He didn't avoid serving in Nam, or use his family's influence...
He chose a more dangerous mission..
If the Soviets launched their bombers (when he served the bulk of the Soviet nuclear arsenal), the plan was to send our interceptors to catch them over the bering strait and the air space between there and the lower 48 states, and splash them into the ocean there before any substantial damage could be done.. If you had to eject, your life expectency in the polar north pacific was 3-5 minutes, AT MOST....
LETS MAKE IT CLEAR TO THE LEFT, HE CHOSE A MORE DANGEROUS MISSION--THAN BEING SHOT AT IN THE MEKONG DELTA or phantom trips to Cambodia that nobody knows about... That he did not have to actually splash any Soviet bombers is irrelevant, that was their job if the time came...
Paul Hackett talks like he lead troops in combat in Iraq.
Granted anywhere in Iraq is dangerous and you are always suseptible to an IED but Hackett was a civil affairs officer he makes it like he was an infantry soldier.