A10 Pilot Speaks

[BDiONU]

This is a little old (Afghanistan) and may have been posted before but it amused me and I'd not seen it.

An email from a USAF A10 pilot from Afghanistan describing a trip to brief the staff at HQ -- pretty funny stuff. I think we can all
relate ... Remember, war is hell ... but hilarious!

http://teamhouse.tni.net/Misc/A-10/pilot_speaks.htm

[The Nr Fairy]

I dunno who he is, but he's bloody funny !

[Busta]

Plus ca change.

nothing matters very much, most things don't matter at all.

[flipster]

Laffed loads and I am sure it is true to life!

A pity we are not so well organised in HM Farces!

[MajorMadMax]

Please make sure we get Part IV of this gripping tale! This guy is so on target that it hurts, he deserves to be CSAF but will probably not make it past major as he has too much perspective and is honest!

Go Ugly Early!

Maj M2

[T_Handle]

Excelent stuff... and how so true.

Know all those places well and it is spot on, not just for the spam but us their poor relatives too!!!

T

ps. it is not that old, as Afghanistan is still very active ( just not in the news anymore!) and the location of the CAOC helps date it too.:8 :ok:

[MajorMadMax]

T

I beg to differ, Afghanistan is in the news quite a bit, especially since NATO took over the lead for ISAF IV back on 10 August. OK, I am working at SHAPE and provide the SACEUR with daily reporting on OEF and ISAF, so maybe I am a bit more familar with it than most, but with Lord George Robertson (NATO SecGen) asking Kofi Annan if NATO can expand its AOR outside of Kabul, and the NATO ministerials meeting in Colorado at the moment to discuss exactly that, you may be hearing more and more about Afghanistan than the news has reported since Iraq.

And as I also provide the SACEUR with his daily OIF reporting, and increasing hints that NATO might be heading in that direction next, it will be interesting to see which country comes out on top.

My opinion (and just my opinion) is that we need to wrap up both operations as it is costing a lot of countries a lot of monies and even worse, the lives of soldiers as well (two Canadians killed recently in Afghanistan, for example). As I worked the Balkans previously, I have seen what a money pit looks like, and these places are beginning to shape up as another place that the international community will end up throwing billions of pounds, euros and dollars into to what end? Despite the arguments going on in different threads on this forum, the US is not pumping oil out of Iraq for its consumption, just look at US gas/petrol prices over the past two years, it did not drop at the end of OIF...currently the US average for "regular" gas is $1.51 a gallon as of 6 Oct, on that date two years ago it was $1.31 and back in 1998 it was $1.00 per gallon (from US Dept of Energy (http://www.eia.doe.gov/oil_gas/petroleum/data_publications/wrgp/mogas_history.html)). I also track Iraqi oil production and consumption/export figures at work, and can tell you it isn't ending up in the US!

I am not saying the war didn't have anything to do with oil, all I am saying is the accusations that that was all the US was after don't seem to be playing out. Now what really was the reason for the war I won't even speculate, I serve my country despite its politics and even when I don't fully agree with them. Some might think that makes me a simpleminder soldier, but in my defense I am 1) in the air force, so I am not a soldier, 2) as I previously stated, I serve my country and my comrades in arms, and 3) I swore an oath before God that I would obey the lawful orders of my superiors, and I am a man of my word. When I feel I cannot maintain that obligation, I will resign.

In previewing this response I seem to have stepped up on a soapbox by accident, I apologize as I try to avoid such seriousness when possible and this reply might give the impression I am a chestbeating American. We are proud, and not perfect, but some of us mean well and hope we can have a positive impact on the world. Otherwise what's the point?!?

You in the back...quit humming the national anthem!

Cheers! Maj M2

[VectorLine]

1. Close Air Support (CAS): The Lord's work. Doing whatever is
required to protect friendly forces engaged with the enemy. An extremely
complicated, communications intensive mission. Only the A-10 and AC-130
are recognized CAS experts as we are the only pilots who train for CAS
on a regular basis in the Air Force.

Or, as in Iraq, shoot your own men and circle for another go.

[witchdoctor]

The "friendly" nation of Pakistan.

Well, at least he can take comfort from the fact that should any of the "friendly" natives of Pakistan take a potshot at him, it is likely to be with American made and supplied technology. He should be proud that the last thing he will see is the "Made in America. Have a nice day y'all" stamp with the stars and stripes before he goes to meet his maker.

I blame the REMFs.

[MajorMadMax]

My, we are a cynical bunch, aren't we?!?

OK, ain't no one out there with a perfect record from what I can tell, and in the Warthog's world like is just a bit hectic down at x feet above the ground at 90 degrees trying to locate a target while everyone with a musket is shooting at you. I am sure it is equally as hard when you are doing the speed of heat down a valley hugging mother earth. This is not a defense for a blue-on-blue incident, but until you take the human aspect out of the equation you are always going to have a risk of error. Hell, despite all the IFF initiatives out there, we still had more fratricide events this time around than the previous show. Just goes to show you can't rely on the technology either!

So the US proliferated weapons around the world, are you trying to tell me the UK has never done the same? Ever? Or the Russians? Or the Chinese? Every "superpower" (I hate that term) has, and has backed individuals/groups/whatever that later proved to be the bad guys, so be careful about pointing fingers, please. I have a great respect for the men and women of Her Majesty's forces, they are true professionals and I have benefited from most of the ones I have worked with. I also try to be more openminded than my fellow countrymen, the ones a lot of you enjoy bashing for being narrowminded. But then you go and post statements such as these...now who needs to be bashed?? :}

Cheers! M2

[yetti]

Great article, Pretty accurate too. When MASH finished in 1983 did the scriptwriter become an A10 pilot? An American, with a true sense of humour. Pretty rare.

[T_Handle]

Alright Major MM.... take a chill pill!

'In My Opinion' Afghanistan is not widely reported in the news on a daily basis. If you ask the general public, I'll wager that many wouldn't even realise that we are still active there.

I tend to look out for news articles for the region as I have an interest, as I seem to have spent half my life there over the past few years, so I know how heavily involved we are and who is involved in ISAF etc etc, trying to establish a stable environment. I also agree that we should wind the ops down as soon as poss but I don't think it will happen.

Anyway back to the point that the A10 pilot has a very humourous take on life.

Keep it up and lets have the next installment!

T:ok:

[Dan Winterland]

The main issue I have is that he says he watched a good movie - 'The Patriot'. That's not a good movie - it's cr@p!

[HAL Pilot]

The main issue I have is that he says he watched a good movie - 'The Patriot'. That's not a good movie - it's cr@p! That depends on your perspective. To those of us on the winning side it is a great movie!

[Dan Winterland]

Nah, don't believe it would be good even if you considered yourself to be on the winning side.

Why did they have to get an Aussie to play the patriot?

And also consider that up until July 4th 1776, the patriot was technically British, therefore he wasn't a patriot but a rebel. A mis-named film perhaps.

[moggie]

Don't forget that the Most Famous American of All Time (George Washington) was British, too!

In fact, I think he was only first generation colonial, anyway, so would have been qualified to play football (soccer!!!) for England.

[Surditas]

Dan W,

Mel Gibson is actually American, but spent a good deal of his life in Australia

[Zoom]

Real Name: Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson
Birthday: January 3, 1956
Place of Birth: Peekskill, NY
Education: National Institute of Dramatic Art, Sydney, Australia

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Though introduced to US audiences as an Australian actor, the strikingly handsome, blue-eyed Gibson was actually born in New York state and emigrated to Australia in 1968.

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Not terribly relevant to this thread but news to me at least! :hmm: