Deadly Blue: Battle Stories of the U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command

257 Pages·2009·2.1 MB·English

by  Fred Pushies

D E A D LY
BLUE
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D E A D LY
BLUE
Battle Stories of the
U.S. Air Force
Special Operations Command
FRED PUSHIES
American Management Association
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Pushies, Fred
Deadly blue : battle stories of the U.S. Air Force Special Operations command /
Fred Pushies.—1st ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-10: 0-8144-1360-9
ISBN-13: 978-0-8144-1360-9
1. United States. Air Force Special Operations Command—History. 2. Afghan War,
2001—Aerial operations, American. 3. Iraq War, 2003—Aerial operations, American.
4. Afghan War, 2001—Personal narratives, American. 5. Iraq War, 2003—Personal
narratives, American. 6. United States. Air Force—Commando troops. 7. Special forces
(Military science)—United States—History—21st century. 8. Special operations
(Military science)—United States—History—21st century. 9. Close air support—
History—21st century. I. Title.
DS371.412.P875 2009
958.104'7—dc22
2009010404
© 2009 Fred Pushies.
All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America.
This publication may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,
or transmitted in whole or in part, in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written
permission of AMACOM, a division of American Management Association,
1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019.
Printing number
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
To the Quiet Professionals of AFSOC
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C O N T E N T S
Foreword ix
Preface xi
Acknowledgments xv
C H A P T E R 1
The Origin of the Air Force Special Operations 1
C H A P T E R 2
The Fog of War 22
C H A P T E R 3
Boots on the Ground 34
C H A P T E R 4
SatCom and Saddles 45
C H A P T E R 5
Tora Bora, Closing in on bin Laden 55
C H A P T E R 6
Diggers and Yanks 66
C H A P T E R 7
Austere to Operational 78
C H A P T E R 8
Green Hornets over Fallujah 86
C H A P T E R 9
Vintage Aircraft and Modern Techniques 93
vii
4
viii CONTENTS
C H A P T E R 1 0
The Quick Reaction Force 103
C H A P T E R 1 1
Dragons over Iraq 116
C H A P T E R 1 2
Spectre, Owning the Night 127
C H A P T E R 1 3
Operation Medusa 136
C H A P T E R 1 4
Synergy of Command 147
C H A P T E R 1 5
All in the Family 161
C H A P T E R 1 6
The Battle of Najaf 166
C H A P T E R 1 7
Spooky, on Station 185
C H A P T E R 1 8
Urrah! 194
C H A P T E R 1 9
One Period of Darkness 203
Glossary 217
Abbreviations Used in This Book 223
Index 227
F O R E W O R D
On September 11, 2001, the nation’s special operations forces were
called upon as terrorists attacked our nation. Among the first
units deployed were the Air Force Special Operations Command Air
Commandos.
Since then, highly trained, rapidly deployable airmen from
AFSOC have conducted global special operations missions ranging
from precision application of firepower to infiltration and exfiltration,
as well as resupply and refueling of special operations forces.
As of this writing, AFSOC aircraft have flown more than 25,000
combat sorties, amassing more than 75,000 combat hours since Octo-
ber 2001. Units have sustained combat and humanitarian operations
24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Albeit impressive,
statistics don’t portray the whole picture. The most important aspect
of the story revolves around the people and the critical attributes they
possess.
These are the stories of personal triumph and loss; they reflect
selflessness, perseverance, and integrity. They are about the adapt-
ability of each Air Commando who stands poised to combat today’s
threat.
War is nothing if not personal, and we are always mindful that our
most valuable resources are the men and women who take an oath to
support and defend with honor, who make the mission possible with
skill, strength, tenacity, and determination. These twenty-first-cen-
tury Air Commandos—from the boots on the ground battlefield air-
man to the air crews above—are an essential part of U.S. military
missions around the globe.
It is the individual who embodies heroism and unselfish commit-
ment to serve, for whom we pledge to protect. Our Airman’s Creed
personifies the AFSOC warrior: “I will never leave an Airman behind,
I will never falter, and I will never fail.” Keep these thoughts in mind
ix