The FReeper Foxhole Remembers the Legend of Y-29 ~ Operation Bodenplatte (1/1/1945) - Jan. 1, 2004

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[Aeronaut]

Happy New Year Sam.

[SAMWolf]

1986 As the United States builds its strength in the Mediterranean, Libyan leader Muammar al-Qaddafi threatens to retaliate if attacked (I'm sooo scared)

LOL! Remember "The Line Of Death"?
Cross this line and you die!
Ok. Cross this Line and you die
Ok. Cross THIS line and you die.

Our first assignment upon entering the Med was to demonstrate freedom of navigation by conducting a missile exercise inside the claimed territorial limits of Libya. Libya had claimed the entire Gulf of Sidra as their territory. This gave them a 200-mile territorial limit. If we did not challenge that claim, it would become international law. Our task force combined the USS Nimitz and the USS Forrestal task groups to conduct the exercise. Drones would be launched from a support ship within the missile test area and we were one of four missile ships that would be assigned to launch surface-to-air missiles loaded with telemetry instruments at the drones.

The first day of the exercise was August 18th and it was clear that the Libyans were going to do everything in their power to foil our plans. In addition, it seemed clear that the Libyan pilots were itching to find a U.S. carrier to attack. As the Libyans launched fighters from three airports, our task force would assign F-14s to cover them. Covering means to maintain a firing position on the contacts until they either shot at something or turned back to home. We had no authority to attack until we were fired upon. The F-14s were under the strict control of the E-2C (Hawkeyes) from the carrier. On board the Nimitz was the Sixth Fleet battle staff.

Needless to say the Libyans did not take kindly to having the pesky F-14s on their tail and so they would try to shake them with lots of high G-force air combat maneuvering techniques. Things were tense but no one lost their cool… at least not on day one of the missilex. The next day, on almost the first run of the day, two of the Libyan pilots decided to shoot at the lead pilot of a flight of two F-14s from VF-41.

Bad idea #1 It was a head-on shot with a heat-seeking missile.

Bad idea #2 It just happened to be the VF-41 Squadron Commander.

Bad idea #3 This missile missed its mark but during the ensuing dog fight, AIM-9 missiles from the two F-14s downed both Libyan SU-22 Fitters.

No survivors were ever found. Immediately after the engagement, the F-14s were returning to the carrier and at that time received “Permission to defend yourselves” from the carrier.

From the time we were aware of the attack until its conclusion was about a minute. The Tactical Action Officer (TAO) in CIC was the Operations Officer LCDR Pilnick and I was the Ships Weapons Coordinator (SWC). After the engagement, the TAO leaned over to me and said, “I guess we should go to GQ.” So we did. It was an awesome thing to here general quarters without the “This is a drill” preamble. We struck the telemetry missiles below decks and loaded war shot birds on the rails. No more action took place. The Libyans continued to look for the carrier (this time with their fingers off the triggers). The F-14s continued to cover the Libyans (with no authority to shoot) and the missilex was successfully concluded. After the operation we detached from the task force and headed for the Black Sea.

[SAMWolf]

Good Morning Feather.

[SAMWolf]

Day ain't over yet Valin. ;-)

[SAMWolf]

Cholera Joe? Our resident "I love airpower threads" FReeper

Good job on putting it all together.

[SAMWolf]

Morning E.G.C. Awoke to a heavy snow falling. Could be one of those days.

[SAMWolf]

HAppy New Year Aeronaut

[The Mayor]

Happy New Year to The Foxhole!!!!

I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten. —Joel 2:25

No matter how dark your past, with Christ your future is bright.

[SAMWolf]

Good Morning Mayor. Happy New Year

[snippy_about_it]

Good morning EGC.

[snippy_about_it]

LOL.

[snippy_about_it]

Cholera Joe? Our resident "I love airpower threads" FReeper

No, it wasn't 'joe' and it wasn't Johnny either.

Thanks Sam, you have all the good ideas.

[snippy_about_it]

Good morning Mayor.

[SAMWolf]

[The Mayor]

It doesn't appear that the terrorists did any damage to US as they have been promising....

Here's to our Troops protecting US!!

[snippy_about_it]

Here's to our Troops protecting US!!

Amen, Mayor.

Here's to our troops!

[snippy_about_it]

Awwww. You're so cute when you blush. It's just 'cause you know so much and I'm just learning. Thanks for a wonderful 2003 at the Foxhole. I just know 2004 will be even more fun!

[SAMWolf]

It seems for the most part they're more talk than action on any large scale. They die quickly in any stand up fight so they brag and threaten and sneak around blowing up women and children. They're good at terrorizing women and populations that are turned into sheep by Islam but can'
t stand up and fight against people who fight back.

[SAMWolf]

I just hope we don't run out of ideas.

[The Mayor]

I agree with you, talk, talk, talk....

We are not in the klinkton administration anylonger.
We will come after you and we will bring justice to you.
We are not sheeple, we are America and we stand Strong together.

Thank God for the Bush administration..

Did you see the people in Time Sq singing "Proud to be American" just before midnight.. I had goosebumps.......