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Airmen destroy mountains, deny sanctuary
379th Expeditionary Airlift Wing Public Affairs, Air Combat Command, USAF ^
| 5/9/2006
| Maj. Ann Peru Knabe
Posted on 05/09/2006 11:15:51 AM PDT by El Gato
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Airmen destroy mountains, deny sanctuary
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An F-15E Strike Eagle from the 379th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron at a forward-deployed location is recovered after completing a mission. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. John E. Lasky)
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by Maj. Ann Peru Knabe 379th Expeditionary Airlift Wing Public Affairs
5/9/2006 - SOUTHWEST ASIA (ACCNS) -- Some people move mountains, others destroy them.
On Tuesday, May 2, four 336th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron Airmen did just that.
Two F-15E Strike Eagle crews flew out from here on a mission in support of Operation Mountain Lion. Their assignment - a preplanned attack to destroy caves inside a mountain north of Jalalabad, Afghanistan.
The goal was to deny anti-coalition militia the use of caves, explained Face, an F-15E fighter pilot with more than six years flying experience. Our preplanned strike instructions came from the [Combined Air Operations Center]. We were tasked to destroy caves inside a mountain that the enemy used as a location to launch mortar and rocket attacks.
The caves were dug into the side of a 7,000-foot tall, snow-capped mountain covered with jagged rocks and irregular terrain.
F-15E Pilot Shag and his Weapons Systems Officer Pepe flew the first pass, dropping a laser-guided bomb into the opening of a cave.
Its a lot tougher than most people would think, said Pepe, who has more than five years experience flying Strike Eagles. Its difficult to identify the targets because of the rocks and crevices.
Despite the challenging terrain, the F-15E crew scored direct hits on their target; within seconds of the first bomb exploding, secondary explosions occurred as munitions, hidden in the cave, blew up.
Then Face and his WSO, Wrecker attacked the second cave.
We set up on final, said Face, explaining how they placed the aircraft on the correct parameters prior to releasing the bombs.
The 336th EFS crews flew several passes, each with accurate hits. When the dust settled, both aircraft flew battle damage assessment passes to ascertain the level of damage.
By mid afternoon, the mountain lacked any resemblance to its original cavernous landscape, and the crews were confident the caves full of weapon caches were destroyed.
This mission was very unusual, said Shag. To the best of my knowledge, the 336th EFS hadnt flown any missions like this in several years.
Shag said the crews take pride in their accuracy.
There was literally nothing left of the caves, said Wrecker who clearly saw the impact of the bombs. They were spectacular to watch. Not only did they destroy the entries, they obliterated the entire caves.
Our strikes hit with precision, Shag said. This was an enormous mountain with tiny cave openings, and we successfully closed them.
Wrecker said it takes everyone working together to make historical missions like this come together.
It was a total team effort, said the WSO who has been flying Strike Eagles for three years. We had tanker crews refueling us, superior [intelligence] from folks back at base and on the ground, and weapons and maintenance Airmen working around the clock to support this mission.
All four fighter aircrew are deployed from the 4th Fighter Wing based at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C.
Editors note: The story uses call signs for aircrew names for security reasons.
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TOPICS: News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: afghanistan; airforce; airmen; gwot; oef; usaf
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I just love secondary explosions!
BTW, I developed some of the algorithms running on the computers in the LANTIRN pod on the right side air intake of that F-15E. (left side as you look at the photo).
1
posted on
05/09/2006 11:15:52 AM PDT
by
El Gato
To: El Gato
2
posted on
05/09/2006 11:17:59 AM PDT
by
El Gato
To: El Gato
They are the ones to do the job. Wish I could watch.
3
posted on
05/09/2006 11:21:29 AM PDT
by
WorkerbeeCitizen
(Holy shi'ite Osama, what the F-15 was that?)
To: El Gato
Thank you for that link...
4
posted on
05/09/2006 11:21:37 AM PDT
by
Publius6961
(Multiculturalism is the white flag of a dying country)
To: El Gato
..... within seconds of the first bomb exploding, secondary explosions occurred as munitions, hidden in the cave, blew up. So long, Talibastards.......
5
posted on
05/09/2006 11:21:45 AM PDT
by
Red Badger
(In warfare there are no constant conditions. --- The Art of War by SunTzu)
To: El Gato
F-15E Pilot Shag and his Weapons Systems Officer Pepe WTFO! What is this - HIS weapons systems officer (WSO)?!!!
If only FR allowed profanity!
Time for the WSO's Union to pay a visit to Shag & this reporter.
6
posted on
05/09/2006 11:22:06 AM PDT
by
Mr Rogers
To: El Gato
I just love secondary explosions! They blowed up real good!
7
posted on
05/09/2006 11:26:00 AM PDT
by
humblegunner
(If you're gonna die, die with your boots on.)
To: El Gato
I love good news...really do, thanks for the post!
8
posted on
05/09/2006 11:26:42 AM PDT
by
in hoc signo vinces
("Houston, TX...a waiting quagmire for jihadis. American gals are worth fighting for!")
To: El Gato
I have an acquaintance who flew Strike Eagles with the 391st in Mountain Home, ID a few years back. The capabilities of that aircraft are simply amazing. They managed to take the best interceptor of its day (the F-15C) and turn it into one of the best precision-strike aircraft in the world (the F-15E). Remarkable.
}:-)4
9
posted on
05/09/2006 11:29:38 AM PDT
by
Moose4
(Please don't call me "white trash." I prefer "Caucasian recyclable.")
To: El Gato
4th Fighter Wing ping!!
Screeee!
10
posted on
05/09/2006 11:33:55 AM PDT
by
No.6
(www.fourthfightergroup.com)
To: El Gato
They have conventional bombs that will destroy entire mountains now! Cool!
11
posted on
05/09/2006 11:45:30 AM PDT
by
Seruzawa
(If you agree with the French raise your hand - If you are French raise both hands.)
To: El Gato
....within seconds of the first bomb exploding, secondary explosions occurred as munitions, hidden in the cave, blew up. Heh heh.
12
posted on
05/09/2006 11:49:44 AM PDT
by
Skooz
(Chastity prays for me, piety sings...Modesty hides my thighs in her wings...)
To: El Gato
We had tanker crews refueling us, superior [intelligence] from folks back at base and on the ground, and weapons and maintenance Airmen working around the clock to support this mission.
I wonder why the word 'intelligence' is in brackets. Did it somehow get dropped from the quote and was placed back in by the reporter? Or is there some other word that means intelligence but we're not allowed to know? Or, most intriguing of all (to me): is the word 'superior' a slang for 'intelligence'?
Just curious.
To: El Gato
14
posted on
05/09/2006 11:52:23 AM PDT
by
Lurker
(Anyone who doesn't demand an immediate end to illegal immigration is aiding the flesh trade.)
To: El Gato
If Mohammad won't leave the mountain, then the Air Force will make the mountain leave Mohammad!
15
posted on
05/09/2006 12:02:04 PM PDT
by
Yo-Yo
(USAF, TAC, 12th AF, 366 TFW, 366 MG, 366 CRS, Mtn Home AFB, 1978-81)
To: El Gato
Its a lot tougher than most people would think, said Pepe, who has more than five years experience flying Strike Eagles. Its difficult to identify the targets because of the rocks and crevices.Let it be duly noted: I am not one of "most people" who think that bombing those caves would be easy.
To: El Gato
17
posted on
05/09/2006 12:06:47 PM PDT
by
anymouse
To: Yo-Yo
If Mohammad won't leave the mountain, then the Air Force will make the mountain leave Mohammad!
Thanks to You, Yo-YO....I'm gonna have sweet deams about F15's doing some "incendiary landscaping" tonight.
18
posted on
05/09/2006 12:07:32 PM PDT
by
ExcursionGuy84
("Jesus, Your Love takes my breath away.")
To: ExcursionGuy84
19
posted on
05/09/2006 12:10:48 PM PDT
by
BronzePencil
(if we outlaw nuclear energy only outlaws will have nuclear energy)
To: El Gato
Thanks for the post. Living close to Seymour Johnson, Pope, Bragg and LeJeune, I loved to hear the great job our soldiers are doing. God Bless them.
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