Brigadier General John "Howling Mad" Strepkowski, USAF, was a walking, talking dinosaur. He said what he thought, believed what he said and believed in God first, family second and Nation third. Always. In that order. No zipper control issues here, Howling Mad (HM if you were a friend) was a warrior monk in an age where so called "values" shifted with the sand...belief systems were fudgable and people were generally chicken shit.
HM had a problem. AFRICOM's CINC was out of area, doing the political thing in DC while US Army Rangers were on the ground in Liberia hookin' and jabbin, trying there very best to see another sun rise.
The politically correct thing for HM to do would to simply sit on his hands and wait till orders came in from DC. Meanwhile precious time would be wasted and men would continue to suck sand in a far off land. He wouldn't have it. He immediately ordered the 23rd Tactical Fighter Wing (-) operating at Camp Lemonier to go into action. On deck were 20 A-10C's...another 10 F-15E were also on the ramp. Some smart ass blogger outted the operation so most aircraft were kept inside hangars so that the real numbers would go undetected. 30 attack airplanes with Brits providing ISR, Cargo and Refueling support via their A330's and he should be able to help keep those boys on the ground alive---at least till the dumbasses in DC could finally make a decision.
The plan was simple. The F-15E's would head out at top speed to push the issue. The Chinese had a nice little force of mechanized Para-troopers...they might be able to give transports hell but once the F-15's got finished with them, it would be a mopping up operation for the A-10's.
HM never went for the interservice nonsense. He always considered it one fight, one force, one mission.
He'd bring every unit he had available in Africa together with one goal in mind. Pull our brothers out of harms way. Hang on guys. Heaven's angels were coming...and they were pissed.
Zulu Flight....6 F-15E's led by Colonel Jonathan McMasters, USAF.
McMasters had just refueled from the Brit A330's, he called off from the tankers and radioed his flight to go to full military power. They were rocketing along at just below the speed of sound carrying a full load of small diameter bombs. Testing had revealed that at max altitude they could lob these bad boys at over 80 miles from the target.
The mission was simple. They were going to divide the country into sectors and then the muzzles were coming off....Fangs were out teeth were barred and the Para-troopers were going to experience true death from above.
McMasters loved the fighting spirit of the 82nd and Rangers. But when it came to death and destruction they were rookies. His WSO called out the first target and he felt a couple of bombs drop off. This was gonna be sweet. But this was just the beginning.
China stabbed his country in the eye. China fucked with America. China was gonna get payback. It started on a dark night with a flight of Eagles.
That night 25 8x8's were destroyed and 200 Chinese Para-troopers met their maker....unfortunately for them it was just the beginning. The A-10's had just arrived to start working their kill boxes.
Things had suddenly changed. Not only were US Army Rangers hooking and jabbing and trying to see another sun rise...but so were the Chinese Para-troopers. A long night for both sides and the angel of death was just getting warmed up.
22nd MEU steaming toward the coast of Liberia.
The warning order was simple. Prepare for combat operations in Liberia. Opposing force is a Reinforced Chinese Brigade of Para-troopers. Reinforcements are arriving aboard merchant ships acting as Privateers and the CIA has indicated that unusual air activity has been spotted in the area. Colonel Bennett, didn't expect an opposed landing but he would make sure to coordinate with the Nimitz strike group and USAF units out of Djboutti.
Everyone thought that after Afghanistan, that a peace dividend would kick in. Well that was bullshit...the same bullshit that every peacenik dreams of.
Reality is a bitch.
The US Marine Corps was once again heading toward a real deal shooting war and Bennett couldn't be happier.
HM had a problem. AFRICOM's CINC was out of area, doing the political thing in DC while US Army Rangers were on the ground in Liberia hookin' and jabbin, trying there very best to see another sun rise.
The politically correct thing for HM to do would to simply sit on his hands and wait till orders came in from DC. Meanwhile precious time would be wasted and men would continue to suck sand in a far off land. He wouldn't have it. He immediately ordered the 23rd Tactical Fighter Wing (-) operating at Camp Lemonier to go into action. On deck were 20 A-10C's...another 10 F-15E were also on the ramp. Some smart ass blogger outted the operation so most aircraft were kept inside hangars so that the real numbers would go undetected. 30 attack airplanes with Brits providing ISR, Cargo and Refueling support via their A330's and he should be able to help keep those boys on the ground alive---at least till the dumbasses in DC could finally make a decision.
The plan was simple. The F-15E's would head out at top speed to push the issue. The Chinese had a nice little force of mechanized Para-troopers...they might be able to give transports hell but once the F-15's got finished with them, it would be a mopping up operation for the A-10's.
HM never went for the interservice nonsense. He always considered it one fight, one force, one mission.
He'd bring every unit he had available in Africa together with one goal in mind. Pull our brothers out of harms way. Hang on guys. Heaven's angels were coming...and they were pissed.
Zulu Flight....6 F-15E's led by Colonel Jonathan McMasters, USAF.
McMasters had just refueled from the Brit A330's, he called off from the tankers and radioed his flight to go to full military power. They were rocketing along at just below the speed of sound carrying a full load of small diameter bombs. Testing had revealed that at max altitude they could lob these bad boys at over 80 miles from the target.
The mission was simple. They were going to divide the country into sectors and then the muzzles were coming off....Fangs were out teeth were barred and the Para-troopers were going to experience true death from above.
McMasters loved the fighting spirit of the 82nd and Rangers. But when it came to death and destruction they were rookies. His WSO called out the first target and he felt a couple of bombs drop off. This was gonna be sweet. But this was just the beginning.
China stabbed his country in the eye. China fucked with America. China was gonna get payback. It started on a dark night with a flight of Eagles.
That night 25 8x8's were destroyed and 200 Chinese Para-troopers met their maker....unfortunately for them it was just the beginning. The A-10's had just arrived to start working their kill boxes.
Things had suddenly changed. Not only were US Army Rangers hooking and jabbing and trying to see another sun rise...but so were the Chinese Para-troopers. A long night for both sides and the angel of death was just getting warmed up.
22nd MEU steaming toward the coast of Liberia.
The warning order was simple. Prepare for combat operations in Liberia. Opposing force is a Reinforced Chinese Brigade of Para-troopers. Reinforcements are arriving aboard merchant ships acting as Privateers and the CIA has indicated that unusual air activity has been spotted in the area. Colonel Bennett, didn't expect an opposed landing but he would make sure to coordinate with the Nimitz strike group and USAF units out of Djboutti.
Everyone thought that after Afghanistan, that a peace dividend would kick in. Well that was bullshit...the same bullshit that every peacenik dreams of.
Reality is a bitch.
The US Marine Corps was once again heading toward a real deal shooting war and Bennett couldn't be happier.