready

brigadewasassembledontheground.Reassured that the vital

gearhadlandedneatlywithinthe soccer field’s perimeter,Martincrankedhisheadoverhis shoulder to see how thepre-jump sequence wasgoing. At the “Ten MinutesOut” call, the troopers hadstood up, raised their redseats,movedtowardthejumpdoors in their cumbersome

backpacks and T-10parachutes, and clipped theirstatic lines to the anchorcables that ran the length ofthe compartment. At “FiveMinutes Out”—just beforepoking his head outside—Martin had given thecommand foreach trooper tocheck his static line and theline of the man in front ofhim, backing it up with anarm-and-hand signal becauseof the loud drone of the

aircraft’s engine. Now hetapped his chest with bothhands, shouted his order forthe equipment check, andwatched the men beginlooking over their gear fromthe head down, still holdingthe static lines, using theirfree hands to make sureeverything from their helmetstraps to theirbootlaceswerefirmlysecured.“Sound off for equipment

check!”hesaidafterlessthana minute, cupping his handsbehindhisears.“Okay!” the furthest para

fromthedoorcalledout,andslapped the man in front ofhimonthethigh.He,inturn,did thesame to thenextmanforward. Lieutenant EverettIves was first at the door,Sergeant Joe “Brooklyn”Blount behind him. Ives feltBlounttaphimtoindicatehis

equipment had made thegrade, completed his owninspection, then turnedtoward the center aisle andgave the “okay” hand-signaltothelastmanontheinboardChalk. The second Chalkrepeated the procedurewithout missing a beat.Finally Corporal TomCousins, the first parachutiston that side of the aircraft,pointed to Martin and said,“Allokay!”

Martinnoddedapprovinglyand snatched another lookoutside. The sky wasmercifully quiet, no trace ofAAAfiredisturbingtheblackof night, a strong indicationthe opposition remainedclueless about the mission.Nor did Martin see anyobstructions on the wings orfuselage that could foul thelines. A final downwardglance reinforced hisconfidence. Bare of trees,

stonyoutcroppings,andman-made structures, the levelsoccer field below made anideal DZ—assuming that itwas not surrounded by gun-toting American-hatingfanatics. He turned backtoward the men andsimultaneously gestured tobothport and starboard jumpdoors. “Stand by!” Ives andCousins shuffled forwardagainsttheopposingshoveofwind resistance and assumed

identical stances of coiledalertness in the doors, theirknees bent, upper bodiesstraight,eyestothefront.Now thegreen lightabove

the doors blinked on. Thiswas it. “Go!” Martinshouted. A split-secondbefore stepping into space,Joe Blount promised himselfhe’d down a whole pie atVinnie’s Pizzeria on his nextvisit to Bensonhurst, just a

little reward for a missionwell done. Best pizza in theuniverse there at Vinnie’s.Havethempileeverythingonit and stand out on thesidewalkwith the box, eat itrighton86thStreetundertheel, where John Travolta hadstrutted through the openingcredits in that old flick,Saturday Night Fever. Standthere and gobble slice afterslice until melted mozzarellaandsauceweredrippingfrom

hisnoseandears.Vinnie’sinBensonhurst, a wholegoddamn pie, yessiree. Hesprang up and out into theNorth African sky, followedatone-secondintervalsbytheotherexitingtroopers.Sergeant Vernon Martin

went over last, counting bythousands, seeing theparachutes below mushroomopen as the aircraft’sslipstream whipped him

towarditstailfinandhissilkthreadedoutbehindhim.Onethousand. Assuming theproper body position ontrainedreflex,hesnappedhisfeet and legs together, kneeslocked, toes pointing towardthe ground. His head waslowered, his chin tuckedagainst his chest, and hecountedsilently,“... two thousand, three

thousand...”

Martin sailed downward,theearthrushingupwitheye-blurringspeed.Thenhefeltaterrific, wrenching shockthroughhis entire frame, andknew the static line hadreleased the T-10C from hispack. The chute inflatedoverhead,quicklyslowinghisdescent. He reached up andgrabbedhisshoulderrisersashe floated down, looked andsawBlountdescendingtotheright under his own open

chute.Thekidwasintrouble.His shroud lines had gottentwisted and he was fallingwith his back to the wind, abadway to land. For a tensemoment it looked as if he’dforgotten his training, andwas trying to untangle hissuspension lines with hishands. But then he beganpedalinghislegsasifhewereriding a bicycle, graspinghisrisers behind his neck andpulling outward on each pair

until the lines untwisted,“slipping”toavoidacollisionwith another jumper. Hecame down to earth with asmooth,practicedroll.Martin got ready for his

own landing.He released therucksackclippedtohiswaist,and it fell away from him atthe end of the retainer line,hitting the ground an instantbefore he did and absorbingsome of the jarring impact.

Then, holding the controltoggles close to his face, heturnedintothewindandwentinto his PLF sequence,twistingandbendinghisbodyso the shock of landing wasdistributed between his calf,thigh, rump, and the side ofhis back. Barely pausing tocatch his breath, Martinspilled the air from hiscanopy, hit his quick-releasesnaps to disengage theparachute from his harness,

andgottohisfeet.Aninstantlaterhewas sprinting towardtherallyingpoint.There was a mission to

accomplish and no time towaste.

U.S.EmbassyCompound,Khartoum,0430Hours,Sudan,February18,2007

Hoping he didn’t look asscaredashefelt,Ambassador

NevilleDiamond lethiseyesroam the gymnasium wherefive hundred human beingswere packed together likecattle, their faces pale andsweaty in the abominablyclose quarters. Scant hoursago, Nathan Butto hadslipped into thecompound inthe dead of night and metwith Ed Sanderson, stayingonlylongenoughtodeliverabrief but all-importantcommunique he’d received

from the American StateDepartment:Cochise has leftthe village. It meant that therescue team’s arrival wasimminent. Sanderson hadimmediately rushed toDiamond’s quarters and toldhim to start rousing theoccupantsofthecompoundinpreparation for the airlift.Within the hour, every lastman, woman, and child hadbeenhustled into thegym.Afew of the children clutched

dolls or favorite toys.Otherwise, they would leavewith nothing but the clothesontheirbacks.Diamond’s gaze lingered

on a pretty little blonde girlacrossthecrowdedroomwhowas clutching her mommywith one hand and a stuffedpanda bear with the other.She looked sleepy, confused,and terribly vulnerable.Feeling his stomach tighten,

he tore his eyes from thechildandshiftedhisattentionbacktoSanderson,whostoodbeside him talking to thecommander of the embassy’ssmall Marine guarddetachment. The CIA stationchief’s voice was low anddeliberate.Controlledasever.Having already briefed theguardontheevacuationplan,hewasnowunderscoring theneed to maintain calm andorder among the civilians as

the compound was vacated.Diamond thought thatsounded fine. You sure ashell didn’t want anybody topanic and yell, “Fire!” so tospeak. But then his gazebriefly wandered toward thepuffy-eyed face of the littleblonde girl, the face of hisdaughterAlissa,stillclingingto her mother and her pandafordearlife,andthetightnessinhisbellybecameapainfulcramp.Howcalmcould they

expect her to be if fightingbrokeout?hewondered.How calm would anyone

be?

ShariaPashaal-Mek,OneBlockSouthoftheU.S.Embassy,Khartoum,Sudan,0500Hours,February18th,2007

Minutes before theengagement began, Jamal

Wahab was thinking abouthowmuch he hatedWesternforeigners, andAmericans inparticular. Hated theirclothes, their language, theirmusic, their food, hatedeverything about them. Attwenty-fouryearsold,hehadnever traveled outside theborders of his country, andrarely left the capital city,where he lived.He had beenraisedpoor,thethirdeldestofseven children in a family

where food had been scarceand material comfort wasbeyond even imagining. Hisfatherhadekedoutameagerliving selling meat rolls onthe street to Western oilcompanyemployeesandtheirfamilies. Those people hadalwayshadmoneyenough tobuy all the food they couldeat, and all the comfortanyone could want. Thosepeople hadwalked as if theyowned the world, and Jamal

Wahabhaddespisedthemforit.Hewas a simpleman andknewlittleofpolitics.Hehadscarcely learned to readbefore his father died, andhe’d left school to helpsupport his younger brothersand sisters. As a teenagerhe’d joined the local militiaandlistenedtohisleaderscallAmerica theGreat Satan andattribute their own nation’sproblems to its decadentinfluence. And he had

believed them. Jamal had, inshort, needed someone toblameforcircumstanceshe’dneverunderstood.Now, stealing toward the

U.S.embassy in thepredawngloom,movingquicklywithasquadofhisbrothers-in-arms,Jamalheftedhismachinegunand wondered what it wouldfeel like tokill anAmerican.Hehadbeen told to fireonlyon the compound’s military

guards and avoid harmingcivilians unless there was nootherchoice.But inhisheartheknew that even if suchan“unavoidable” situationdidn’t arise during thetakeover, he would make itcomeabout.Thismorninghewould kill an American.Perhaps one wearing theexpensive clothes he’dalwayshated.Wouldsuchanact extinguish his burningrage ormerely feed it? Only

Allah knew. His nerveswound tight, Jamal hurriedpasttheemptystorefrontsandno-name Eritrean restaurantslining the Sharia Pasha al-Mek,hisclose friendAhmedracingalongtohisleft,abig,rough-faced militiamannamedKhaliltohisright.Allthreemenheldtheirweaponsattheready.They had come within a

block of the embassy

compound when Jamal sawthe bulkingHMMWVpulledagainst the curb near its sidegate. Startled, he stoppedrunningwithasharpintakeofbreath, grabbing hold ofAhmed’s shoulder. Thoughhe did not specificallyrecognize it as such, therewas a pintle-mountedBrowning .50-calibermachinegunmountedon topof the Hummer’s roof. Itsfour-man crew wore black,

gray, and white urbancamouflage fatigues andcarriedM16A2combatrifles,andtheirfacesweresmudgedwithblackcamouflagepaint.Jamalknew instantly these

menweren’tembassyguards.Far from it. Somehow, theAmericanshadlearnedofthetakeoverandsentinforcestoprevent it. “This area is off-limits,” one of the soldiersoccupying the vehicle called

outashespotted thebandofmilitiamen.Themanstandingin the gunner’s hatchswiveled the heavy machinegun in the group’s direction.“Halt and lay down yourarms.”Jamal looked at Ahmed,

lookedatKhalil,lookedathisother comrades. “Show themhow to die, brothers,” Khalilsaidinaharshwhisper.Jamalnodded, his heart pounding.

Then, his hatred toward theAmericans boiling up withinhim,hefingeredthetriggerofhis gun and opened fire.Beforehecouldhitanything,theBrowning ratchetedoutashort burst, the 50-caliberbulletscuttingthefrontofhisshirt to ragged shreds. Hesagged to the ground in ashower of blood, his rifleturned uselessly skyward.Beside him, Khalil let out awhoop of suicidal defiance,

reached into his pocket for agrenade, and was about totoss it at the Hummer whenhe too fellwrithing in a hailof bullets. “Surrender yourarms!” the American soldierwarned the remainingattackers. Insteadofobeying,they charged and wererapidly cut down. It was nocontest.

AroundtheU.S.Embassy

Compound,Khartoum,Sudan,0800Hours,February18,2007

The whole thing camedown fast. The Sudanesemilitiamen knew nothing oftactics and had been relyinglargely on the element ofsurprise.Theirplan,suchasitwas, had been to charge thecompound at daylight andoverwhelm a tokencontingent ofMarine guards.

Now they were runningheadlong into a battalion ofcrack American airbornetroops armed with superiorweapons and trained toconduct a tight, coordinatedcounterstrike. Despite theirzeal and a considerablenumerical advantage, theywere over-matched andoutfought with dispatch.Gunfire ripped through theawakening city for severalhours after their attack

commenced—occasionallypunctuatedbytheflatthudofan exploding grenade—butbylatemorningthesoundsofbattlehadalmostceased,andthe scattered, decimatedmilitia force had been run toground.The Sudanese losses were

high, while the Americancasualties consisted of twotroopers with superficialgunshotwounds,andColonel

Bill“Hurricane”Harrisonhadno difficulty holding hisdefensiveperimeter.Whathedid was take a map, draw atwo-block-wide circle aroundthe compound, and declareeverythingwithinitsradiustobe under his temporarycontrol, citing internationalrules of engagement thatallowed the unlimited use ofdeadly force to safeguard anendangeredembassy.

Needless to say, thesedevelopmentsdidnotsitwellwithHassanal-Mahdi.

ILCHeadquarters,Khartoum,Sudan,0830Hours,February18,2007

“This is worse than adefeat.Wehavebeenmadetolook like fools.” Al-Mahdistood at the council table,fury storming across his

features.“Iwillfindoutwhoalerted the Americans anddeal with him. That is apromise.” He looked aroundthe room. Joining theassembled ministers wasColonel Abu Hammik,commander of the Sudaneseregular army garrisonstationedatWadHamid, justnorth of the capital. He satvery stiffly in his badges,shoulder boards, collar tabs,and ribbons, listening to al-

Mahdi’s tirade in silence,occasionallytradingflustered,uneasyglanceswiththeothermen at the table. EvenAhmad Saabdulah wasshowing none of his usualinclination to stoke theirwarlord’s temper; when al-Mahdi’s rage grew to acertain critical level, it wasbest to keep one’s words tooneself.Unless,ofcourse,hespecifically asked to hearthem.

“AmIaloneinthisroom?”hesaid,raisinghisvoice.“Ordo you all fail to appreciatewhat has happened? Theheart of our capital has beensurrendered to Americantroops!”“Obviously, this is

unacceptable, Highness,”Foreign Minister NizarSocotra said. He was aplump, neckless man with agray scruff of beard, and his

cupidity was exceeded onlyby his fawning devotion tohis leader. “I have alreadylodged a complaint with theU.N.SecurityCouncil—”Al-Mahdi brushed him

aside with a ferocious swipeofhishand.“Donotspeakofit.Diplomacy is a salve, andnothingmore.TheAmericanscannot be allowed to staywhere they are. We mustregaincontrolofourcity.”

“I agree,” Saabdulah said.It was the first time he’dspoken since the emergencymeeting had been called.“Our response to an outrageofthisordermustbeforcefulandexpeditious.Andfor thatwe will have to commit ourmilitary...which,Iassume,iswhytheesteemedcolonelhasbeen summoned here thismorning.” Hammik dippedhisheadinacknowledgment.

“What sort of force canyoumuster?”al-Mahdiaskedhim.“It should be possible to

have an infantry battalion inthe city within an hour,” hesaid.“Thereis,inaddition,anarmoredcompanyattachedtoit.”Al-Mahdi noticed his

Minister of State shaking hishead even before Abdel-Ghani caught himself doing

it. “You disapprove of theproposedaction?”thewarlordasked.“The thought of tanks

rolling through our ownstreets troubles me,” Abdel-Ghani said. “We would beexposing civilians totremendous danger, and theconsequent property damageofsuchanencounter—”“Thisisatimeforstrength,

not counting the cost,” al-

Mahdi said. “You aregrowing far too tentativethese days, Abdel-Ghani. Itsurprises me.” Abdel-Ghaniwas silent in response. Al-Mahdi allowed his gaze tolingeronhimamoment,thenturned back toward ColonelHammik. “Mobilize yourinfantry,”hesaid.

AboardaMarineMV-22BOspreyOvertheRedSea,

1200Hours,February18th,2007

The composite prop/rotorson the engine nacelles tilteddownforhorizontalflight,thetrio of Ospreys buzzedtoward shorewithLieutenantColonel Wes Jackson in thelead slot. Bare minutesearlier, they had launchedfrom the flight deck of theUSSBonhamRichard (LHD-6) after the three amphibious

ships of AmphibiousSquadron Three (PHIBRON3)—thereadygroupassignedtoberthandtransportthe13thMEU (SOC)—had made ahigh-speed, all-night up theRedSea todeceiveSudanesenaval forces. It had been thehope of the amphib’scommanders that by lying inwait around the Horn ofAfrica,justoutsideSomalia’sterritorialwaters, theywouldescape detection until well

after the Ospreys had beensignaled to begin theirapproach.Their rabbit-in-the-hat

gambit had panned outbeautifully. The PHIBRONand their escorts hadencountered no resistance atall until they came withinsight of the Sudanesemainland andwere hailed byastonishedcoastalpatrols.Bythis time, though, the first

wave rescue birds had lefttheir flight decks and wereKhartoum-bound. NowJackson briefly checked themulti-function displays infront of him, tweaked theautopilot to make a minorcorrection in altitude, andscanned the sky.Hesaw twoflightsofsleekHarrierfighterbombersonhisleftandright,the sunlight glinting off theirskins as they escorted theOspreys toward their

destination.Withineasyviewupahead lay the level, sandycurve of the Sudaneseshoreline.Cruising along at a steady

150knots,Jacksonsankbackinhiscockpit’sbangseatandran themission plan throughhis head for the umpteenthtime. In his mind’sphenomenally clear eye, hecould see the street grid ofKhartoum just as it had

appeared on ColonelLeVardier’s video-projectedmap, see the aerial layout ofthe embassy compound withthe pickup coordinatessuperimposedover it, also asit had been presented duringthe briefing. Within minuteshe would reach the LZ, anemployeemotorpoolnearthegymnasium where theevacuees had been gathered.The descent and subsequenttakeoff from the embassy

wouldbethehairiestpartsofthis carny ride; his flightwould be deep in enemyterritory and exceedinglyvulnerable to ground fire.But, he’d trained his menwellandtheywereready.Asready as they’d ever be,anyway.

OutsidetheU.S.Embassy,Khartoum,Sudan,1200Hours,February18,2007

Thus far the operation hadsucceeded beyond allexpectations: The paratroopshad established theirperimeter without sustainingany significant losses, andmanaged to tighten the ringaround the compound whileencountering only lightopposition from a fewstraggling Sudanesemilitiamen.Itwastoogoodtolast, though. The first,ominous rumblings of armor

were heard—and felt—atnoon by troopers positionednear the embassy’s northwall. Within minutes, themechanized column wasspottedapproachingalongtheSharia al-Baladaya amid acompany of infantrymen. Itwas an odd,motley group ofvehicles consisting of twoancient Russian PT-76 lighttanks, several equally oldBTR-60 armored personnelcarriers, and a couple of

newer looking BTR-40armored cars. The Sudanesehad obviously pulled themtogether on short notice forthe express purpose ofrepelling the Americanparatroopers.The sudden cackle of

automatic weapons fire fromone of the forward tanksinstantly drove home thepoint that this was no mereshowing of tail-and-breast

feathers. These boys meantbusiness. With machine-gunrounds slamming the groundnear his feet, Sergeant JoeBlount quickly decided todemonstrate how a kid fromBrooklyn responded whensomeone bullied him—especiallyifhewasequippedwith a Javelin antitankmissile. Moments before thearmor had turned onto thewideavenueborderingontheembassy, Blount had felt the

rolling vibration of itsapproach underfoot, andhurriedly lifted the Javelin’slightweight, disposablelaunchtubeontohisshoulder.Nowhe squinted through thecommand launch systemsight, zeroed the lead tank inhis thermal view, andsqueezedthetrigger.The missile whizzed from

the launcher, its kick motorejecting it on a stream of

pressurized gas, its guidancefins unfolding, the electronicsensors in itsnoseunerringlyguiding it toward its target.Within several seconds themissile’ssoftwarerecognizedthat it was diving into thearmor of the tank anddetonated the warhead. Theeruptionthatfollowedwassospectacular that for severalheartbeats Blount and hisfellow troopers could onlystare down-range in wonder.

The Sudanese tank rumbledand shook with a massiveperistaltic convulsion, itsarmor bulging out andrending where pale bluefireballs punched their ownexitholes.Theballsofflamesoaredupandup likeheliumballoons cut from theirstrings, and climbed to awhirling hover beforebreaking apart. Finally therewas a whoosh of trembling,superheatedair,andtheentire

tankwasblanketedbyawaveof fire. The Sudanese footsoldiers that had beenflanking the knocked-outjuggernaut simultaneouslyran for cover behind nearbybuildingsand startedblastingaway at the paratroops withtheir submachine guns. Thefierce, relentless fight for theembassywouldlastforhours,and be paralleled by similarconfrontations all around theairborne’s doughnut

perimeter.Hassan al-Mahdi’s orders

to his military had beenunequivocal: He wanted thecompound taken at any cost.So far, the Sudanese lackedthecurrencytopaytheprice.

AnMV22BOspreyAbovetheU.S.Embassy,

Khartoum,Sudan,1230Hours,February18th,2007

In the cockpit of hisOsprey, Major Wes Jacksoneased back on histhumbwheel control to rotatethe propellers ninety degrees—effectingaverticalpositioninpreparationfortouchdown.Thankfully, the other twobirds in his flight had alsomade it through the enemyground fire outside theembassy, andwere swoopingonto the parking area off hisportwing.The approach had

beennerve-wracking,toputitmildly.Light flakhadzingedupwardfromseveraldifferentdirections during theapproach, forcing him intoevasive maneuvers.Navigation had been anotherdangerous challenge—thestreets around the Americanpositions were clogged withbattle haze and dotted withfiery buildings that hadlooked like burning matchheadsfromabove.

But despite these deadlyhurdles, the first flight ofJackson’s rescue team hadlanded without taking anyserious hits, and as far asJackson was concerned, therewardwasalreadymorethanapparent.Alreadyhehadseenthefirstliftofevacueescomespillingoutofthegymnasiumunder the protective eyes oftheirMarineguards—womenand children, their faceswanand frightened, yet flushed

with open gratitude.Lookingout his window at them,Jacksonwasnearlymovedtotears. Never in his vivid andperfect recollection had hefelt so proud of serving hiscountry.Withinaminute,thecivilians had been seated inthe cargo compartment, therear ramp raised, and hewasairborne, followed by theother two MV-22s. As hetransitioned back to forwardflight, he saw the second

flight of three Ospreyscomingintoland,withothersfollowing. So far, OperationFort Apache was workinglikeclockwork.

OutsidetheUS.EmbassyCompound,Khartoum,Sudan,1630Hours,February18th,2007

The 2/505th paratroopswere literally fighting with

their backs to the wall. Thefirst group of evacuees hadbeendeliveredtosafetyouttothe ships of PHIBRON 3withoutahitch.By1630/4:30PM, the second relay ofOspreys started to arrive andbegan loading up theremainingembassypersonneland refugees. With this liftthe birds were also takingaboard the first groups ofparatroopers as the 2/505initiated the pullout phase of

the operation. As theafternoon went on, theytightened theirdefensive ringtotheverystreetsoutsidethecompound’s gate—streetsthat, for all appearances,mighthavebeensweptbytheexplosive shockwave of anuclear blast. Fighting at theperimeter linewas fierce, theair layered with smoke andreverberating with thenonstop clatter of automaticweapons.Virtually every last

civilian in the area had fledfor cover at the outbreak ofviolence, many of themabandoning their cars in themiddle of the road. Thesmoking metal corpses ofthose vehicles now clutteredevery intersection and cross-street, their chassis torn andtwisted from bullets andgrenadeexplosions.Farmoredreadful was the toll inhuman life. The bodies ofdead and dying combatants

lay sprawled on thesidewalks, the vast majorityof themSudanesemilitiamenand infantry troops. A few,however, were wearing theurban-camouflage uniformsof American paratroops andMarines. On the pavementoutside the front gate, wherethe fighting was up close,eye-to-eye, and in someinstances hand-to-hand,Colonel Bill “Hurricane”Harrison stood in the hellish

thick of things, shoutingorders to his soldiers as theenemy push intensified.When he was seventeen, hehad read a biography ofGeneral James Gavin, to hismind the greatest combatgeneral in American history.Gavinwas a leader who hadneverexpectedhismentodoanything he wouldn’t dohimself.Later,afterchoosinghisowncareerinthemilitary,Harrison had occasionally

wondered if he would haveanything like the guts thatGavinhad.Ashestoodthereoutside the compound, histroops outnumbered byperhaps four to one, bulletsshuttling past his head, itneveroccurredtohimthathewas doing his boyhood heroproud. He was too busycarryingouthismissiontobeworriedaboutposterity.Just a few more hours to

go.

OutsidetheU.S.EmbassyCompound,Khartoum,Sudan,1700Hours,February18th,2007

Even before word finallycrackled from his personalSINCGARS radio, Harrisonhad known that it was timefor his men to retreat to thepickuparea.Hehadheardthe

sound of rotors churning theair,lookedskyward,andseenthefourthandfinalconvoyofMV-22s and CH-53sapproaching in the neardistance. Their airframeswere little more thansilhouettes as he watchedthem descend throughraftering clouds of soot andsmoke. With a silent prayerofgratitude,hegavethefinalfallback order, his voicehoarseasheraiseditoverthe

throbbing clamor of battle.While four armed Ospreygunships laid down a heavysuppressive fire around thecompound, the last companyof paratroops sprinted fortheir own MV-22Btransports. In less than fiveminutes, the last of theAmerican transports were ontheirwayseaward.Atalmostthesamemoment,demolitioncharges in the Hummers andguns reduced them to scrap

metal. This was designed tokeep the weapons andvehicles out of Sudanesehands. However, thePresidenthadorderedamorepowerful demonstration ofhowAmerica walks out of acountry. This time, the U.S.was going out under its ownpower and there would be amessageinitfortheworld.

AbovetheU.S.Embassy

Compound,Khartoum,Sudan,1720Hours,February18th,2007

LikeColonelHarrison, thepilotsofthefourAV-8BPlusHarrierscruisingoverthecityhad been awaiting orders tobegin the last phase ofOperationFortApache.Eachof them was prepared tolaunch a salvo of fourGBU-29 2,000- lb./909-kg. GPS-guidedbombsfromunderhis

wings. The call to engagecameinovertheirradios,andthey reacted immediately.Diving like the predatorybirds that are theirnamesakes, the fighter jetsaccelerated downwardthrough bursts of light flakand released their destructivepayloads.The sixteen heavy bombs

showered over the embassycompound in annihilating

rain, the detonations of their2,000-lb/909-kg warheadsbringing up screams in thethroatsoftheSudaneseforcesthey had caught by surprise,many of whom perishedwondering what they haddone to incur the wrath ofHeaven. The GPS-guidedbombshadbeendroppedinaspecially planned pattern,designed to flatten everystructureinsidethecompoundwalls.Suggestedby the Joint

Chiefs and approved by thePresident, itwas a “scorchedearth” statement to theSudanesethattheywouldnotbe permitted to take theAmerican embassy as theIranians had back in 1979.They got the message loudandclear.

FlightDeck,USSBonhamRichard(LHD-6)intheRedSea,1800Hours,February

18th,2007

The Osprey landed with agentle thump and dischargedthe final wave of evacuatedparatroops. His field jacketwhipping around his body inthe wash of its prop/rotors,Colonel Bill “Hurricane”Harrison quickly made hiswaydownthecargorampandtrotted over to the forwardcabin.Hewaitedasthecabindoor opened and the pilot

exited. “Helluva job you didtoday,”hesaid,extendinghishand. “I’ll never forget it,longasIlive.”LieutenantColonelWesley

Jacksontookfirmholdofhispalm and shook it. “Meneither, sir,” he said, andgrinnedwithsecrethumor.

ThePeople’sPalace,Khartoum,Sudan,March

1st,2007

Hassanal-Mahdistaredouthis window at the gatheringcrowd. On the street below,Abdel-Ghani’s severed headrottedonthetipofawoodenspike, a cloud of insectsharrying it in the brightmidday sun, the dead eyesgapingvacantlyat thosewhohad gathered before thepalace.Today theyhadcomehere to shout insults at the

grotesque remains of theMinister of State, who hadbeen declared a traitor andsummarily executed, despiteconcrete evidence forrevealingtheplantoseizetheembassy to Americanintelligence. Tomorrow, al-Mahdi thought, the crowd’sfickle passions might wellturn against him. And couldhe truly blame them if thathappened? Thousands of hispeoplehadbeenkilled in the

midst of their own capital,compared to the handful ofAmerican soldiers that hadlost their lives during therescue. Just seven dead andlessthantwodozenwounded,according to CNN. Andalready the Western nationswere calling for U.N.sanctionsandaninternationaltrade embargo. As theeconomic noose tightened,and the suffering of hispeople worsened, so too

wouldtheirangerintensifytoopen revolt and bring himlow. His Bedouin ancestorshadlearnedcenturiesagothatthe desert was unforgiving.Themenithadspawnedweremuch the same.Nowhewasabout to learn the lessonpersonally.

OperationRoyal

Banana:Belize,2009

CalledeSanBartalome,Antigua,Guatemala,September30,2009

The volcano was earningits name tonight, making anaggressive spectacleof itself,its peak glowing brightlythrough the sparse cloudsthreading across the sky,infusingthemwithfieryveins

oflight.Comfortablywarminhis shirtsleeves, GeneralHidalgoGuzmanhadbroughthis small group of advisorsout into the mansion’scourtyard, wishing to enjoythe unseasonable weatherwhile they finalized theirplans. Itwasdry forautumn,a time of year when thecoastal towns and villagesstood braced for tropicalstorms blowing in from theCaribbeanSea.Normally,the

highlands were soaked withrain,oratbestblanketedwitha mist that sent dampnessdeep under the skin. Indeed,Guzman had heard that ahurricane was brewingsomewhere at sea. But hereand now, things could nothavebeenmorepleasant.

A map of the AirborneinvasionofBelize.JACKRYANENTERPRISES,LTD.,BYLAURAALPHERAllisperfectlycleartome,

he thought. Clearer than ithaseverbeen.From where he sat, the

dictator could see VolcanFuego’s rugged upper slopessurmounting the roofs to thesouthwest, lookingforall theworld like the throne of a

mythical, ruby-eyedCyclops.To the southeast, VolcanAgua was visible insilhouette, as was VolcanAcatenango west of the city.NomanhadeverlosthiswayinAntigua;onecouldalwaysfindhisbearingsbysearchingthe distance for the threevolcanoes. Perhaps, Guzmanmused, this was the truesecretofitsendlessallurefortravelers.

He breathed in the air ofhisgarden,savoringthefreshtang of eucalyptus, and thenloweredhiseyes tostudy thetwo men sitting beside him.At the far end of the stonebench his Minister ofDefense, Captain JuanGuillardo, acknowledged hisgazewith a slight nod, eagerto resume plottingtomorrow’s military action,his shrewd, narrow featuresmaking him resemble a

coyote ... or so it seemed tothe General, anyway.Between the two men,Colonel Eduardo Alcazar,Guzman’s first cousin andMinister of State, had beennursinghis thoughts in tight-lippedsilence.“You seem not to

appreciate this fine evening,Eduardo,” Guzman said. “Orperhaps the dinner my staffprepared wasn’t to your

liking.Yourwife’scookingisunmatched, I know, but webachelorsmustmakedo.”“I have other concerns on

my mind,” Alcazar said.“Dismiss them if you want,butitwouldpleasemeiftheyweren’tmocked.”“You worry too much,”

Guillardo said. “As long asthey have our reassurancesthattheoilwillflowfreely—and cheaply—in their

direction, the UnitedKingdom will never becomeinvolved. The most we canexpect from them arediplomatic squawks in theSecurityCouncil.”“History warns us

otherwise,”Alcazarsaid.“If you intend to bring up

the Falklands and Kuwaitagain, please spare me,”Guzman said. “The disputeover that godforsaken pile of

rocks occurred a quartercentury and several Britishprime ministers ago. ThepresentheadofParliament isno Thatcher. And remember,the oil strike has yet toproduce the kinds of wealththat made supporting theKuwaiti government soattractive to the rest of theworld.Belizeisavirginland,withnobodytoprotectit.”“What do you suppose he

isdoinginWashingtonifnotdiscussing contingencies?Playing card games with theYanquiPresident?”“We’ve been over this a

dozen times. His visit wasannounced weeks ago. Thetimingiscoincidental.”“Even if that’s true, there

are political realities to beconsidered. The Englishmonarch continues to berecognized as the Belizean

head of state, and the twonations have existing treaties...”“And we have prior

territorialclaims.”“Which were relinquished

in1992!”“By a government whose

legitimacy I’ve neverofficiallyrecognized.”Alcazar produced a

humorless laugh. “How far

backintimedoyoureachforjustification, then? Will youtell our U.N. ambassador tocite the conquistadores fordividing the Mayan empire?It seems you’ve suddenlyfound that you have latinoroots...”“Don’t push me too far,

cousin!”Guzmanshothimanangry look. “You know thepotential oil revenues westand to gain from the

annexation as well as I do.Even with Mexico takingtheir fifty percent, our sharewould amount to billions,perhaps trillions of dollars.Enough to transform oureconomy.”As well as keep your hold

onpowerfromslippingaway,Alcazar thought, his mindattaching the unspokencodicil before he could stopit. There was, however, no

denying the truth of hiscousin’s words. Even byconservative projections, theoilmoneypouringinfromthenew offshore fieldwould fillMexico’s almost bankrupttreasuryandmakeBelize theBrunei of the WesternHemisphere—andhavinglostout on this manna fromheaven was as galling toAlcazar as it was to hiscompanions. Still, he was apragmatist bynature, andhis

doubts over tomorrow’splanned invasion stemmedfrom political considerationsratherthanmoralscruples.Thingswouldhavebeenso

different,sosimple,haditnotbeen for a bitter fluke ofgeography.Butcircumstanceswere as nature had createdthemmillionsofyearsbefore.The previous winter, a jointPEMEX/Texaco explorationteam had discovered a vast

stratographic trap just alongthecontinentalshelfofBelizeand Mexico ... and justbeyond Guatemala’sterritorialwaters in theGulfode Honduras. Their surveyshowed it to be an offshorepool of a potential rivalingthat of theNorthSea find ofthe 1960s. The two nationshad immediately entered intoan agreement that splitdevelopment expenses andfuture revenues right down

the middle. Fate had handedtiny Belize, which hadalready grown prosperousfrom a booming tourist andagricultural trade, riches ontopofriches.Even as the pacts were

being signed, Alcazar hadknown it only would be amatter of time beforeGuzman began claiming aportion of the wealth for hisown financially bankrupt

regime. But he’dunderestimated the extent ofhis cousin’s jealousy andresentment, the covetousnessof his grasp. Or perhapsGuzman’s waning supportamong the populace, as wellasthegrowingstrengthoftherevived leftist rebels in thecountryside, had pushed himtowards a move ofdesperation. Something thatwould rally public sentimentand increase his chances of

political survival. In the end,Alcazar supposed Guzman’sreasons didn’t really matter.Thefataldecisionhadalreadybeenmade.Thearmedforceswould roll into Belize thefollowing morning, andnothing he could say wouldconvince his cousin and therest of the ruling junta toabandon theundertaking.HisimmediatetaskasMinisterofState, then,was toanticipate,and if possible,moderate the

inevitableworldreaction.Ifpossible.He could readily imagine

the universal outrage hisnation’s action wouldprovoke, and knew Englandwould not stand alone inexpressing its condemnation.The security of Belize’sborders had been guaranteedby numerous internationaltreaties and precedents; infact, the allusion he’d made

when speaking of history’swarning was not so much tothe Falklands conflict—asGuzman had hastily jumpedto assume—but toAmerica’sdecisive intervention whenIraq moved on Kuwait in1990.What would happen ifthe current U.S.administration responded toGuatemala’s attack in asimilar manner? Alcazarsuddenly feltGuzman’shandslap him on the back and,

startled from his thoughts,turned to look into hisgrinningface.“Relax, Eduardo, you’re

full of knots,” Guzman said.“Like Cabrera in the lastcentury, we soon will behavingFiestasdeMinerva inthestreetsofthecapital.”Alcazar kept looking at

him.What Guzman failed tomention, andperhaps realize,was that neither Manuel

EstradaCabrera’spretensionsof being a bringer ofillumination and culture, norhis costly festivals to thegoddess of wisdom,invention, and technicalachievement, had preventedhim from ultimately drivinghisnationtoruin.“Very well,” he said

without enthusiasm. “We’dbest get on with ourdiscussion.It’slate,andthere

are stillnumerouspoints thatmust be clarified.” Guzmanregarded him a moment,sighed, and then shifted hisattention to CaptainGuillardo.“Runthroughthedetailsof

the troop buildup again,” hesaid. “Leave nothing out; Iwant you to give me theposition of every man andpiece of equipment beingused in the campaign.”

Guillardo nodded anddutifullygavethemtohim.

WhiteHouse,Washington,D.C.,September,2009

The photographicintelligence (PHOTOINT)had first told the tale, thoughnot because the U.S.intelligence services werewatching closely. On thecontrary, the early evidence

of unusualGuatemalan troopactivity along the Flores-MelchordeMencosroadwasrecorded by a commercialone-meter Space Imagingsatellite that had been leasedto the nations of Belize andMexico for the charting oftheir offshore oil fields. Thiswas in early September. Thesubsequent processing andanalysisof theseaerialviewsby photo interpreters hadbeen so alarming they had

hurried toquietly report theirfindings to governmentofficials. Then, after a quickexamination of the images,those officials had in turnracedtoputtheminthehandsoflocalCIAstationchiefs.Within days, two boxcar-

sized Advanced KH-11“Crystal”photoreconnaissancesatellitescircling 160 miles/257kilometers above the earth

werejoggedintoorbitalpathsabove northeasternGuatemala. Here they begantransmitting a stream ofdigital images to groundstations,whoseoperatorshadbeen placed on heightened,round-the-clock alert. Anadvanced KH-12 Lacrossesynthetic-aperture radar-imaging (SAR) satellite wasalso routed over the area.This was due to the start ofthe annual rainy season, and

the KH-11’s telescopic eyeswould be easily blurred bythe dense cloud cover thatusually prevailed during thisperiod.The data flowing in from

these overhead surveillancesystemsconfirmedandaddedto the information originallygathered by the commercialsatellites:PerhapsasmanyasthreebrigadesofGuatemalaninfantry and light armored

units had been moved fromvarious army barracks toassembly points along thehighwaystoBelize,andwerenow concentrated withinthreemiles/fivekilometersofthe border. There was alsoclear evidence of stepped upcoastalpatrolsbyGuatemalannaval forces outside theBelizean Cays. Theconsensus reached by CIAand State Departmentreconnaissance experts was

that a military incursion intoBelize was imminent. Uponbeing notified of thisconclusion, and taking afirsthand look at relief mapsprepared from the satelliteimagery, the President heldan emergency meeting withhis Secretaries of State andDefense, both of whomagreed that the Belizeanambassador should be calledto the White House andapprisedof thesituationwith

all due haste. The BritishAmbassador and the JointChiefs of Staff were alsocontacted, as was the newlyelected Prime Minister ofBritain,HerbertFoster.On September 5th, hours

after receiving a redline callfromthePresidentconcerningthe Guatemalan troopbuildup, Prime MinisterFoster announced that he’daccepted an invitation to

Washingtonat theendof themonth, citing an economicagenda as the reason for histrip. This was, of course, acover story to satisfy thenewsmedia.Hisoneandonlytrue aim was to confer withthePresident inpersonaboutthe worrisome developmentsinCentralAmerica.Toaidinthe subterfuge, the BelizeanPrime Minister CarlosHawkinswasaskedtoremainin his own country. The first

day of Foster’s visit wasSeptember 25th. That sameday,anewlyprocessedbatchof PHOTOINT and SARimages showed that theGuatemalan troops, armor,and heavy artillery hadmoved into positions alongtheBelizeanborder.By September 29th, a

special joint U.S./Britishenvoywasquietlydispatchedto Guatemala City with a

message that neither powerwould tolerate an act ofaggression against a peacefulneighbor.Thesmallgroupofhigh-level diplomats satwaiting outside GeneralHidalgo Guzman’s executiveoffice in the PalacioNacional for three hoursbeforebeing told thathewastoo busy to see them. Thefollowing day, the Presidentand Prime Minister Fosterheld a White House press

conference in which theymade public the situation inCentralAmerica,andwarnedGuatemala to stand downfrom its offensive posture orrisk serious consequences.Their words were carefullychosentoleavenodoubtthattheir two governmentsmeantbusiness.Guzman’sresponse,issued within hours throughhisU.N. ambassador inNewYork City, was that hisgroundforceswereonroutine

training maneuvers andpresented no threat to Belizeoranyothersovereignstateinthe region. That sameafternoon, Prime MinisterFoster flew back to Londonfor a meeting with his chiefadvisors. At the same time,the President asked GeneralRichard Hancock, theChairmanoftheJointChiefs,toreporttohimASAPwithafull assessment of Americanmilitary options. Whatever

Guzman thought he wasdoing,thePresident,whohadsprouted more than a fewgray hairs during theSudaneseembassyevacuationof 2007,was positive of onething: for the second timesince he’d taken office, hehad a major internationalcrisisonhishands.

WesternHighway,SouthwestofBelizeCity,

0100Hours,October1st,2009

While Guatemala washardlyamilitaryGoliathonaglobal scale, it was incomparison to Belize, allthings under the tropical sunbeingrelative.Unlikemostofits regionalneighbors,Belizewas a representativedemocracy that settledinternal political disputeswith ballots rather than

bullets. The crime rate waslow and civil strife wasnonexistent, unless onecounted the heated, andoccasionally foul-moutheddebates that were televisedduring election years.Roughly the size ofMassachusetts,with less than250,000 citizens, Belize hadnever developed the nationalmeans or inclination toexpand beyond its borders,and strived to cultivate

friendly and open relationswithsurroundingnations.Theclosestequivalentithadtoanarmywas theBelizeDefenseForce (BDF), which wasreally littlemore thana localconstabulary equipped withhandguns, light automaticweapons, and a modest butwell-maintained fleet ofmilitaryLandRovers.The Guatemalan invasion

force,therefore,surgedacross

the border virtuallyunopposed,advancingtowardBelize City in a long file ofinfantrymen and mechanizedarmor—the latter consistingof two light tank companiesandperhapsahundredFrenchVAB armored personnelcarriers (APCs).Simultaneously, militia unitsacting under the regulararmy’s direction beganslipping into the country atvarious points along the

flanks of the main column,conducting a series ofdisruptivestrikesonitspowerand telecommunicationsgrid,severing phone and powerlines, and knocking outelectrical plants andswitching stations,particularlyinkeypopulationcenters. Used to watchingover a peaceful citizenry,grimlyawarethatanyattemptat resisting the Guatemalanmilitaryoutfitswouldbe like

trying to hold back anavalanche with nothing buttheir bare hands, the BDFconstables confronted by theadvancing column gave upwith only a few scatteredoutbreaksoffighting.By seven AM, a mere six

hours after the incursionbegan, the Guatemalan armyhad seized controlofbothofthe country’s major airports.Byeighto‘clockGuatemalan

soldiersandtankshadmassedbeforetheGovernmentHouseon Regent Street. By eight-fifteen its Guatemalanemissaries had beendispatched into the buildingto demand a formaldeclarationof surrender fromthe Belizean leadership. Atnine o’clock Prime MinisterHawkins came out onto thesteps of the building toacquiesce, cursing a bloodystreak as he submitted to

military custody. Adescendant of the Britishpirates that had harried thecoastline in the16th century,hehadinheritedtheirroguishnature and hated yielding toanybody. However, nobodyknewthatmuchoftheblusterwasawell-playedact.

WhiteHouse,Washington,D.C.,0800Hours,October

12th,2009

Althoughhewouldalwaysdeny it publicly, GeneralRichard Hancock had takenthe name of the plan from ajoke he’d overheard one ofhis staffers telling at thewatercooler outside hisPentagon office. It hadinvolvedGuatemala’sbiggestfruit export, GeneralGuzman’s pants pocket, avisitingprincess,andapunchlinethatwentsomethinglike,“I’msorry,Hidalgo,whatI’d

really prefer is a royalbanana!” Hence the name,OperationRoyalBanana.“In summation,” he was

saying, “the plan is todevastate the enemy withsuperior numbers and atightly synchronized, highlymaneuverable air-groundattack, with each tacticalelement enhancing ourcollective combat power onthebattlefield.”

“Callmedense,butI’dliketohearthespecificsonemoretime,” the President said. “Ifyou please, GeneralHancock.”Hancock nodded crisply,

reached for thewater pitchernear his elbow, and refilledhis half-drained glass. ThePresidenthadbeenaccusedofbeing many things by hispolitical opponents, butnobody on Capitol Hill had

evercalledhimdense.Tothecontrary,hehadatremendousheadforfactsanddetails,andwas energetic enough toremainwhipcrack sharp afterworkingfordayswithlittleorno sleep. Now he looked atHancock across the briefingtable, keen-eyed and freshalthough the past ninety-sixhours,aperiodinwhichhe’dfinallyobtainedresolutionsofcondemnation and ultimatumagainst Guatemala from the

U.N. Security Council andOAS, had been one of thelongest of those furiouslypaced, round-the-clockstretches in memory. On theother hand, the Secretary ofState, who was thePresident’s junior by almostten years, seemed to behaving trouble keeping up.Hesatonhisimmediateright,dark half-moons under hiseyes,hishairslightlytussled,hisskin thecolorand texture

of drying pancake batter. Onthe Chief Executive’s leftside,theSecretaryofDefenseseemedjustabitfurtherfromtheedgeofutterfatigue.Atleastthey’retootiredto

launchintotheirusualpoint-counterpoint routine,Hancockthought.Itwouldbea godsend if he could getthrough the remainder of thebriefing session withouthearing them snarl at each

other. He sipped his water,feeling it soothe the rawnessat the back of his throat. Atthe table this morning, inaddition to the President, hisbedraggled national securityteam, the 82nd Airborne’scommanding officer GeneralRoger Patterson, andHancock himself, was theBritish team.Madeupof theBritishSecretary ofDefence,andBrigadierGeneralNathanR. Tenneville and Air Vice

Marshal Arthur Raddock, ofthe 5th Para Brigade andRoyalAirForcerespectively,theywerehere toexplain theBritish position and plans.Eachofthemenhadplentyofquestions for Hancock, andhe’d nearly talked himselfhoarseansweringthem.Well, here went what was

left of his voice. “To ensurestrategicandtacticalsurprise,andgiveustheoverwhelming

numerical advantage I spokeaboutamomentago,allthreebrigadesofthe82ndAirborneDivision, along with the 5thParas, will drop into Belizewithin two hours of eachotherandrapidlytakecontrolof its major airfields,” hesaid. “As we’ve seen on themaps, there are only two ofany size and consideration,the largerof them located10miles/16 kilometersnorthwest ofBelizeCity, the

other about 1.5 miles/2.5kilometers fromthecenterofthe city. Once the airheadsare fully secured, the 501stAirborne Infantry Regimentof the 101st Airborne (AirAssault) Division will bedelivered with transport,scout, and assault helicoptersto seek out and destroyfielded Guatemalan forces inBelize. At the same time, aMEU (SOC)—I believe it’sgoing to be the 26th—will

takeislandandportfacilities,and hold them open forfollow-on forces andsupplies. Finally, to suppressfurther Guatemalanaggression, theaircraftof the366th and 347th Wings willconduct a short air campaignto destroy Guatemalancommand-and-controlfacilities, as well asleadership and fielded forcestargets. The importance ofcoordination, agility, and

timing cannot beunderestimated for thesuccess of this operationalplan. Our forces must drivethe pace and scope of thebattle.”Hancockpaused,tookanother drink of water. “Atthis point,Mr. President, I’llrespectfully defer to GeneralTenneville,whocanbestgiveyou the particulars of GreatBritain’s role in theoperation.”

“That’ll be great, I’m allears,” the President saidbriskly,smilingat theBritishone-star. “Please feel free togetstarted.”The Secretaries of State

andDefensesaggedalittleintheir chairs. The Presidentglancedfromonetotheother,then looked over atTenneville and shrugged.“Maybe we’d better havesome coffee and doughnuts

first,”hesaid.

Fayetteville,NorthCarolina,2300Hours,October25th,2009

A city of 75,000 souls onthe banks of the Cape Fearriver, Fayetteville is bothhome to Fort Bragg and aconvenient stopover forFlorida-bound snowbirdsmaking their seasonal

migration along I-95. Overthe years, a cluster ofmotelshas sprung up in thedowntown area, offeringclean, comfortable, andreasonably priced lodging tothe heavy flow of travelersand visitors to the XVIIIAirborneCorpsheadquarters.Nothing exceptional, mindyou,buttheguestswhocheckinto these places generallyaren’t looking for mirroredceilings, heart-shaped

whirlpool baths, and glitzynightclub entertainment.What they want is a decentmeal, and a firmmattress onwhich to catch a good, quietnight’sshuteyebeforegettingback on the highway.Unfortunately therewas verylittlesleeping,andawholelotofrestlesstossingandturninggoing on in Fayetteville’smotel rooms tonight. Thenoise of transport aircraftliftingoffatnearbyPopeAir

ForceBasewas loud enoughto keep even the weariest,bleariest motorists wideawakeinbed,nevermindthatmost had shut theirwindowsto muffle the continuousracket. After two weeks ofintensive preparation, RoyalBanana had gotten underwaypreciselyonschedule,andthefirst transports carryingU.S./British airborne forces,ordnance, and supplies werewheels up and heading

towardstheirobjective.

Aboarda23rdAirliftWingC-130JHerculesTransport,OverBelize,0200Hours,

October26th,2009

As a kid growing up indowneast Maine, Pfc. DrewCampbellhadlivedacrosstheroadfromasmallcommercialairfield that had primarilyserviced local charters—

single—engine propellerplanes carrying tourists,hunters, and airfreightshipments to areas along thecoast. Watching the flightstakeoffandlandhadsparkeda lifelong fascination withaircraft, and Drew had spentmost of his weeklyallowance, and lateron, aftergetting his first job with hisuncle’s Penobscot Bayfishing operation, aninordinate chunk of his

weeklypaycheck on aviationbooks and hobby kits forbuilding scale models ofmilitary airplanes. The onething he had never expected,though,was tobe flying intoahostileDZaboardthenoisycargo hold of a Herky Birdtransport,packed inwith twoChalks of the 2/505th, hisface smeared with camopaint, his lower back achingfromabulky120-pound/55-kilogram load of parachute

and combat gear that madehim wonder how tortoisescould lug around their shellsall their lives while alwaysmanaging to look sogoddamned content. Well,c’est la vie, as his fiancéewould say. If it hadn’t beenfor his uncle selling his fleetof boats and retiring toBocaRaton, he’d never haveenlisted in the army, neverhave volunteered for jumptraining with the 82nd, and

neverhavewastedamomentof his precious time thinkingabout tortoises and theirburdensome lot. Not thatthereweren’tmore importantthings to contemplate rightnow. Specifically, the toughjob ahead of him, and hischances of staying in onepiece until it was over anddone.In the troop seat to his

right, First Sergeant Joe

Blount seemed less worriedabout his own prospects forsurvival than those of theheroes in the X-Men comiche’d just finished reading,having squinted to see thepages in the red-lit semi-darkness of the hold. Aveteran of Operation FortApachewithaunitpatchandBronze Star to prove it,Blount was shoutingsomething to theman on hisimmediate right about

Cyclops’s mutant eye-beamsbeingmore than amatch forthe Sentinels’ photon blasts,whatever thehell thatmeant.According to some guys inthe company, Blount couldact so blase about theprospect of dropping intoenemy fire because he didn’tappreciate his ownvulnerability. However,Campbellhadaverydifferentsense of his inner workings.HebelievedBlount,whohad

oncestooddownatankamida hail of Sudaneseantipersonnelfire,knewwhatcould happen to him as wellas anybody, but simply hadmore guts thanmost.Which,considering that he belongedto an airborne unit full ofbrave men, made him asextraordinary as thesuperheroes he was alwaysjawing about. Never mindthat he didn’t even havemutantpowerstosavehisass

inapinch.Feelingitdigpainfullyinto

his shoulder, Campbelladjustedthestrapofhischuteharness, shifting it amillimeter to the left ... onlyto have it begin hurting himin its new position two orthree seconds later.How didthose big turtles stand it,anyway?hethought,knowingthathewould soon forget allabouthisdiscomfort.Soon,in

fact, the Hercules would benearing the drop zone, andthe pilot would throttle backtoaspeedof130knotsashemade his approach, and thetrooperswouldgetset toexittheplane.Now Campbell glanced

toward the rear of thefuselage, where thejumpmaster was impatientlystaringatthelightsabovethedoor,asifhecouldmakethe

green blink on through sheerwillpower. But the redwarning light continued toglowsteadily in thedimness,indicatingthattheirV-shapedformation of Herculestransportshadyettoreachthetargetzone.Studyinghisownmeshed, tension-whiteknuckles again, Campbellsilently wondered whateverything was going to belike when they finally gotthere.No way it’s gonna be

dull,hethoughttensely.Icandamnwellcountonthat.The rapid taking of BZE

International airport by the505th and its supportelements was key to thesuccess of Royal Banana.Located just a few klicksoutsideBelize City, it wouldbe a clear, easy-to-find rallypoint for the descendingparas, and a vital aerial portfor follow-on supplies and

reinforcements. Campbellknew it, as did everyman inhis company. The enemywould know it too. Satellitephotoshadalreadyconfirmedthat the airport’s perimeterwas surrounded by airdefensebatteriesanditwasasure bet there were alsomachine-gun teams coveringits runways. These would beready to catch theparatroopers in a lethalcrossfire the instant they

touched ground. Those firstfewminutes after landing, asthey got out their weaponsand jettisoned their chutes,wouldbeaterriblyvulnerableperiod for them. Still, theparas had a considerablenumerical advantage in theirfavor, and, to some extent,the element of surprise aswell. Itwasonethingfor theenemy to be prepared for amassive airborne assault, butunless their intelligence was

better than anybodysuspected, they couldn’t becertain when, or even if, itwould actually occur.Furthermore,theparatrooperswould be coming down fast,jumping from an altitude ofjustfivehundredfeet.“Getready!”The moment he heard the

shouted command, Campbellsnapped his eyes toward thejumpmaster,whostoodtoone

side of the door giving hishand signal, both armsextended, palms up.Suddenly, Campbell’sstomach felt like a taut,twistedlengthofrope.Itwasalmosttimeforthedrop.

BZEInternationalAirport,Ladyville,Belize,0230

Hours,October26th,2009

Regardless of which side

they fought on that night, itwas an awesome scene thatall of the soldiers who livedthrough the battle wouldnever forget: thousands ofparatroopers swarming downonto the field from theirswift, low-flying deliveryaircraft, their inflated chutesfilling the darkened sky likeshadowytoadstools.Even as his canopy

bloomed overhead, Campbell

heard the rattle of hostileground fire and saw tracerssizzling through the airaround him. The enemy hadbeen roused, but there wasnothing he could do aboutthat, nothing he could do todefendhimself ... at leastnotuntil he’d made a successfullanding.Keepingatightbodyposition, he clamped downhis fear and let his trainingtake over, concentrating onthe specific actions that

would have to be performedin the next twenty seconds:inspecting and gainingcontrol of the thirty-five-footcanopy, getting oriented inrelation to landmarks andotherparas,andwatchingoutforobstaclesonthegroundashe prepared to execute hisPLFsequence.A quick scan of the sky

confirmedthathewasfallingat approximately the same

speedasthetroopersthathadjumped with him. Good. Hewas right on target, with thelights of Belize Cityglimmering to the southeast,and the passenger terminals,parking areas, andoutbuildings of the airportcomplexvisible in thenearerdistance. Also good. Belowhim the ground was dark,which meant he was comingdown on tarmac or concrete.Not so good. He’d been

hoping to get lucky and fallonto a soft cushion of grass,but you couldn’t haveeverything, and he had noproblemwithsettlingfortwoout of three. With less thanfive seconds to go beforeimpact,Campbellcheckedhisdrift and pulled a two-riserslipintothewind,keepinghislegs togetherand theballsofhis feet pointed slightlydownward. His head erect,eyes on the horizon, he

unclipped the rucksackbetween his legs and felt itdrop on its tether, hitting theground with an audible,impact-absorbing thump. Hecame down with a jolt thatsent streaks of pain throughhis right knee and shoulders,but didn’t think he’d beenseriously hurt. Quicklyspilling the air from hiscanopy, he pulled the quick-release snaps on his harnessand began to unpack his

weapon. All around him, hecould see other jumperslandinganddoingexactlythesamething.“Campbell,youallright?”ItwasVernonDeerson,his

fire team’s SAW gunner,scramblingoveronhisbelly.He was already wearing hisNVGs and had mounted anAN/PAQ-4C “death dot” onhisweapon.“Yeah,” Campbell said,

also keeping his head low.Hiseyessearchedthenightasherolledontohisside,gothisM203-equipped M16 out ofthe carrying case against hisleft thigh. He’d heard thecrackle of a machine gunfrom the rooftop of a nearbyterminalandwastryingtogeta solid fix on its position.There was another burst offire.Louder.Closer.Andthenanother sound. A revvingengine. “I think ... ” Then

headlight beams suddenlyswept through the darknessand they both hugged theground. A pair of jeeps hadrounded the corner of thebuilding, engines growling,the Guatemalan gunners inback raking the tarmac withfire as they came speedingtowardthetwoparatroopers.

AboardUSSWasp(LPD-1),PHIBRON4,Caribbean

Sea,0235Hours,October26th,2009

While the squadrons ofUSAF Hercules trooptransports were nearing theDZs, the Gator Navy’sAmphibious Squadron Four—composed of the USSWasp, USS Whidbey Island(LSD-41),andUSSIwoJima(LPD-19) escorted by theUSS Leyte Gulf (CG-55),USSHopper (DDG-70), and

operatingwith theUSS JohnC. Stennis (CVN-74)—hadcome surging around thefluke-shaped YucatanPeninsula, and then skirtedthe outer bounds of Cubanterritorial waters to enter theCaribbean Sea. The huge,forty-thousand-tonWasp wassteaming toward itsdestination in the lead, itsdecks and hangars alivewithactivity. Behind a dimlylightedconsoleintheWasp’s

Combat Information Center(CIC), Captain William“Wild Bill” McCarthy,commander of PHIBRON 4,satwatchinghismulti-facetedsensors and display screens,as personnel at separateterminals across the island/bridge monitored andprocessed a torrent ofcommunications andreconnaissance informationfromavastrangeofsources.

At its present speed, theARG would elude themajorityoftheenemy’snavaldefenses, but it wasnonetheless certain toencountersome hostile patrolboats.ThoughMcCarthywasconfident theywould presentonlyaminorhindrancetohisbattlegroup’sforcedentryofGuatemalan waters, he wasanxious to get past them andmove into position for theamphibious /helicopter

assault’s kickoff. He knewthat aboard John Stennis abrigadeofthe101stAirborne“Screaming Eagles” werereadyingtheirattackchoppersforessentialairsupportoftheparachute units inland. Healso knew that the enemywould put up one hell of afightfortheairports,andthatthis counterattack wouldcomebymorning’sfirstlight.He was bound anddetermined to have an

unpleasant surprise waitingfor Guzman’s forces whenthathappened.

GovernmentHouse,RegentStreet,BelizeCity,0230Hours,October26th,2009

Under house arrest in hisliving quarters on the secondfloor of the building, PrimeMinister Carlos Hawkinsexultantly sprang off his

chair, his spirits lifted by thesound and fury outside hiswindow.“Hey!” he shouted to the

armedguardoutsidehisdoor.“Comeon, open up, I’ve gotan important message foryourcommandante!”The door opened a crack

andasoldierinaGuatemalanuniform looked in at him.“Sí,”theguardsaid.“Whatisit?”

“Okay, you listeningclose?” The soldier nodded.Hawkins grinned and leanedhis head toward him. “TellGuzman I hope the Yanquisgive his arse a hard, bloodypounding!”hesaid.

BZEInternationalAirport,Ladyville,Belize,0235

Hours,October26th,2009

As the onrushing jeeps

sped closer, their machinegunners chopping out avicious hail of fire, Deersonpropped himself on hiselbows. Spying the targetthrough his night-visiongoggles, he swung the redaimingdotofthePAC-4ConhisSAWontothefrontoftheleadvehicle,andsqueezedoffa short burst. The weaponkicked against his shoulder,gobbling 5.56mm ballammunition at a rate of

almost 1,000 rounds perminute.Thewindshieldofthejeepshatteredinanexplosionof brokenglass, and the jeepwent into a screechy,fishtailing skid, the wheelsleaping off the road as thedriver veered toward a largeindustrial Dumpster. Aninstant before the vehiclesmashed into theDumpster’smetalside,Deerson triggereda second laser-aimed volleythat sent the gunner flying

from the rear of the vehicle,his combat fatigues drilledwithbulletholes.The second jeep was

almost on them whenDeerson heard the bloop! ofCampbell’s tube-fired 40mmHE grenade separating fromits cartridge case, glimpsedthe tiny silhouette of theprojectileoutthecornerofhiseye, and then saw the shellarching down over the jeep.

The 40mm fragmentationgrenade detonated in midairjust inches above the open-topped vehicle, its explosivechargeblowing the frag linerandconvertingitintoacloudof shrapnel that ripped intothe jeep, penetrated its gastank, and sparked its fuellines to rupture in a dazzlingblister of flame thatincineratedbothridersbeforethey knew what hit them.Without wasting a second,

CampbellandDeersonsprangto their feet and rushed intothe darkness side-by-side,eager to linkupwith the restoftheirplatoon.

BZEInternationalAirport,Ladyville,Belize/TZA

MunicipalAirport,BelizeCity,0400Hours,October

26,2009

Captain “Wild Bill”

McCarthy had beenabsolutely correct—theGuatemalans did indeed “putup a hell of a fight” for theairports, but it was a losingbattle from the verybeginning.Within just a fewhoursafter theAmericanandBritish paratroop units madetheirdrops,bothairfieldshadbeencapturedfromthevastlyoutnumbered enemy force.Scattered encounterspersisted until dawn as the

airborne troops seizedrunways, cleared terminalsand hangars, and swept theoffices, hallways andstairwells of every building.The heaviest flurries ofresistance came at theperimeters of the airports,where the Guatemalans hadset up roadblocks andartillery emplacements alongapproachandexitroutes.TheBritish and American paras,however,wereskilledatnight

fighting, and had been givenextensive practice in assaultmaneuvers prior to themissionbeing launched.Thiswastrainingthatgavethemacrucial edge over theiropposition.Though scores ofGuatemalan infantrymenwerekilledinthesefirefights,and hundreds more takenprisoner,onlytwoAmericansand one member of theBritish 5th were fatallywounded as the paratroops

overranthebarricadesusingavariety of infiltration andurbancombattactics.Thelastof the Guatemalan troops atthe airfieldswere neutralizedshortlyafter5:00A.M.Bydaybreak, both airports

were declared fully secure,with rifle and artillery unitssetting ambush positionsalong the very avenues ofapproach they had cleared.Now that the airports had

beentaken,theparas’jobwasto hold them and let theairheaddevelopbehindthem.Itwasasurebetthebadguyswouldwantthemback.

NearBZEInternationalAirport,Ladyville,Belize,0700Hours,October26th,

2009

The Guatemalan jeeps,tanks, LAVs, troop haulers,

and cargo trucks rumbledtoward the airport in a long,slow-moving line,kickingupstreamers of dust that driftedsluggishly above the semi-paved road. The terrain oneither side rose in low,thicketed bluffs,with shaggyfingers of tropical growthcreeping downward fromtheir slopes, barely shyingfrom the hard track.Concealed by the foliage, aplatoonofthe82nd’s3/325th

Alpha Company intentlywatchedtheconvoyapproachthe kill zone. They had beenlurking in ambush sincedawn.As he steered over the

pockmarked road, the driverat the head of the processionwas telling his partner aboutsome good whiskey he’dlootedfromaBelizeanresortnear the coast. He was alsotelling him about a beautiful

deskclerkat thehotelwhomhehadhiseyeon.She’dsaidshewasn’tinterestedandthatshe was engaged to bemarried. However, heintendedtohavehiswaywithher regardless of what shetold him. As soon as theyfinishedoff theAmericansattheairport,hewouldgetbackto that hotel and show herwhat he thought of herrefusal. He was about to tellhispassenger exactlyhowhe

would show her when theleader of the hidden airborneambush team squeezed theclacker of his remotedetonator, setting off acamouflaged anti-vehicularmine that had been plantedinches from the centerof theroad.The air shuddered with an

incredible blast, catapultingthe jeep driver fromhis seat,the explosion sucking the

scream from his throat. Thejeep lurched wildly forward,itstiresrupturinginsquallsofrubber as hundreds offragments sprayed from themine and went tearing intothem. All down the line,vehicles slammed each otherwith grindingmetal-on-metalshrieks. An instant later,AlphaCompany opened fire,hitting the convoy witheverythingtheyhad.Machineguns, combat rifles, 40mm

grenades and 60mm mortarrounds, as well as Predatorand Javelin antitankmissiles,streaked from the flankingbrush. The Guatemalansdesperately began fightingback, pounding theembankment with their ownsubstantialarmament.Convincedhisteamneeded

a helping hand, Alpha’scommanderorderedhis radioman tocall in forair support

on his SINCGARS radio,which automatically begantransmitting the team’slocation to a GSS satellitereceiver. Within minutes, aquartetofOH58-DeltaKiowaWarriors launched from thedeck of the USS John C.Stennis,theScreamingEaglesof the 101st having arrivedwiththeirnavalescortearlierthat morning. Their electro-optical MMS “beachballs”occasionally poking above

the treetops, they flewtowards Alpha’s coordinatesinnap-of-the-earthflight,andcame buzzing down on thecrippled Guatemalan mechunit with Hellfire missilesand 2.75”/70mm rocketsflashing from their weaponspods. Evacuating theirdevastated armor amid ashower of flame and burningdebris, the Guatemalanssignaled their surrender withflares, frantically waving

hands, and any white shredsofcloththeycouldfind.

OverGuatemala,0800Hours,October26th,2009

The formation of four F-15E Strike Eagles had flownnon-stop from MountainHome AFB in Idaho in twofour-ship formations,accompanied by a group oftwo F-16C Fighting Falcons,

andtwoF-15CEaglefightersas escorts. The Strike Eagleswere armed with a fullcombat load of laser-guidedbombs, AGM-154A JSOWguided cluster bombdispensers, LANTIRNtargeting pods, and air-to-airmissiles. In addition tocarryingtheirownmixofair-to-air ordnance, the FightingFalcons each bore a pair ofHARM anti-radiationmissilesandasensorpodfor

targetingthem.Theirmissionhad been planned in precisedetail and was highlyspecific:TheyweretolevelaGuatemalan armyheadquarters located aboutfive klicks southwest of thenation’s capital. At the sametime, other strike groupswouldbetakingoutahostofdesignated militaryinstallations in and aroundGuatemala City, as well asArmy and Naval bases

throughout the country.Airstrips, leadership targets,and communications centersweretheprimefocusoftheseoperations, and a painstakingefforthadbeenmadetokeepcollateral property damageand civilian casualties to aminimum.Jinking to elude the light

flak coming from below, thelead aircraft’s pilot lined upthe rooftop of the

headquarters building in hisHUD,monitoring thevariousreadouts superimposed overthe display’s infrared image.Theweapons systems officerin the backseat had alreadyactivated the LANTIRN podto range and lock on thetarget.All thatremainednowwasforthepilottoreleasehisordnance. Ten seconds laterhe dropped bombs in tworapid salvos. Theheadquarters building went

up in a rapidly unfoldingblossom of flame that couldbe seen as far as thirtymilesaway in bright, broaddaylight. Missionaccomplished.Within a matter of hours,

the Guatemalan forces inBelizehadeither surrenderedorwereinfullretreat,headedwest for the border. In fact,the biggest problem that theAllied forces were having

waskeepingup,sorapidwastheretreatof theinvadersforhome.TheGuatemalanArmyhadneverhadmuchstomachfor this adventure, and theoverwhelming show ofstrength had broken themimmediately. Already, theport and airfield facilitieswere pouring forth a torrentof follow-onforces thatwerebeing flown in. At the sametime, the Belizeangovernment had been

liberatedbyunitsoftheArmyDeltaForce,whichhadflowntheir AH-6 “Little Bird”helicopters to theGovernment House from thereardeckof theUSSBunkerHill. For Belize, the damagefromGuatemalan lootingandpillaging had beenminimized, mostly becausethey had not been given theleisure time that Iraq hadbeen given in Kuwait. As itturned out, this was a good

thing for everyone involved.Except, that was, for theGuatemalan leadership thathadsurvivedtheairstrikes.

GuatemalaCity,Guatemala,1600Hours,

October31st,2009

The riots had been goingon fordays.GeneralHidalgoGuzman sat behind a broadoak desk in his executive

office, the blinds drawn overthewindows overlooking thesquare, the windowsthemselves tightly shut todampen the angry clamorbelow. Days, he thought,staring down at the deskblotter, down at the loaded9mm pistol he had slid fromhis shoulder holster andplaced in frontofhimon thedesk blotter. Days ago, he’dbelievedhewason thevergeof attaining near-boundless

wealth: a king’s ransom forhimself and economicprosperity for his country.The perfect equation forholding onto power. Hewould have been a modernCabrera, a bringer of light, alordly figure whose staturewould eclipse the threetowering volcanoes on thenationalcrest.Then theairborne invasion

had come, and his cousin,

EduardoAlcazar,hadadvisedhim to declare anunconditional cease-fire withthe Americans and begin hiswithdrawal from Belize.Guillardohadadvisedagainstit,statingthatfavorabletermsmightyetbenegotiated.Nowboth men were dead, havingperished together in abombingthathadkilledthreeother members of Guzman’sjunta as well. They weredead,andmuchofGuatemala

City was in ruins from theburning and looting that hadfollowed the air strikes, andthe mob outside blamed himfor the destruction. Blamedhim for the casualties thearmed forces had suffered.Blamed him for the politicalisolation into which hiscountryhadfallen.He could hear them in the

plaza, shouting up at him,cursing his very name,

demanding that he resign asPresident.Butforafewloyalguard units, the army hadjoined their rebellion. Hecould hear them, yes. Theirvoices loud through thewindows, so deafeningly,maddeninglyloudoutthereintheplaza.Itwasonlyamatterof timebefore they came forhim. His surviving CabinetMinistershadfledthecapital,advisinghim to join them, toremain in a hideaway until a

meanscouldbefound toexitthecountry.Guzman looked at the gun

on his desk blotter andreached for it. Outside, hecould hear the mob. He wasno rodent. Not a lowly,fearful creature that wouldburrow down into a hole inthe ground. He could nowhearthemobcallingforhim,crying out for his blood. Hewouldnotcower.

“Gloria,”hemuttered.And then, taking a long,

deepbreath,Guzmanreachedfor the pistol, shoved itsbarrel against the bottom ofhis jaw, and pulled thetrigger, blowing the contentsofhisheadallovertheofficewalls.

GovernmentHouse,BelizeCity,1600Hours,October

31,2009

The celebration had beengoingonfordays.Outonthewidefrontstepsofthecapitalbuilding, Prime MinisterHawkinswas dancingwith aprettylittlegirlwhohadleaptoutofthecrowdtohandhima bright red flower. He putthe stem behind his ear andlaughed,andshegiggled,andboth clapped their hands.Behind her on the street, her

older sister was talking to aparatrooper with an 82ndAirborne patch on hisshoulder;abandwasplayingraucous salsa music; andpeoplewerewaving banners,many emblazoned with theword LIBERDAD, manymore coveredwith praises tothe American and Britishsoldiers who had ousted theGuatemalans from theirnation.

Freedom, Hawkinsthought, his smile beamingout at the festive citizens.Freedom, it was glorious,wasn’t it? Absolutely,immeasurablyglorious.

Conclusion

As Iclose thisvolume inmyseries of guided tours ofmilitaryunits,itishardnottofeel that series been given aspecial gift with this look atthe 82nd Airborne Division.With the possible exceptionoftheU.S.MarineCorps,noother military formation of

any real size in the worldtoday combines both thespiritoftheoffensiveandthestrategicmobilityofthe82nd.Itisthesequalities,aswellastheiryear-roundreadinessforanymissionwithwhich theymaybetasked, thatmakethe82ndsovaluableinthemindsofPresidentsand their staffs.These same virtues makethem both revered by ourallies, as well as feared andreviled by our enemies. This

is quite a range of emotionsto be generated by acommunity of only around20,000 Army personnel. Butthen again, if severalthousand of them can arriveon topofyourmostvaluablemilitary installation withinthirty-six hours of youoffending the sensibilities ofan American President, wellthenperhapsthereputationiswelldeserved.

Today, as the airborneforcesoftheU.S.Armyentertheir sixth decade of serviceto the nation, they areuniquelyplacedforserviceasthe world enters a newmillennium. Their mobilityand speed make them idealfor the fast-breaking crisissituations that have beenbecoming the norm in thepost-Cold War environmentthat we have been stumblingthroughforthelastfewyears.

More important, thepersonnel of the 82ndAirborne possess a uniqueadaptability, which allowsthemtorapidlyadjusttonewequipment, tactics, andsituations.Theirmottoof,“...All theWay!,” is more thanjust a boastful yell. It is aheritage that they haveproven in combat, and paidfor in the blood of fallenparatroops from the dustyhills of Sicily, to the

hedgerows and poldercountryofNorthwestEurope,to the sands of the PersianGulf. This is why the Armytrusts the 82nd to wring outsomeoftheirnewestsystemslikethenewJavelinanti-tankmissile. The leadershipknows that the 82ndwill getthe most from it, and showthe rest of the soldiers in theArmyhowtouseitinthebestpossibleway.Theyalsoknowthat when things in a crisis

situation fail to go accordingtoplan,airbornetrooperswillmake the most of a badsituation. These facts aloneguarantee that if the Armywere to shrink to just onedivision,itwouldprobablybethe82ndAirbornethatwouldremain standing. In anArmythat is currently struggling toredefine, restructure, andresize itself in the fiscalrealities of the post—ColdWar world, this is saying a

greatdealindeed!So with all this said, just

what is the future of the82nd’s troopers as wetransition in the uncertainglobal situation that will betheearly21stcentury?Well,forstarters,somethingsaboutthe 82nd will never change.This isagoodthing,becausethese are the primecharacteristics that make theunit so special. The history

andtraditionswillcontinuetobe celebrated andremembered, and willundoubtedly grow as thedivision moves into the nextcentury. In addition, threebrigade task forces willundoubtedlystay inplaceforthe foreseeable future,standing their eighteen weekcycle on ready alert “just incase.” As America’s “FireBrigade,” the 82nd willalways draw the crisis

responses, wherever theproblemmaybeintheworld.This is the job that the “All-Americans” signed up forwhentheyfirstwent toJumpSchool, and it is what theyliveforintheArmy.Beyond the metaphysical

things that will alwaysmakethe 82nd unique, there arealso the physical andequipment attributes thatwilldefine the Division’s

capabilities after 2001.Already,theairbornetroopersof the82ndare receiving thenew fire-and-forget Javelinanti-tankmissile,aswellasahost of new command,control, and communicationssystems.Bytheearlyyearsofthe 21 st century, the list ofnew airborne weapons mayinclude such high visibilityitems as the RAH-66Comanche stealthreconnaissance/attack

helicopter, as well as the N-LOS and EFOG-M firesupportsystems.Itistheloadof the individual trooper,though,thatmaymostchangethe capabilities of the 82nd’ssoldiers. Depending whatcomes out of the ForceXXI/Land Warrior XXIprograms, the airbornetrooper of the early 21stcentury may look a lot likeRobert Heinlien’s vision ofsuch soldiers in his classic

novel, Starship Troopers. Inthis marvelous yarn, he hastheparatroopsof a far futuredeploying from orbitingstarships, clad in poweredarmor combat suits, linkedintoadigitalcombatnetwork.Amazingas it sounds,by the2025 timeframe, the airbornetrooper will probably behalfway to what Heinlienenvisioned.Starshiptroopers?Well, perhaps not quite yet.But the vision is out there,

and certainly the rawmaterial, the youngparatroops of the 82nd, willbe there when the engineersandbureaucratsgetaroundtoissuingthegeartotheforce.Whatever they wear and

however they are deliveredinto combat, the troopers ofthe 82nd Airborne willalwaysbe specialwarriors inAmerica’s armed forces. Weask of them a measure of

courage and devotion thattranscendsthetechnicalskillsof shootingand jumping intocombat.Theairbornelifestyleis itself the ultimate test oftheparatrooper.Theeighteenweek training/alert cycleplaces extraordinary strainsonthemenandwomenoftheDivision, especially on theirpersonal lives. Knowing thatalovedonemaybeflyingoffto awar on the other side ofthe world must make every

phoneandbeepercallathingof terror to the friends,family,andlovedonesofthe82nd’s troopers. Theseextraordinary people arethemselveswarriors, andyousee the signsof their supportalong the streets andboulevardsofFortBraggandFayetteville,NC.For them, Ioffer my highest praise andthanks as an American.Because of you and yourtroopers, the rest of us can

sleepsoundlyatnight.With this, I close this

volume, the fifth in thisseries. One final thought,though. These have beentough times for the Army,with numerous news storiesgoing out over the airwavesabout racial and sexualharassment problems withintheforce.Letmesay,though,thatourarmedforcesarestilla great place for young

people to build a future andfind a profession. On thewhole, the soldiers that IknowarehonorablemenandwomenthatIamproudtocallmy friends. So for those ofyou who may have childrenor friends who areconsidering a career in themilitary, please encouragethem to give it a try. I thinkyou will be proud that youdid so.Proudof them,proudofourcountry,andproudthat

you supported them in theirdecision.IknowthatIwouldbe.

Glossary

A-10 Air Force single seat,twin turbofan close supportaircraft, nicknamed“Warthog.” Armed with30mm automatic cannon andheavily armored. About 650produced.ACCAirCombatCommand.

MajorcommandoftheUSAFformedin1992bythemergerof Strategic Air Command(bombers and tankers) andTactical Air Command(fighters).AFBAirForceBase.NATOor Allied bases are usuallyidentified simply as AB (airbase). The Royal Air Forcedesignates its bases by placename,i.e.RAFLakenheath.Afterburner Device that

injects fuel into the exhaustnozzle of a jet engine,boosting thrust at the cost ofgreater fuel consumption.Called “Reheat” by theBritish.AGL Above Ground Level.Apracticalwayofmeasuringaltitude for pilots, eventhough engineers prefer themore absolutemeasureASL,“AboveSeaLevel.”AGS Armored Gun System.

Innovative light tank with105mm cannon, intended toreplaceM551Sheridaninthe82nd Airborne. Programcancelledin1996.AH-64 Army McDonnellDouglas “Apache” attackhelicopter. Armed with20mm cannon and variousmissilesor rockets.Equippedwith laser designator andnight-vision capability. Over750inservice.Someunits to

be upgraded with advancedLongbowradarinlate1990s.AI Airborne Intercept;usually used to describe atypeofradarormissile.AIM-9 Sidewinder Heat-seeking missile family, usedby the Air Force, Navy,Marines, Army, and manyexport customers. Variantsare designated by a letter,suchasAIM-9LorAIM-9X.AIT Advanced Individual

Training.WhereyougoafterBasicTraining.ALICE All-purpose,Lightweight IndividualCarryingEquipmentAMC Air MobilityCommand. Major USAFcommand that controls mosttransports and tankers.BasedatScottAFB,Illinois.AMRAAM AIM-120Advanced Medium RangeAir-to-Air Missile. First

modern air-to-air missile touse programmablemicroprocessors with activeradar homing (missile has itsown radar transmitter,allowing “fire and forget”tactics).ANG Air National Guard.Combat and support unitsnominallyundertheauthorityofstategovernments,mannedlargely by part-time veterans(“weekend warriors”)

including many commercialairline pilots.Administratively distinctfromAirForceReserve.AOCAirOperationsCenter.AOR Area of Responsibility(“troublespot”).APFTArmyPhysicalFitnessTest.API Armor PiercingIncendiary. A type ofammunition favored for use

against armored groundvehicles.APU Auxiliary Power Unit.A small turbine engine withassociated electricalgenerators and hydraulicpumps.Usedonmanyaircraftand some combat vehicles toprovide starting and standbypower without having to runmainengines.AT-4 84mm shoulder-firedrocket launcher based on a

Swedish design. Modernversionofthebazooka.ATACMS Army TacticalMissile System. Long-rangeprecision-guided heavyartillery rocket used againstdeep,high-valuetargets,suchas missile sites andcommand/controlcenters.ATGM Anti-Tank GuidedMissile. A rocket with ashaped-chargewarhead,usingwire, laser beam, inertial, or

other precison-guidancesystem to ensure highprobability of hits against amovingtarget.ATO Air Tasking Order. Aplanning document that listseveryaircraftsortieandtargetfor a given day’s operations.Preparation of the ATOrequires careful“deconfliction” to ensure thesafety of friendly aircraft.During Desert Storm the

ATO ran to thousands ofpageseachday.AvionicsGeneraltermforallthe electronic systems on anaircraft, including radar,communications, flightcontrol, navigation,identification,andfirecontrolcomputers.Componentsofanavionics system areincreasingly interconnectedbya“databus”orhigh-speeddigitalnetwork.

AWACS Airborne Warningand Control System.Specifically used to describetheBoeingE-3Sentryfamily,but also used generically todescribesimilartypesusedbyotherAirForces.BAS Basic Airborne School.U.S.Army“JumpSchool”atFort Benning, Georgia.Conducts parachute trainingfor all military services anddefenseagencies.

Battalion Military unitconsisting of severalcompanies, typicallycommanded by a lieutenantcolonel.Cavalryunitsusetheterm “Squadron” for units ofthissize.BDA Bomb DamageAssessment. Thecontroversial art ofdetermining from fuzzyimagery and contradictoryintelligence whether or not a

particular target has beendestroyed or renderedinoperative.BDUBattleDressUniform.BLUAirForcenomenclaturefor a “bomblet” or“submunition,” dispenserfollowed by a numberdesignating a particular typesuchasBLU-109.Blue-on-Blue Accidentalfiring of weapons at friendlyforces due to erroneous

identification, breakdown ofcommunications, or systemmalfunctions.BRACBaseRealignmentandClosure Commission.Organization created byCongress to tackle thepolitically sensitive task ofselectingmilitarybases tobeclosed,merged,orsoldoff.BradleyHeavy(upto67,000lbs/30,450 kg) trackedarmored vehicle with 25mm

cannon and TOW missilelauncher. M2 InfantryFighting Vehicle carries a 3-man crew (driver, gunner,commander) and 6-maninfantry squad. M3 CavalryFighting Vehicle carries a 2-man scout team and extraammunition instead. Over6,700built.Brigade Military unitconsisting of severalbattalions, typically

commanded by a colonel orbrigadier general.U.S.Armydivisions generally contain 3or4brigades.

C2 Command and Control.Currently used to describeelectronic systems that assistwarfighters.C-5B Galaxy Long-rangeLockheed Martin heavy lifttransport.FourTF39turbofanengines. Maximum takeoffweight is 837,000 pounds.

Nosestructureswingsupandtail ramp drops down forrapid loading and unloading.About82inservice.C-17 Globemaster IIIHeavy-lift McDonnellDouglas transport designedfor operation into short,unimproved runways. FourP&WF117 turbofanengines.Max. takeoffweight 585,000lbs/266,000 kg. Advancedcockpitwith flight crewof 2

plus enlisted loadmaster incargobay.C-47 Dakota Twin-enginetransport version of DouglasDC-3 airliner. Workhorse ofAllied airborne operations inWWII. Produced from 1939toabout1950,andstillflying.C-119 Twin-engine tacticaltransport of the 1950s,nicknamed“FlyingBoxcar.”C-130 Hercules Lockheedtactical transport. Four

AllisonT56turboprops.Over2000 of these classic aircrafthave been built since 1955and it is still in production.Hero of 1976 Israeli hostagerescue mission to Entebbe,Uganda. Many models andvariants, including AC-130Ugunship and EC-130Hcommunications jammer.New C-130J underdevelopment has advancedavionics and new AllisonT406 engine with six-bladed

propellers.Standard transporthasmaximum takeoffweightof175,000lb/80,000kg.C-141 Starlifter Long-rangeheavy lift transport, built byLockheed, entered service in1964. Four TF33 turbofanengines.About227remaininservice, subject to weightrestrictions due to airframefatigue.Equippedforin-flightrefueling. Maximum takeoffweight325,000pounds.

C3I Command, Control,Communications, andIntelligence; the componentsand targets of informationwarfare. Pronounced “see-three-eye.”CASCloseAirSupport.“Airattacks against hostile targetswhich are in close proximityto friendly forces and whichrequiredetailedintegrationofeachairmissionwiththefireand movement of those

forces.” (Official DefenseDepartmentdefinition.)Cavalry Combat arm basedon mobility, reconnaissance,surprise, and shock action.Beforethe20thcentury,usedhorses. The U.S. Armyapplies the term Cavalry tocertain units equipped witharmored vehicles, attackhelicopters,orboth.CBU Cluster Bomb Unit. Amunition that is fuzed to

explode at low altitude,scattering large numbers of“submunitions” over an areatarget. Submunitions can beexplosive grenades, delayedaction mines, antitankwarheads, or otherspecializeddevices.CENTCOM United StatesCentral Command, a unified(jointservice)commandwithan area of responsibility inthe Middle East and

Southwest Asia.Headquartered at McDillAFB, Florida and generallycommanded by an Armyfour-stargeneral.CENTCOMnormallycommandsnomajorcombat units, but in a crisissituation it would be rapidlyreinforced by units of theArmy’s XVIIIth AirborneCorps, the U.S. MarineCorps,andAlliedforces.CH-47 Chinook Aging

Boeing Vertol “Chinook”twin-rotorhelicopterfoundinArmy medium helicoptersquadrons.“Chalk”Groupofparatroopsassigned to one aircraft. InWorld War II, the term was“stick.”CinC Commander in Chief.Used to designate the seniorofficer, typically a four-stargeneral or admiral in chargeofamajorcommand,suchas

CINCPAC (Commander inChief of the U.S. PacificCommand).CNN Atlanta-based globalnewsgathering organization,highlyregardedasasourceof24-hourreal-timeinformationby the defense andintelligence community. TheU.S. military has deployablesatellite terminals that allowcommanderstomonitorCNNfromanywhereintheworld.

Company Military unitconsisting of severalplatoons, typicallycommanded by a captain.Withinabattalion,companiesare designated by letters (A,B,C,etc.).Cavalryunitsusethe term “troop” forcompany-sized units, whileArtillery units use the term“battery.”CONOPS Concept ofOperations. The

commander’s guidance tosubordinate units on theconductofacampaign.CRAF Civil Air ReserveFleet. Commercial transportaircraft, some withgovernment subsidizedmodifications, such asstrengthened floors,designated for requisition byAir Mobility Command intimeofnationalemergency.CSAR Combat Search and

Rescue.Recoveryofdownedaircrewevadingcaptureinanenemy-held area.Typically ahelicopter mission supportedbyfixed-wingaircraft.CSS Combat ServiceSupport. Military term foradministrative units such assupply, maintenance, andfinance.DARO Defense AirborneReconnaissance Office. APentagon agency created in

1992,chargedwithfixingthemessinU.S.airbornerecon.DISCOMDivisionalSupportCommand. Administrative,maintenance and logisticelementsofadivision.DIVARTY DivisionalArtillery. Several battalions,often reinforced withadditional Corps level units.Typically commanded by abrigadier general.U.S.Armydoctrine calls for dispersed

deployment of artillery, buttightlycentralizedcontrolandsynchronizationoffires.DMA Defense MappingAgency.DoDDepartmentofDefense.U.S. government branchcreated in 1947, responsiblefor the four armed servicesand numerous agencies,program offices and jointprojects.DSCS Defense Satellite

Communication System. Afamily of geosynchronoussatellites and groundterminals ranging from 33-inchairborneantennaeto60-foot ground dishes. Thecurrentgeneration,DSCSIII,includes five satellites,providing global coverage.Some earlier DSCS IIsatellitesarestilloperational.DZ Drop Zone. An areadesignated for parachute

dropping of personnel orequipment.A“hotDZ”isoneunderenemyfire.Thisisverybad.ECM ElectronicCountermeasures.Anyuseofthe electromagnetic spectrumto confuse, degradeor defeathostile radars, sensors orradio communications. Theterm ECCM (electroniccounter-countermeasures) isused to describe active or

passive defensive measuresagainst enemyECM, such asfrequency-hopping or spreadspectrumwaveforms.ECWCS Extended ColdWeather Clothing System.Newwinter/arctic gear basedon technology developed forskiersandmountainclimbers,suchasGore-Tex.EFOG-M Enhanced Fiber-Optic Guided Missile. Armyadvanced-technology

demonstration project(cancelled and revivedseveral times) to develop amissile that trails an ultra-strong, ultra-light fiber opticcable, providing a videodatalink for precision guidance.Goodforkillingpoint targetsontheothersideofthehill.ELINT ElectronicIntelligence. Interception andanalysis of radar, radio andother electromagnetic

emissions in order todetermine enemy location,numbers,andcapabilities.E/O Electro-optical. Ageneral term for sensors thatuse video, infrared or lasertechnology for assistingnavigation or locating,tracking or designatingtargets.ESM Electronic SecurityMeasures. Usually refers tosystems that monitor the

electromagnetic spectrum todetect, localize and warn ofpotentialthreats.FACForwardAirController.Designates both the aircraftand the pilot with thedangerousmissionofcirclingover a battlefield to locatetargets and direct strikeaircraft.Fallschirmjäger German for“paratroop.”Literally,schirmmeans “umbrella”, and

fallschirm means“parachute.” Jäger means“hunter” and is a traditionaldesignation for light infantryunits.FARP Forward Arming andRefueling Point. An austeretemporary base forhelicopters and STOVLaircraft, established as closeto the combat zone aspossible to reduce transittime.

FCSL Fire Control SupportLine. Hypothetical line infront of friendly groundtroops beyond which CASand other aircraft mustdeliverordnance.FireteamFour-manunit,thebasic maneuver element forU.S.Armyinfantry.FLIR Forward LookingInfrared. An electro-opticaldevice similar to a televisioncamera that “sees” in the

infrared spectrum rather thanvisiblelight.AFLIRdisplaysan image based on minutetemperature variations in itsfield of view, so that hotengine exhaust appears tostandout.FY Fiscal Year. Begins onOctober 1. Used for budgetplanningpurposesbytheU.S.government.GBU Guided Bomb Unit.General term for a class of

precision-guided munitions,suchastheGBU-10PavewayII Laser Guided Bomb(LGB).GCE Ground CombatElement.PartofaJointTaskForce, normally commandedbytheseniorArmyorMarineofficerpresent.GeosynchronousAlsocalled“geostationary.”Asatelliteinequatorial orbit at an altitudeof 35,786 km (about 22,000

miles) will take twenty-fourhours to circle the Earth. Intwenty-four hours the Earthrotatesonceonitsaxis,sothesatellite will appear to be“fixed” over the same pointontheEarth.GHzGigahertz.Ameasureoffrequency. 1GHz=1,000,000,000 cyclespersecond.Goldwater-NicholsCommonnamefortheMilitaryReform

Actof1986,whichcreatedaseries of unified commandscutting across traditionalservice boundaries andstrengthenedthepoweroftheChairman of the JointChiefsofStaff.GPS Global PositioningSystem. A constellation oftwenty-two Navstar satellitesin inclined Earth orbits,whichcontinuouslybroadcastnavigational signals

synchronizedbyultra-preciseatomic clocks. At least foursatellitesareusuallyintransitacross the sky visible to auser.HaveQuickAfamilyofjam-resistant secure airborneradios operating in the UHFband utilizing frequencyhopping.HEATHighExplosiveAnti-Tank. A “shaped charge”missile or cannon projectile

thatfocusesanexplosiononametal liner, producing asuperheated gas jet that cutsthrough armor plate(incinerating thoseunfortunate enough to be ontheotherside).HEI High ExplosiveIncendiary. A type ofammunition commonly usedwithair-to-airguns.Hellfire Heavy (100 lb/45kg) laser-guided antitank

missile fired by attackhelicopters.Over30,000builtby Rockwell and LockheedMartin.HEMTT Heavy ExpandedMobility Tactical Truck. Afamily of off-road trucks inthe ten-ton class, built byOshkosh Truck Co.Particularlyvaluable forbulkfuel, ammunition and watersupply.HHC Headquarters and

Headquarters Company. TheArmy’s rather awkward termfor a command element,including the commandingofficer, his immediate staff,and their directly supportingadministrative, transport, andsecuritypersonnel.HMMWV High MobilityMultipurpose WheeledVehicle. Commonly called“Humvee” or “Hummer.”Rugged and reliable 4X4

dieselintroducedinthe1980sto replace the Jeep as thestandard light utility vehicleofU.S.ArmedForces.HOTAS Hands on Throttleand Stick. A cockpit flightcontrol unit that allows thepilottoregulateenginepowersettings and steeringcommandswithonehand.Howitzer A short-barreledartillerypiecedesignedtofireatmediumanglesofelevation

(distinguished from flat-trajectory guns and high-anglemortars).HUA “Heard, Understood,and Acknowledged.” All-purpose Airborne response,uttered with a variety ofnuances and inflections, butalwayswithgreatenthusiasm.HUD Heads-Up Display. Atransparent screen above thecockpit instrumentsonwhichcritical flight, target and

weapons information isprojected, so that the pilotneed not look down to readgaugesanddisplaysduringanengagement.IFF Identification Friend orFoe. A radio frequencysystemdesignedtoreducetherisk of shooting downfriendly aircraft. An IFF“interrogator” transmits acoded message intended forthe IFF “transponder” on an

unknowntarget.IIR Imaging Infrared. Anelectro-optical device similartoavideocamerathat“sees”small differences intemperature and displaysthem as levels of contrast orfalse colors on an operator’sdisplayscreen.ILS Instrument LandingSystem. A radio-frequencydevice installed at someairfields that assists the pilot

ofasuitablyequippedaircraftin landing during conditionsofpoorvisibility.INS Inertial NavigationSystem. A device thatdetermines location andvelocity by sensing theacceleration and direction ofevery movement since thesystem was initialized orupdatedataknownpoint.Infantry The combat branchthat seizes andholds ground.

The 82nd Airborne Divisionhasaveryhighproportionofinfantry.InterdictionUseofairpowerto disrupt or prevent themovement of enemymilitaryunits and supplies byattacking transportationroutes, vehicles and bridgesdeep in the enemy’s rearareas.IOC Initial OperationalCapability. The point in the

lifecycleofaweaponsystemwhen it officially entersservice and is consideredready for combat, with alltraining,spareparts,technicalmanuals and softwarecomplete.Themorecomplexthe system, the more distanttheIOC.Javelin Next-generationshoulder-launched mediumanti-tankmissile.JCS Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The senior U.S. militarycommand level, responsiblefor advising the President onmatters of national defense.The JCS consists of achairman,whomaybedrawnfrom any service, a deputy,andthefourservicechiefs.JFACC Joint Forces AirComponentCommander.Theofficer who has operationalcontrol over all air units andairassetsassignedtoatheater

of operations. The JFACC istypically drawn from theservice that has the greatestamount of air power in theareaofoperations.JoyStickThecontrolstickofafixed-wingaircraft.Movingthe stick forward or backmakes the nose pitch up ordown. Moving the stick leftor right makes the aircraftbank in the correspondingdirection. The rudder is

separately controlled by footpedals.JP-5 Standard U.S. militaryjetfuel.Apetroleumdistillatesimilar to kerosene. JRTCJoint Readiness TrainingCenter.FortPolk,Louisiana.JSTARS Joint Surveillanceand Targeting Attack RadarSystem. An Army/Air Forceprogram to deploy abouttwenty Boeing E-8C aircraftequippedwithpowerful,side-

looking, synthetic apertureradar to detect movinggroundtargetsatlongrange.JTF Joint Task Force. Amilitary unit composed ofelements of two or moreservices, commanded by arelativelyseniorofficer.JTFsmay be organized for aspecific mission, ormaintained as semi-permanent organizations,such as the anti-drug JTF-4

basedinFlorida.JTFEX Joint Task ForceExercise.KC-10 Extender Heavytanker/transport based onDouglas DC-10 wide-bodycommercial airliner. Fifty-nine aircraft in service, somemodified with droguerefuelinghosereelaswellastail boom. Three CF6turbofan engines. Maximumtakeoffweight590,000lbs.

Kevlar Dupont trademarkname for a high-strengthsynthetic material used tomanufacture helmets andbodyarmor.KnotNauticalmilesperhour.OftenusedbyU.S.AirForceandNavy tomeasureaircraftspeeds, particularly in thesubsonic range. One knotequals one nautical mile perhour.LANTIRN Low Altitude

Navigation and TargetingInfrared for Night. A pair ofelectronic pods mounted onF-15E and certain F-16fighter aircraft. Built byLockheedMartin.LAPES Low AltitudePrecision Extraction System.Use of a small drogueparachute to extract a cargopallet or vehicle from theramp of a cargo aircraftskimming just above a

runway. Visually impressive,but rarely used, since it isrisky and requires highlytrained crews andloadmasters.LAW M72 Light AntitankWeapon. Single-shotdisposable rocket launcher,nowobsolete.LGBLaser-GuidedBomb.LGOP Little Groups ofParatroops. Airborne-style ofsmall-unit tactics, deriving

fromWWIIexperience,whencombat jumps resulted insevere scattering andintermixingofunits.LIC Low Intensity Combat.Armyjargonfor“smallwar.”A term rarely used by thepeople actually doing thefighting.LMSLR Programdesignation(LogisticMilitarySealift Long-Range) forconversionof50,000-tonfast

container ships forprepositioning Armyequipment in the WesternPacific(Saipan).LOSAT Line of SightAntitank.Abig(177lb/80.4kg) high-velocity unguidedrocket that relies on kineticenergy to destroy armoredtargets. Originally intendedfor mounting on a (nowcancelled) light armoredvehicle chassis, program

statusin1996wasuncertain.LPI/LPDLowProbabilityofInterception/Low ProbabilityofDetection.What youwantin your combat electronicsystems.LZ Landing Zone.Designated area for tacticallanding of gliders orhelicopters.M1 Abrams U.S. MainBattleTank since1981.Firstmass-produced tank with a

gas turbine engine. The Alvarianthasheavierarmoranda 120mm gun, while the A2has been equipped withdigital control, monitoring,andcommunicationsgear.M9 Beretta 9mm automaticpistol, standard handgun ofU.S.ArmedForces.M16A2 5.56mm automaticrifle, standard U.S. Armyinfantryweapon.M551 Sheridan Sheridan

light tank. Over 1,500produced 1965-70. Complex152mm gun/missile launcherplaguedbyproblems.MaverickAGM-65familyofair-to-surface missiles,produced since 1971 byHughes andRaytheonwith avariety of guidance andwarheadconfigurations.MBT Main Battle Tank. Atracked, heavily armoredvehicle mounting a large-

caliber gun in a rotatingturret.MFD Multi-FunctionDisplay. A small videomonitor or flat panel displayon an aircraft control panelthat allows the operator todisplay and manipulatedifferent kinds of sensorinformation, statusindications, warnings, andsystemdiagnosticdata.MID Mechanized Infantry

Division.A “heavy” divisionequippedwith tanks, infantryfighting vehicles, and self-propelledartillery.MIL-STD-1553 U.S.MilitaryStandardthatdefinescable specifications,connectors and data formatsforadigitaldata-bus,orhigh-speed network for aircraft,naval or ground-basedelectronicsystems.Oneofthemost successful standards in

aviationhistory.MILES Multiple IntegratedLaser Engagement System.Realistic but safe simulationused in Army field trainingexercises. Coded pulsedlasers are fitted to weapons;vehicles and personnel areriggedwith laserdetectors toregisterhits.Mk. 19 40mm automaticgrenade launcher, used byheavy weapons units, also

mounted on vehicles andcombatvessels.MLRS Multiple LaunchRocket System. A twelve-round227mmartilleryrocketsystemmountedona trackedarmored carrier. Nicknamed“Steel Rain.” A truck-mounted six-round launcheris under development forlightforces.MOS Military OccupationalSpecialty.Alphanumericcode

usedtodesignatetheprimary“job” of enlisted personnel.The infantry MOS is 11B,pronounced“eleven-bravo.”MOPP Mission OrientedProtective Posture. Militaryterm for wearing nuclear,biological, and chemicalprotectivegear,includinggasmasks. There are four levelsof protection, depending onthe immediacy of the threat.MOPP-IVisthehighest.

MPF MaritimePrepositioningForce.MPS MaritimePrepositioningShip.MPSRON MaritimePrepositioning ShipSquadron.MRC Major RegionalContingency. CurrentPentagon euphemism forsmall war or crisis requiringintervention of U.S. militaryforces as directed by the

President.MRE Meals, Ready to Eat.Military field ration inindividual serving packs.Eaten by personnel in thefield until regular diningfacilities can be deployed.Humorously known as“Meals Rejected byEthiopians.”MSC Military SealiftCommand. Navy componentof U.S. Transportation

Command, responsible foroperating, maintaining, orchartering shipping totransport military personnelandequipment.NATONorthAtlanticTreatyOrganization. An alliance ofsixteen nations that haspreserved peace in Europesince 1949. NATOagreements standardize thespecifications for a widevarietyofammunitiontypes.

Nauticalmile6,076feet.Notto be confused with StatuteMile,whichis5,280feet.NBC Nuclear, Biological,Chemical. General term forweaponsofmassdestruction,including nuclear bombs orweaponsdesignedtodisperseradioactive material, toxicgases, liquids or powders,infectiousmicroorganisms,orbiological toxins. Forbiddenbymanynationsandtreaties.

NCO NoncommissionedOfficer. Includes ranksranging from E-3 (sergeant)to E-9 (command sergeantmajor). NCOs are enlistedpersonnelwithsupervisoryortechnicalresponsibilities.NEO NoncombatantEvacuationOperations.NRO NationalReconnaissance Office.Formerly super-secretintelligence agency

established in late 1950swithin the Department ofDefense, but not officiallyacknowledged to exist until1990s. Responsible forprocurement, operation, andmanagement of variousreconnaissance satellitesystems.NVGNightVisionGoggles.O/C Observer/Controllers.The “referees” in militaryexercises.

OH-58D Kiowa WarriorArmy Kiowa Warrior lightscoutandattackhelicopter.O&M Operations andMaintenance.Amajorbudgetcategory for most militaryunits.OOTW Operations OtherThanWar.Militaryjargonforpeacekeeping, humanitarianreliefandsimilaradventures.OPFOR Opposing Force.Units designated to play the

enemy in military exercises.Usually depicted in red onmaps.Optempo OperationalTempo. Subjective measureof the intensity of militaryoperations. In combat highoptempo can overwhelm theenemy’sabilitytorespond,atthe risk of burning out yourown forces. In peacetime ahigh optempo can adverselyaffectmoraleandreadiness.

Ordnance Weapons,ammunition, mines or otherconsumablearmament.PAA Primary AircraftAuthorized. The number ofplanes allocated to a unit forthe performance of itsoperational mission. PAA isthe basis for budgetingmanpower, supportequipmentandflyinghours.PAO Public Affairs Officer.Military staff officer

responsible for mediarelations, coordination withcivil authorities, VIP escortduties,andsimilarchores.Patriot Army long-rangesurface-to-air missile system.Requires a complex array ofradar and fire-control vansalongwithfour-round trailer-mounted launchers. Tookalmost thirty years todevelop. Limited antiballisticmissile capability, greatly

improved in new PAC-3version. Built by Raytheonand Loral. Sold to Germany,Italy, Netherlands, Japan,Saudi Arabia, Israel, andKuwait.Paveway Generic term for afamilyof laser-guidedbombsproduced by TexasInstrumentsCorporation.PGM Precision-GuidedMunition.Commonlycalleda“smart bomb,” any weapon

that uses electronic, electro-optical, inertial or otheradvanced forms of terminalguidance to achieve a veryhigh probability of hitting itstarget.Platoon Military unitconsisting of several squads,typically commanded by alieutenant.PLFParachuteLandingFall.One of several tumblingexercisesdesigned toallowa

jumper to land safely onvarioustypesofterrain.POMCUS Prepositioning ofMaterial Configured in UnitSets. A logistic innovationdeveloped for U.S. forces inEurope, allowing U.S.-basedunits to fly in withoutequipment and rapidly pickup vehicles, weapons, andsuppliesfromdepots.PT Physical Training. In theAirborne, much of this is

running, but may includeotherexercisessuchassit-upsandpush-ups.PylonAstructureattachedtothe wing or fuselage of anaircraft that supports anengine, fuel tank,weapon,orexternalpod.Thepylonitselfmay be removable, in whichcase it is attached to a “hardpoint” that provides amechanical and electricalinterface.

R&D Research andDevelopment. A form oftaxpayer-funded guaranteedemploymentforengineers.RAH-66 Comanche low-observable scout helicopterwith advanced sensors anddatalinks. A key system forthe Army’s vision of thefuture digitized battlefield,Comanche is schedule toenterservicearound2006.RAM Radar Absorbing

Material. Metal or metal-oxide particles or fibersembedded in synthetic resinapplied as a coating orsurface treatment on radar-reflectiveareasofavehicleinordertoreduceitsradarcrosssection.RedeyeFirst-generationman-portable infrared-homingSAM built by GeneralDynamics. Introduced in1972. Now considered

obsolete.Regiment Military unitconsisting of severalbattalions or squadrons. TheU.S. Army has only a feworganized regiments, butretains regimentaldesignations for all combatbattalions, mainly forhistoricalreasons.ROE Rules of Engagement.Guidance, often determinedat the highest levels of

government, regarding howand when flight crews mayemploytheirweapons.Inair-to-air combat, ROE usuallyspecify specific criteria foridentifying a non-friendlyaircraftashostile.ROWPU Reverse OsmosisWater Purification Unit. Amobile(semi-trailermounted)ground facility capable ofproducing fresh water fromseawaterorbrackishwater.

RO-RO Roll-on/Roll-off. Acargo ship with vehicleparkingdecks,flexibleramps,and special ventilation,allowing loaded vehicles todrive on or off under theirownpower.RWR Radar WarningReceiver. An electronicdetectortunedtooneormorehostile radar frequencies andlinked to an alarm that alertsthe pilot to the approximate

direction, and possibly thetype, of threat. Similar inconcept to automotive policeradardetectors.SADARM Sense AndDestroy Armor. An“intelligent” artilleryprojectile that dispenses sub-munitions that home onarmoredvehicles.SAM Surface-to-AirMissile.Aguidedmissiledesigned tokill enemy aircraft. Most

SAMs use rocket or ramjetpropulsion and some type ofradarorinfraredguidance.SAR Search and Rescue(sometimeswrittenasCSAR,Combat Search and Rescue).An urgent and dangerousmissiontorecovershot-downflightcrewor survivors fromenemy-controlled territory orwaters.SAR Synthetic ApertureRadar. An aircraft radar (or

operating mode of a multi-function radar) that canproduce highly accurategroundmaps.SAW Squad AutomaticWeapon.M2495.56mmlightmachinegun.SCUD Western reportingname for Soviet R-11(SCUD-A)andR-17(SCUD-B) short-range ballisticmissile. Based largely onWWII German technology.

Range of 110—180 mileswith 1000 kg/ 2200 lb.warhead. Inaccurate inertialguidance.SIGINT Signal Intelligence.Interception, decoding andanalysis of enemycommunicationstraffic.SINCGARS Single ChannelGround and Airborne RadioSystem. A family of securefrequency-hopping VHF-FMtactical radios standardized

throughout the U.S. armedforces.SKE Station KeepingEquipment. Precision radionavigation system thatenables formations of troopcarrier aircraft to maintainformation at night or in badweather.Sortie The basic unit ofairpower: one completecombat mission by oneaircraft.“Sortiegeneration”is

theabilityofanairunittore-arm, re-fuel and serviceaircraft for repeatedmissionsinagivenperiod.Squad Military unitconsistingofninetofourteensoldiers, led by a sergeant.Usually divided into two fireteams.SRAW Short-Range AssaultWeapon. A twenty-poundshoulder-fired antitank andbunker-busting rocket, to be

fieldedinthelate1990s.Alsocalled MPIM (Multi-PurposeIndividual Munition) and“Predator” (by the U.S.MarineCorps).Stealth A combination ofdesign features, technologies,and materials—some highlyclassified—designed toreduce the radar, visual,infrared, and acousticsignature of an aircraft, ship,or other vehicle to the point

where effective enemydetection andcountermeasures areineffective.Stinger Man-portableinfrared-guided surface-to-airmissile, also mounted onhelicopters and groundvehicles.Weighs34.5poundswith launcher. Used veryeffectively by Afghanguerrillas against Soviet AirForceinthe1980s.

T-10 Standard ArmyAirborne static-lineparachute, almost unchangedsinceWWII.TARPS Tactical AirReconnaissance Pod System.A 1700-lb/770-kg pod builtby Naval Avionics Centerand fitted to two F-14Afighters in each carrier airwing.Podcarriesanine-inchpanoramic camera, twelve-inch frame camera, and

infraredlinescanner.TDY Temporary Duty. Amilitary assignment to alocation away from one’snormal duty station. TDYgenerally involves separationfrom family and entitlespersonnel to supplementarypayandallowances.TFW Tactical FighterWing.A unit of three fightersquadrons and supportingunits.

TO&ETableofOrganizationand Equipment. The officialdocument that prescribes indetail the structure andauthorizedassetsofamilitaryunit.TOW Tube-launchedOptically tracked Wire-guided missile. Heavyantitank weapon fired byArmyhelicopters andgroundvehicles. Heavy antitankmissile fired by Army and

Marine Corps groundvehiclesandhelicopters.Firstsaw combat in Vietnam in1972, continuously updatedandimprovedsincethen.TRAP Tactical Recovery ofAircraftandPersonnel.UH-1 Huey light utilityhelicopter. Now obsolete inmostArmyunits.UH-60 “Blackhawk” utilityhelicopter. Widely used fortransporting troops and

supplies, and casualtyevacuation. Can be armedwith door guns and weaponpylons. Special versions forcommand/control andelectronicintelligence.UAV Unmanned AerialVehicle. Also known as adrone or RPV (RemotelyPiloted Vehicle). Arecoverable pilotless aircraft,either remotely controlledoveraradiodatalink,orpre-

programmed with anadvancedauto-pilot.USACOM United StatesAtlantic Command. UnifiedCommand that includes theNavy’s Atlantic Fleet andmost Army and Air Forcecombat units based in thecontinental United States.USACOM’s special role isthe training and “packaging”of joint task forces that mayhave to be deployed to

support other unifiedcommands, such asCENTCOM, EUCOM, orPACOM.V-22 Osprey Twin-enginetilt-rotor aircraft. Combinestheagilityofahelicopterwiththe speed and range of afixed-wing turboprop. JointMarine /Navy/Air Forceprogram,deliveriesscheduledtobeginin1997.Viewgraph An overhead

projector transparency orslide used in briefings orpresentations. Sometimesusedasatermofderisionforaproject that is incompletelydeveloped, as “His plan wasnothing but a set ofviewgraphs,”or “that aircraftdesign is still in theviewgraphstage.”Wing Air Force unit,typically commanded by acolonel, consisting of several

squadrons with supportingground elements. Dependingon type, a Wing may havefewerthanadozenaircraft,ormorethanahundred.XO Executive Officer.Secondincommandofaunit.XVIII Roman numeral foreighteen. The 82nd AirborneDivision is part of theXVIIIAirborne Corps. Romannumerals have been used todesignate Army Corps since

the Napoleonic Wars, to thedismay of six generations ofmilitaryhistorians.

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—,Naval Institute Guide toWorld Naval WeaponsSystems, Naval InstitutePress,1991.—,Naval Institute Guide toWorld Naval WeaponsSystems,1994Update, NavalInstitutePress,1994.—,TheNavalInstituteGuideto World Naval WeaponsSystems, 1991—92, NavalInstitutePress,1991.

—, U.S. Naval Weapons,NavalInstitutePress,1985.Gallagher, James J., CombatLeader’s Field Guide,Stackpole,1994.—,Low IntensityConflict:AGuideforTactics,Techniquesand Procedures, StackpoleBooks,1992.Gavin, JamesM., Gen. USA(Ret.),On to Berlin: Battlesof An Airborne Commander,1943—1946,Viking,1978.

General Dynamics, TheWorld’s Missile Systems,1988.Gibson, James William, ThePerfect War—Technowar inVietnam, Atlantic MonthlyPress,1986.Godden,John(ed.),Shield&Storm: PersonalRecollections of the Air WarintheGulf,Brassey’s,1994.Goldstein,Donald,Katherine

V. Dillon and J. MichaelWenger, NUTS!: The Battleof the Bulge—The Story andPhotographs, Brassey’s,1994.—, D-Day, Normandy: TheStory and the Photographs,Brassey’s,1994.Goldstein, Donald M.,Katherine V. Dillon and J.Michael Wenger, D-DayNormandy: The Story andPhotographs, Brassey’s,

1994.Gordon, Michael R. andBernard E. Trainor, TheGeneral’s War: The InsideStory of the Conflict in theGulf,LittleBrown,1995.Green,William,Warplanesofthe Third Reich, GalahadBooks,1970.Gregor, Ferguson and KevinLyles, The Paras, 1940—1984,Osprey,1984.

Grove, Eric, Battle for theFiords: NATO’s ForwardMARITIMESTRATEGY INACTION, Naval InstitutePress,1991.Gumble, Bruce L., TheInternationalCountermeasures Handbook,EW Communications Inc.,1987.Hagerman, Bart (ed.), USAAirborne 50th Anniversary,Turner,Paducah,KY,1990.

Hagerman, Edward, TheAmerican Civil War and theOrigins of Modern Warfare,Indiana University Press,1988.Halberstadt, Hans, ArmyAviation, Presidio Press,1990.—, Desert Storm—GroundWar, MotorbooksInternational,1991.Hall, Tony (ed.), D-Day:Operation Overlord,

Salamander,1993.Hallion, Dr. Richard P.,Storm over Iraq—Air Powerand the Gulf War;SmithsonianBooks,1992.—,Strike from theSky—TheHistory of Battlefield AirAttack 1911—1945,SmithsonianBooks,1989.—, The Literature ofAeronautics, Astronauticsand Air Power, U.S.Government Printing Office,

1984.Hammond, William, TheMilitaryandtheMedia,1968—1973,U.S.Army,CenterofMilitaryHistory,1996.Hansen, Chuck,US.NuclearWeapons:TheSecretHistory,OrionBooks,1988.Hanson, Victor Davis, TheWestern Way of War—Infantry Battle in ClassicalGreece, Alfred A. KnopfPublishers,1989.

Hart, B.H. Liddell, Strategy,Frederick A. Praeger, Inc.,Publishers,1967.Hartcup, Guy, The SilentRevolution: Development ofConventional Weapons 1945—85,Brassey’s,1993.Hastings, Max, Overlord,Simon&Schuster,1984.Heinlein,RobertA.,StarshipTroopers,AceBooks,1959.Hogg, Ian and Rob Adam,

Jane’s Guns: RecognitionGuide,HarperCollins,1996.Hudson, Heather E.,Communication Satellites—Their Development andImpact,FreePress,1990.Hughes, David R., The M16Rifle and Its Cartridge,Armory Publications,Oceanside,California,1990.Isby, David, Weapons andTactics of the Soviet Army,Jane’s,1981.

Jablonski, Edward, Americain the Air War, Time-LifeBooks,1982.Jessup, John E., Jr. andRobertW.Coakley,AGuideto the Study and Use ofMilitary History, U.S.Government Printing Office,1991.Kahaner, Larry, CompetitiveIntelligence, Simon &Schuster,1996.

Keany, Thomas A. and EliotA. Cohen, Revolution inWarfare? Air Power in thePersianGulf, Naval InstitutePress,1995.Keegan, John, A History ofWarfare, Alfred A. Knopf,1993.—, The Illustrated Face ofBattle,Viking,1988.—, The Second World War,Viking,1989.

Kelly,Orr,FromaDarkSky:The Story of U.S. Air ForceSpecial Operations, PresidioPress,1996.Kershaw, Robert J, D-Day:Piercing the Atlantic Wall,NavalInstitutePress,1994.Kinzey, Bert, U.S. Aircraftand Armament of OperationDesert Storm, KalmbachBooks,1993.Knott, Richard, C. (CaptainUSN), The Naval Aviation

Guide, 4th Edition, NavalInstitutePress,1985.Kyle, Colonel James H.,USAF (Ret.), The Guts toTry,OrionBooks,1990.Lake,Donald,DavidandJon(eds.),U.S.NavyandMarineCorps Air Power Directory,Aerospace Publishing, Ltd.,1992.Lambert, Mark, (ed.), Jane’sAlltheWorld’sAircraft,1992—93, Jane’s Information

Group,1992.Langdon, Allen L.,“READY”: A World War IIHistory of the 505thParachuteInfantryRegiment,82nd Airborne DivisionAssociation,1986.Langguth,A.J,Patriots:TheMen Who Started theAmerican Revolution, Simon&Schuster,1988.Luttwak, Edward and StuartL. Koehl, The Dictionary of

ModernWar—AGuidetotheIdeas, Institutions andWeapons ofModernMilitaryPower,HarperCollins,1991.MacDonald, Charles,Airborne,Ballantine,1970.Mason, John T., Jr., ThePacificWarRemembered:AnOral History Collection,NavalInstitutePress,1986.McConnell, Malcolm, JustCause: The Real Story ofAmerica’s High-Tech

Invasion of Panama, St.Martin’sPress,1991.McRaven, William H., SpecOps,PresidioPress,1995.McWhiney,Grady and PerryD.Jamieson,AttackandDie:Civil War Military Tacticsand the Southern Heritage,UniversityofAlabamaPress,1982.Middlebrook,Martin,Arnhim1944: The Airborne Battle,Westview,1994.

Moore, John (Captain, RN),Janes’s American FightingShips of the 20th Century,ModernPublishing,1995.Morrocco, Jon, The VietnamExperience—Thunder fromAbove, Boston PublishingCompany,1984.Morse, Stan, Gulf Air WarDebrief, AerospacePublishingLimited,1991.Nalty,BernardC.,TheUnited

States Air Force SpecialStudies—Air Power and theFight for Khe Sanh, U.S.Government Printing Office,1986.Newhouse, John, War andPeace in the Nuclear Age,Alfred Knopf Publications,1989.Nordeen, Lon O., Jr., AirWarfare in theMissile Age,SmithsonianBooks,1985.O’Ballance, Edgar, No

Victor, No Vanquished,PresidioPress,1978.Pagonis,Lt.GeneralWilliamG. with Jeffrey L.Cruikshank, MovingMountains—Lessons inLeadership and Logisticsfrom the Gulf War; HarvardBusinessSchoolPress,1992.Parker, Danny S., Battle ofthe Bulge: Hitler’s ArdennesOffensive 1944—45,Combined Books,

Conshohocken,PA,1991.Paul Carrell, Invasion!They’re Coming!, Schiffer,1995.Peebles, Curtis,Guardians—Strategic ReconnaissanceSatellites, Presidio Press,1987.Pocock, Chris,Dragon Lady—The History of the U-2Spyplane, MotorbooksInternational,1989.

Polmar, Norman, NavalInstitute Guide to the ShipsandAircraftoftheU.S.Fleet,15th Edition, Naval InstitutePress,1993.Polmar, Norman and FloydD. Kennedy, Jr., MilitaryHelicopters of the World,NavalInstitutePress,1981.Powell, Colin, General USA(Ret.) with Joseph Persico,My American Journey,RandomHouse,1995.

Pretty, Ronald T., Jane’sWeapon Systems 1981—82,Jane’s Publishing CompanyLimited,1981.Price, Alfred, Air BattleCentral Europe, WarnerBooks,1986.—, Instrument of Darkness—The History of ElectronicWarfare, PeninsulaPublishing,1987.—, The History of U.S.Electronic Warfare,

Association of Old Crows,1989.Quarrie, Bruce and MikeChappell, German AirborneTroops,1939—1945,Osprey,1983.Rapoport, Anatol (ed.), CarlVon Clausewitz on War;PenguinBooks,1968.Rendall, David, Jane’sAircraft Recognition Guide,HarperCollins,1995.

Richelson, Jeffrey, AmericanEspionage and the SovietTarget,WilliamMorrow andCompany,1987.—, America’s Secret Eyes inSpace,HarperCollins,1990.—,SwordandShield—SovietIntelligence and SecurityApparatus, BallingerPublishingCompany,1986.—, The U.S. IntelligenceCommunity, BallingerPublishingCompany,1985.

Rommel, Erwin, InfantryAttacks,Presidio,1990.Rottman, Gordon and RonVolstad,U.S.ArmyAirborne,1940—90,Osprey,1990.Ryan, Cornelius, A BridgeToo Far, Simon & Schuster,1974.Santoli,Al,Leading theWay—How Vietnam VeteransRebuilt the U.S. Military,BallantineBooks,1993.

Scales, Brigadier GeneralRobertH.,Jr.(USA),CertainVictory:TheU.S.ArmyintheGulfWar,Brassey’s,1994.Schmitt,Gary,SilentWarfare—Understanding the Worldof Intelligence, Brassey’s(U.S.),1993.Schneider, Wolfgang (ed.),Taschenbuch der Panzer(Tanks of the World) 7thedition, Bernard & GraefeVerlag, Bonn, Germany,

1990.Sharp,AdmiralU.S.G.Sharp,Strategy for Defeat, PresidioPress,1978.Smallwood, William L.,Warthog: Flying the A-10 inthe Gulf War; Brassey’s,1993.Smith,Gordon,Battlesof theFalklands War, Ian Allen,1989.Smith, Peter C., Close Air

Support—An IllustratedHistory, 1914 to the Present,OrionBooks,1990.Staff, U.S. News and WorldReport, Triumph WithoutVictory—The UnreportedHistory of the Persian GulfWar,RandomHouse,1992.Stevenson, William, 90Minutes at Entebbe, BantamBooks,1976.Summers, Colonel Harry G.,Jr.(Ret.),ACriticalAnalysis

of the Gulf War, DellPublishing,1992.—,TheNewWorldStrategy:A Military Policy forAmerica’s Future, Simon &Schuster,1995.Swanborough, Gordon andPeter M. Bowers, UnitedStatesMilitaryAircraftSince1909, Smithsonian Books,1989.Swanborough, Gordon andPeter M. Bowers, United

States Navy Aircraft Since1911, Naval Institute Press,1990.Taylor,ThomasH.,Lightningin the Storm: The 101st AirAssault Division in the GulfWar, Hippocrene Books,1994.Thompson,Julian,NoPicnic:3 Commando Brigade in theSouth Atlantic, 1982,Hippocrene,1985.—, The Lifeblood of War

Logistics in Armed Conflict,Brassey’s,1991.Thornborough, Anthony, SkySpies—The Decades ofAirborne Reconnaissance,ArmsandArmour,1993.Time-Life Books, SkySoldiers,1991.Time-Life Books, SpecialForcesandMissions,1990.Toffler,AlvinandHeidi,Warand Anti-War—Survival at

theDawnofthe21stCentury,LittleBrown,1993.Toscano,Louis,TripleCross:Israel, the Atomic Bomb andthe Man Who Spilled theSecrets, Birch Lane Press,1990.Trimble Navigation,GPS—AGuide to the Next Utility,1989.TRW, Space Log—Nineteenninety-three,1994.

TRW,TRW Space Data, 4thEdition,1992.U.S.Department ofDefense,Bosnia: Country Handbook,1995.U.S. Government PrintingOffice, Conduct of thePersianGulfWar,1992.VonHassell,Agostino,StrikeForce: U.S. Marine SpecialOperations, Howell Press,Charlottesville, Virginia,1991.

Wagner, William, Firefliesand Other UAV’s, MidlandPublishingLimited,1992.—,LightningBugsandOtherReconnaissanceDrones,AeroPublishers,1982.Walker,Bryce,FightingJets,Time-LifeBooks,1983.Waller, Douglas C., TheCommandos—The InsideStory of America’s SecretSoldiers, Simon & Schuster,

1994.Warden,ColonelJohnA.,III,USAF, The Air Campaign—Planning for Combat,Brassey’s,1989.Ware, Lewis B., LowIntensityConflictintheThirdWorld, U.S. GovernmentPrintingOffice,1988.Watson, Bruce W; BruceGeorge, M.P.; Peter Tsourasand B. L. Cyr, MilitaryLessons of the Gulf War,

GreenhillBooks,1991.Wayne, Scott and DamienSimonis, Egypt and theSudan,LonelyPlanet,1987.Wedertz, Bill, Dictionary ofNaval Abbreviations, NavalInstitutePress,1977.Weeks, John, The AirborneSoldier,Blandford,1982.Weinberg,Gerhard,A WorldatArms:AGlobalHistoryofWorld War II, Cambridge,

1994.Weinberger,Caspar,Fightingfor Peace: Seven CriticalYears in the Pentagon,WarnerBooks,1990.Weinberger,CasparandPeterSchweizer, The Next War,Regnery,1996.Weissman,SteveandHerbertKrosney, The Islamic Bomb,TimesBooks,1981.Westenhoff, Charles M.,

Military Air Power, AirUniversityPress,1990.Winnefeld, James A. andDana J. Johnson, Joint AirOperations: Pursuit of Unityin Command and Control1942—1991, Naval InstitutePress,1993.Winnefeld,JamesA.,PrestonNiblackandDanaJ.Johnson,A League of Airmen—U.S.Air Power in the Gulf War,RandProjectAirForce,1994.

Winter, Jay and BlaineBaggett,The GreatWar andthe Shaping of the 20thCentury,Penguin,1996.Wood, Derek, Jane’s WorldAircraft RecognitionHandbook, 5th Edition,Jane’s Information Group,1992.Woodward, Robert, TheCommanders, Simon &Schuster,1991.Young, Charles H., Into the

Valley: The Untold Story ofUSAAF Troop Carriers inWorld War II, PrintComm,Dallas,TX,1995.Zaloga, Steven J., Inside theBlue Berets: A CombatHistoryofSovietandRussianAirborne Forces; Presidio,1995.—, Red Thrust—Attack onthe Central Front, SovietTactics and Capabilities inthe 1990s, Presidio Press,

1989.—, Target America—TheSoviet Union and theStrategic Arms Race, 1945—1964,PresidioPress,1993.—, The World’s MissileSystems, General Dynamics,1988.—, Ultimate VisualDictionary, DorlingKindersley,1994.

OfficialManuals:

Worldwide GeographicLocationCodes,U.S.GeneralServices Administration,1987.TM 8415—10/2, Operator’sManual for IndividualProtective Clothing,Headquarters, U.S. MarineCorps,1993.Joint Pub 0—2, UnifiedAction Armed Forces, Joint

ChiefsofStaff,1995.Joint Pub 5—0,Doctrine forPlanning Joint Operations,JointChiefsofStaff,1995.Joint Pub 6—0,Doctrine forCommand, Control,Communications andComputer (C4) SystemsSupport to Joint Operations,JointChiefsofStaff,1995.Joint Pub 1—01.1,Compendium of JointPublications, Joint Chiefs of

Staff,1995.Joint Pub 3—05.5, JointSpecialOperationsTargetingand Mission PlanningProcedures, Joint Chiefs ofStaff,1993.Live Fire Complex, U.S.Army, Joint ReadinessTrainingCenter,1996.Exercise Rules ofEngagement (EXROE), U.S.Army,1996.

FM 100—5 OPERATIONS,U.S.Army,1993.FederalSupplyCatalogStockList, Subsistence (Draft),Defense Logistics Agency,1996.

Pamphlets:

FactFile,U.S.DepartmentofDefense,1993.

The Nation’s Air Force—1996IssuesBook,U.S.AirForce,1996.OPTEC: Testing the FutureToday,U.S.Army,1996.Theater Missile DefensePrimer,U.S.ArmySpaceandStrategic Defense Command,1996.WeaponSystems,U.S.Army,1992.WeaponSystems,U.S.Army,

1996.

Magazines:

AirandSpaceAirForceAirForceTimesArmyArmyTimesAviation Week and Space

TechnologyCommand: Military History,Strategy,&Analysis

Software:

Academic Year 1994Curriculum:MultimediaCD-ROM, Air Command andStaffCollege,USAF,1994.Academic Year 1995

Curriculum:MultimediaCD-ROM (two CDs), AirCommand andStaffCollege,USAF,1995.Army Experiment III, U.S.Army,1996.AtomicAge,Softkey,1994.DesertStorm:TheWarinthePersian Gulf, Warner NewMedia,1991.Distance Learning Course,Multimedia Edition, Air

Command andStaffCollege,USAF,1995.Encarta 96 Encyclopedia,Microsoft,1996.Infopedia, Future VisionMultimedia,1995.Joint Electronic Library,DepartmentofDefense,JointStaff,1995.TheUnitedStatesArmy1996Modernization Plan, U.S.Army,1996.

Warplanes:Modern FightingAircraft,Maris,1994.WINGS(4CDset),DiscoveryCommunications,1995.World Factbook 1995Edition,Wayzata,1995.

Games:

AgeofRifles,SSI,1996.Close Combat, MicroSoft,

1996.FlightCommander2,AvalonHillCompany,1994.Harpoon (3rd Ed.), GameDesignersWorkshop,1987.HARPOON Classic (Version1.5), Alliance InteractiveSoftware,1994.HARPOON II, Three Sixty,1995.Phase Line Smash, GameDesignersWorkshop.

TAC OPS: Modern TacticalCombat1994—2000,ArsenalPublishing,1994.

1Despite the claims of theRussianstostillhavecombat-capable parachute divisions,only the U.S. hasdemonstrated such acapability in the last fewyears.2

TheU.S.NavyversionoftheC-47wasknownastheR4D,and went by the whimsicalnicknameof“GooneyBird.”

3SeemybookFighterWing:AGuidedTourofanAirForceCombatWing (1995,BerkleyBooks) for a full descriptionof the KC-135. 4 HowardHughes’s eight-engined one-of-a-kind HK-1 Flying Boat,nicknamed the “SpruceGoose,” was larger, but itonly flew one short test hopinLongBeachHarborbeforebeingplacedinstorage.

4See my Marine: A GuidedTour of a MarineExpeditionary Unit (1996,Berkley Books) for a fulldescription of the Navy’samphibious lift and sealiftforces.5

The very firstAmerican jeepthat arrived in England in1942 was assigned to theBritish Army’s airborne

training unit, to test thepossibility of air-transportingit.6

Asthisbookisgoingtopress,thelastairbornearmoredunitin theU.S.Army, the 3/73rdArmored, assigned to the82nd Airborne Division, isscheduledtobedisestablishedonJuly1st,1997.7

This actually happened toseveral Soviet airborneoperations behind Germanlines on the Eastern FrontduringWorldWar11.8

This was the notorious DateofReturnStateside(DEROS)system, which only allowedone-year tours of duty inVietnam.9

The10thMountain ismainlya light infantry formation,though it does have somespecial mountain training foroperations in high altitudeandarcticenvironments.10

SeeMarine. A Guided Tourof a Marine ExpeditionaryUnit (Berkley Books, 1996)for a description of thisexercise. 4 Admiral JohnsonwasassignedthejobofChief

of Naval Operationsfollowingthesuicidedeathofhis predecessor, AdmiralMikeBoorda,USN.11

Formoreontheethosofelitefighting, see my bookMarine:AGuidedTour of aMarine Expeditionary Unit(BerkleyBooks,1996).12

A former professor and

Brigadier General in theNorth Carolina militia, J. J.Pettigrew lead his troopsduring Picket’s Charge atGettysburgonJuly3rd,1863.13

The Airborne troopers arefamous for their runningcadences,withtapesandCDsof their favorite chants beingpopular sellers at postexchangesaroundtheworld.14

Known in civilian life ascream-chipped beef on toast,the military acronymtranslates loosely to “slop onashingle.”15

Pronounced “Hu-Ahhh,” it isthe standard Airborneacknowledgment to an orderor statement, and stands forHeard... Understood ... andAcknowledged!

16InadditiontothebasicT-10-series parachute system, theArmy also uses the MC1-1steerable parachute. The useand certification of thissquare-canopy system arehandledinlaterclasses,sinceBAS concentrates just onbasic T-10 operations andsafety.17

The standard speed for all

aircraft (C-130 Hercules, C-141 Starlifter, and C-17Globemaster III) droppingparatroops is 130 knots.Anymore than this can literallytearthetroopersapart.18

Air Tasking Orders (ATOs)are the flying schedules forevery kind of aircraft in atheater of operations. DuringOperation Desert Storm, theATO controlled everything

from bombing missions toMEDIVACmissions.19

For more on the earlyproblems of the M16, seeArmored Cav (BerkleyBooks, 1994) and Marine(BerkleyBooks,1996).20

Used as a booby trap forcenturies in Asia, this is asharpened steel spike or

bamboo stake, hidden in ashallowcoveredpitandoftensmeared with excrement tocausedisablinginfections.21

Chlorine bleach andTrisodium Phosphate, twocommon household cleaningsolutions, can neutralizemanychemicalagents.22

A great deal of other

informationaboutthesystemsbeing described in thischapter has been covered inmyotherbooksArmoredCav(Berkley Books, 1994) andMarine (Berkley Books,1996).23

With its handsome woodenstock,theM14isstillcarriedby the Honor Guard at theTomb of the UnknownSoldier. It also is used by

Naval and Coast Guardvesselsasaboardingweapon.24

After decades ofincompatibility, the Armyand Air Force radios canfinally communicate oncommonfrequencies.25

PrimeChancewasaprogramto rapidly convert existingOH-58Ds to an armed

configuration to supportmaritime interdictionoperations in the PersianGulf. In 1988, the PrimeChance aircraft swept theGulfof Iraniangunboats thatwereharassingtankers.Later,the decision was made toupgrade the entire OH- 58Dfleet to the Prime Chanceconfiguration.26

Army helicopters are named

for Native American tribes,so the UH-1 is officially the“Iroquois.” Nobody actuallycalls it that, not even full-bloodedIroquois.27

Inanemergency,whichisthenormal combat situation,youcan probably pack in sixteentroops,maybemoreifthey’relittle guys with a hightolerancefordiscomfort.28

The Battle of Kursk, whichoccurredinJulyof1943,wasthe largest armored battle oftheSecondWorldWar.29

Known as the “Key WestAgreements,” these “treaties”were hammered out at aseries of meetings whichdetermined that only theUSAF could operate armedfixed-wing aircraft.Ironically, theArmyusedthe

loophole of “fixed wing” toeventuallycreatetheirfleetofarmedattackhelicopters.30

TheTF-34hasalsobeenusedon a number of commercialaircraft, particularly highlyfuel-efficientcommuterjets.31

For those of you who areamong my younger readers,the Volkswagen was the

original subcompact car,which was designed by Dr.Ferdinand Porsche in the1930sforAdolfHitler.WhenI was young, they werefrequentlyaperson’sfirstcar.32

One thing that the USAFrarely tells folks is just whattheGAU-8andotherGatling-type gun systems sound likewhen fired. From a positionon theground, themost civil

way to describe it would be“afartfromGod.”Hardlythelast thing that one wants tohear!33

“ManualReversion”feedsthecontrols back into aprimitiveseries of pulleys and cableswithjustenoughplaytomakegrosscorrectionstotheflightpath of the aircraft. This is alast-ditchmode of operationsonly! 7 For a better

understanding of this AGM-65 Maverick, see FighterWing(BerkleyBooks,1995).34

Beforeyou laugh toohard atthis idea, “heated” Hogs (asthe Sidewinder-equipped A-10s are known) shot down apair of Iraqi helicopters withtheir guns (they were tooclose touse theAIM-9s).Bycomparison,thehugeforceofF-16sthatfought inthe1991

Persian Gulf War failed toscore a single confirmed“kill”againstenemyaircraft.35

On a personal note, thegeneral’s son, Major JohnHorner, USAF, is adistinguishedWarthog driverwith numerous missions inthe “no-fly” zones overBosnia-Herzegovina.Notthatthis keeps the seniorHorner,himself a supersonic flyer of

some renown, from jokinglysaying that “he died in amotorcycle accident,” ratherthantellfolksthathissonisa“Hog”driver!36

ForafullerdescriptionoftheDesert Storm air campaign,again see Fighter Wing(BerkleyBooks,1995).37

The squadron, the famous

138thFighterSquadronofthe174th Fighter Wing, part ofthe New York Air NationalGuard (ANG), “The BoysFrom Syracuse,” servedhonorablyintheGulf,thoughdoggedbytechnicalproblemswithCASF-16s. Today theyare a “normal” F-16 ANGunit.38

Johnson and the SkunkWorkswere alreadyworking

on theF-104Starfighter, andsoon would begin work onthe famous U-2spy/reconnaissanceplane.39

In the USAF, while officersflyaircraft,enlistedpersonnel“own” them. If you doubtthis, just ask any Air Forcecrew chief. He or she willrapidlysetyoustraight!40

Formore on theBell-BoeingV-22 Osprey tilt-rotortransport, see Marine(BerkleyBooks,1996).41

The number 717, whichseemstobemissingfromthesequence of Boeing modelnumbers,was the company’sinternal project designationfortheKC-135.42

Each KC-10 is roughlyequivalent to 2.3KC-135s infuelcapacity.43

The YC-15’s maximumtakeoff weight of 216,000lb/98,000kgandwingspanof132feet7inches/40.4meterscompares with 580,000lb/263,000 kg and 170feet/51.7metersfortheC-17.44

This principle was finallyimplemented in a successfulcommercial aircraft by theRussian Antonov designbureau, with their AN-72mediumtransport.45

UndersecretaryDeutchwouldlater become CIA Directorfollowing the Aldrich Amesspy scandal that rocked theagency.46

In fact,when the recallordercame, the lead elements ofthe lead brigade were lessthantwentyminutesfromthepointwhere recallwould nothave been possible. Only anextraordinary effort by thecontrol centers of the AirMobility Command and AirCombat Command was ableto get all of the troopers andtheirgearbacktobasesafelythatmuggyandstormynight.

47This was the famous “Battleof theBulge,”whichbecamethe largest battle of theEuorpean Campaign and thebiggest ever fought by theU.S.Army.48

Formore on the 366thWingand the composite wingconcept, see Fighter Wing(BerkleyBooks,1995).

49Foradditionalinformationonthe ARG, MEU (SOC), andMPS concepts, see Marine(BerkleyBooks,1996).50

This delegation, led bySecretaryofDefenseRichardCheney,includedGeneralsH.Norman Schwarzkopf, USA(Commander, U.S. CentralCommand [CENTCOM]),John Yeosock, USA

(Commander, U.S. ThirdArmy/U.S.CentralCommandArmy Forces [ARCENT]),and Charles Horner, USAF(Commander, U.S. CentralCommand Air Forces[CENTAF]), as well asnumerous other defense anddiplomaticpersonnel.51

These peacekeeping troopsprovide a buffer forcebetween Israel and Egypt, as

a part of the Camp DavidAccords that were signed inthe late 1970s. Since 1982,theU.S. has always supplieda battalion ofU.S. forces fortheeffort.Thesetypicallyaredrawnfromeitherthe82ndor101stAirborneDivisions.52

FortPolkhaswonafistfulofenvironmental awards for itssuperb work on preservingthe localwildlife habitats. In

particular, it has madeexcellent progress inpreserving the ranges of thered cockaded wood-peckerand EPA-designatedendangeredspecies.Formoreinformation on Fort Polk,check its World Wide Webpage at: http://www.jrtc-polk.army.mil/.53

Standsfor“KilledinAction.”