Actual Combat

[Deuce130]

Some of you airforce pukes crack me up. If it wasn't for all the SAFIRE reports coming in around Balad and Speicher I think CENTCOM would shut down the SIPR net. You guys do know that there are coalition small arm ranges right outside both of these complexes right? Not to mention EOD.

I'm gonna have to agree with you on this one. Seems every brief we go there was some kind SAFIRE in or around Baghdad or Balad reported by an airlifter flying around in the middle of the day. The only ones I paid any attention to were the small arms reports from the helos, and even then it was just to avoid those sectors if it happened w/in the past 30 mins or so. I can't speak for other herc drivers out there, but this wasn't an uncommon conversion on some of our sorties:

"Pilot, Load..."
"Go ahead..."
"I think I saw something..."
"Something? Like what?"
"Dunno, maybe some small arms, could've been a rocket."
"Aimed at us?"
"Coulda been."
"Ok, keep an eye out."

Needless to say, when Intel comes to the debrief this usually ends up getting reported as an event which then hits the airwaves the next day as some kind of big deal. Multiply this scenario by the number of sorties on any given day and I can see how these things keep getting reported. Unfortunately, they sound the same on paper as a no-kidding event which is worth talking about.

 

[LeonPhelps]

Leon I could give two-S'es what my avatar is and it's been that way since UPT. It looks like yours is about that old as well...

I'd be more worried if I spent time on internet forums quoting crappy SNL characters from 10 years ago (in multiple threads...)

Vandal, letsth go have a bottle of courvossthier...clearly the jokesth have your undiesth in a bunch. Relaxsth my friend, all isth good in herculeesth land...it wasth a sthimple obsthervation...thatsth all. Cheersth!

 

[Cobra]

Unfortunately, they sound the same on paper as a no-kidding event which is worth talking about.

Precisely

 

[Vandal]

dang, dude, who pi$$ed in your oatmeal this morning? I guess this is what happens when co-pilots miss nappy time.

Who's a co-pilot? Anyway I agree about the SAFIRES, seemed like active duty reported them a lot more than we did...And respect to you COBRA, if anyone is getting shot at it's you guys.

 

[RedDogC130]

Deleted.

 

[CheyDogFlies]

some kind SAFIRE in or around Baghdad or Balad reported by an airlifter flying around in the middle of the day.

Not sure if you're trying to slam anyone here, but airlift is scheduled all day and all night long. Sadly, we don't get to say no to any of it...

...and yes, there is way too much stuff reported.

 

[HarryShadow]

Not sure if you're trying to slam anyone here, but airlift is scheduled all day and all night long. Sadly, we don't get to say no to any of it...

...and yes, there is way too much stuff reported.

Why would you want to say no to any of it???

 

[Deuce130]

Not sure if you're trying to slam anyone here, but airlift is scheduled all day and all night long. Sadly, we don't get to say no to any of it...

...and yes, there is way too much stuff reported.

No slam, I know that guys don't often get a choice of when they fly in the AOR. My point was that anyone with a gun (which is lots of folks) can take a potshot during the day even though the probability of a hit is less than zero, which then sometimes gets reported as a SAFIRE incident that everyone has to get briefed on. Let's face it, you can see a Herc or C-17 from about 12 miles away during the day and it can make for a pretty tempting target. It amazes me that we haven't lost one yet.