Category Archives: Military Affairs

This category contains information relevant to or about military affairs. The host’s bias favors the US Armed Forces and the F-16 in particular.

Two if by Night

Posted on Thu, 06 December 2007 by Chris Penningroth

     Tonight was the first time in my F-16 career that I got to fly back-to-back night sorties.  It was also the first time since about April 2002 that I got to fly night SEAD with NVGs.  To say I … Continue reading →

Posted in F-16 Operations, USAF | Comments Off on Two if by Night

A Red Air Kind of Week

Posted on Fri, 30 November 2007 by Chris Penningroth

     I flew three times this past week, but always as Red Air.  Oh, well, it’s better than not flying at all.      On one of the Red Air sorties, we got to use the practice jamming pod.  That made … Continue reading →

Posted in F-16 Operations, USAF | Comments Off on A Red Air Kind of Week

Magnum!

Posted on Tue, 27 November 2007 by Chris Penningroth

     Today’s exercise was a simulated Destruction of Enemy Air Defense mission in the good ‘ol DMT (Distributed Mission Trainer, the current fancy name for "simulator").  Huck, Beast, Nash, and I went up against a plethora of SAMs, ZSU-23-4s, AAA, and MiGs.  … Continue reading →

Posted in F-16 Operations, USAF | Comments Off on Magnum!

Assignment Matching

Posted on Mon, 26 November 2007 by Chris Penningroth

     I just received an e-mail the other day that I may be required to move earlier than planned.  So instead of being guaranteed to ride out the ‘Turbulent and dynamic’ cycles of F-16 assignments that have been the result … Continue reading →

Posted in USAF | Comments Off on Assignment Matching

Anti-CAVU

Posted on Thu, 01 November 2007 by Chris Penningroth

     Someone once told me what WOKSOF (or was it WOCSOF?) stood for.  I can’t actually remember the acronym, but it basically means the weather could charitably be described as fecal.  It wasn’t quite that bad today, but the training airspace … Continue reading →

Posted in F-16 Operations, USAF | 2 Comments

Twice the Fun

Posted on Wed, 24 October 2007 by Chris Penningroth

     Today was a pair of SEAD/Force Protection sorties.  Four of us jumped out in front of a four-ship of strikers and practiced weaving in and out of SAM rings and knocked a couple Red Air fighters back a peg … Continue reading →

Posted in F-16 Operations, USAF | Comments Off on Twice the Fun

Welcome Back to the Den

Posted on Thu, 04 October 2007 by Chris Penningroth

     The 13 FS arrived back at home station today.  They flew 13 jets home.  Go figure!

Posted in "Downrange", F-16 Operations, USAF | Comments Off on Welcome Back to the Den

SEPT

Posted on Tue, 02 October 2007 by Chris Penningroth

     Let’s see, what did I do today to top off last night’s divert to Hachinohe?      I had the brakes fail on taxi.  Then after "New jet, new day" I had the engine fail shortly after takeoff, followed quickly … Continue reading →

Posted in F-16 Operations, USAF | Comments Off on SEPT

A Diversion

Posted on Mon, 01 October 2007 by Chris Penningroth

     Tonight’s mission was the long-awaited NVG re-hack.  It was the first time I’ve flown at night since June.  June of 2006, that is.       The briefing and step were all routine, with the exception that both FNG F and I were … Continue reading →

Posted in F-16 Operations, USAF | Comments Off on A Diversion

Policing Ramadi

Posted on Fri, 21 September 2007 by Chris Penningroth

      More on the CPT Travis Patriquin Memorial Police Station here and here.      Info on Ramadi from Michael Totten in two parts (h/t Hoystory).       At least al Qaeda in Mesopotamia keeps shooting itself in its own foot.  It’s even nicer to … Continue reading →

Posted in "Downrange", Military Affairs | Comments Off on Policing Ramadi