Wild Weasels and Hurricane Hunters are modern day “March to the sound of guns” and seeking to be in harms way types. The Parks family seems to have it in their genetic lineage. Very respectful 🫡
FB for sure. 80 years of family service to their country. And not bad for a 1974 design to still be "cutting edge" on the front line. We are not far from sticking a "kill" emblem on the side of a drone/loyal wingman/whatever controlled by some fighter 75 miles away. Will we then shake the hand of the controlling fighter pilot or WSO and pin something on their chest?
Fullbore. Saw this in my news feed the other day - I grew up not far from one the famous Vietnam War Wild Weasel EWOs who lived in a town that bears his family name. Papa Scoobs during his A-4 Skyhawk days trained up to deliver AGM-45 Shrikes but in 1969 had few opportunities to use them over Laos and South Vietnam. I recently had the honor of meeting a former F-105G driver who joined the Weasels fresh out of UPT in time to participate in Operation Linebacker II - that man is a stud!
Closest sea story I've got: Tootling home day from another uneventful OEF mission we picked up some beeps and squeaks on our gear coming from uncomfortably close along the Iranian border that was identified as a HAWK missile system. This certainly got our attention and promptly slid eastward while I earnestly copied down the details. On landing I hustled down to CVIC and debriefed this to a blase' JO intel officer who replied "Oh yeah, we already know about that." Well that's great - but you didn't tell us! Closest I've come to wanting to smack a restricted line type...
Worked for an O-6 EA-6B Prowler NFO/EWO at CincPacFlt who had been previously the C.O. of a VAQ Squadron. Stellar Officer, smart as a whip, good man. At NTTC Corry Station, our CNEWS compound included NFO/EWO School. All top-notch people, staff and students, both Navy and Marine, the Navy's version of Wild Weasel EWO's. Good people, all.
As the grandfather of a paratrooper who is the 4 th straight generation to Serve, Thank You to the Parks Family! ALWAYS FORWARD! I met COL Robbin Olds in the mess hall at Ubon. He was an inspiration to us then and I’m Proud to have met the Man. REDHORSE!!
One thing not noted is that of the 21 strike aircraft what were the others besides his 4 EF-16s (I think EF is the correct designator...somebody correct me if that's wrong)?
Not sure what the composition of LCOL Parks 480th EFS is, but I'd think normally it would be homogenous...i.e. one aircraft type. Maybe not, a composite squadron for such a place makes some sense. But one thing is for sure, he had only 12 aircraft. There were at least 9 more from somewhere else (likely more, what are the chances of all 12 being fully mission capable at any given time). So where did those come from? Another USAF EFS? The USAF bomber deployments? The USN as they had a carrier in the area? What support aircraft were involved (AWACS, Tankers were noted, C3 assets...)?
In any case, there was a lot of effort put into this and there likely were several hundred people who had a hand in putting this altogether. And almost certainly every single one of them is duly proud to have enabled LCOL Parks feat.
Is Oman letting us use Masirah? We used to go in to meet up w/ the C-141's flying spares , replacements, supplies, mail, etc. when we were operating in the North Arabian Sea. An amazing place.
When we were pulling in one time there were two humpback whales playing. It was an amazing show. We were anchored out waiting for the C-141's to show up. I was walking down the deck by the rail and just smelled this rancid, rotting fish stench. I looked over the side, and there was one of the whales scratching its back against the hull.
...anyhow Masirah couldn't be better positioned to support this effort against the Houthis.
Once upon a time . . . I had a father-in-law who was in the Wild Weasel Squadron with their F-105s at Carswell. What a mission. Them boys were brave.
Do you remember when they parked the F-4Gs in the desert . . . and then Desert Storm began ? . . and then they had to go pull them out . . . LOL! That was when the Aardvark/SparkVark had no (and never did) have any weapons. When they were parked is when the USAF participation in the EA-18G Program began.
My shipmates, please read about “Mine Sweepers” below. The hulls are different than ours? Two types of steel used? Underwater submersibles as well.
Please recall that “Unmanned boats” were launched into a pier, no casualties but structure destroyed. This is my reason to keep reading and share with my shipmates so they can weigh in on protecting our American ports.
Not one single article about American shipbuilding did I read about. So I share Russian shipbuilding news. Minesweeping is important in the Black Sea, especially.
What I did read about is the possibility of Cartel Drugs securely strapped to upturned water crafts, necessitating the need to destroy the drugs. I’m sorry the survivors couldn’t save themselves by separating from the upturned boat. I will pray that we are blessed … Nurse Jane
“Project 12700 Alexandrit seagoing minesweepers' displacement is 890 tons, speed is 16.5 knots, and crew is 44 navy men
ST. PETERSBURG, December 5. /TASS/. At least two to three dozen more Project 12700 Alexandrit seagoing minesweepers are planned to be built at the Sredne-Nevsky Shipyard (part of Russia’s United Shipbuilding Corporation) in St. Petersburg for the Navy, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy on armament Vice Admiral Igor Mukhametshin said after the launching ceremony of the eleventh minesweeper of the Dmitry Lysov project.“
🫡
Wild Weasels and Hurricane Hunters are modern day “March to the sound of guns” and seeking to be in harms way types. The Parks family seems to have it in their genetic lineage. Very respectful 🫡
FB for sure. 80 years of family service to their country. And not bad for a 1974 design to still be "cutting edge" on the front line. We are not far from sticking a "kill" emblem on the side of a drone/loyal wingman/whatever controlled by some fighter 75 miles away. Will we then shake the hand of the controlling fighter pilot or WSO and pin something on their chest?
Classic Air Force story telling: "save your watches, it's gettin' deep in here!"
Did it say they had 21 F-16's on mission at once? That is a big deal for the refuelers, maintenance/crew chiefs and armorers! At a remote base!
Finding two KC 135 (no comment about KC 46) tankers in the same space as the F-16's should be easy, given the comms and mission planning systems!
Hey, we wear waterproof watches! Good to six fathoms.😂
This is a man that not only kept his head on a swivel, but his entire brain as well. BZ!!
Fullbore. Saw this in my news feed the other day - I grew up not far from one the famous Vietnam War Wild Weasel EWOs who lived in a town that bears his family name. Papa Scoobs during his A-4 Skyhawk days trained up to deliver AGM-45 Shrikes but in 1969 had few opportunities to use them over Laos and South Vietnam. I recently had the honor of meeting a former F-105G driver who joined the Weasels fresh out of UPT in time to participate in Operation Linebacker II - that man is a stud!
Closest sea story I've got: Tootling home day from another uneventful OEF mission we picked up some beeps and squeaks on our gear coming from uncomfortably close along the Iranian border that was identified as a HAWK missile system. This certainly got our attention and promptly slid eastward while I earnestly copied down the details. On landing I hustled down to CVIC and debriefed this to a blase' JO intel officer who replied "Oh yeah, we already know about that." Well that's great - but you didn't tell us! Closest I've come to wanting to smack a restricted line type...
A REMF will always be a REMF.
And if you ask him, he'll downplay it.
There is a fellow I worked with whose Lead Sled flew wild weasel flight into Vietnam from Thailand.
I understand the USN used the handle Iron Hand and used A-6 and F4F Phantoms.
Worked for an O-6 EA-6B Prowler NFO/EWO at CincPacFlt who had been previously the C.O. of a VAQ Squadron. Stellar Officer, smart as a whip, good man. At NTTC Corry Station, our CNEWS compound included NFO/EWO School. All top-notch people, staff and students, both Navy and Marine, the Navy's version of Wild Weasel EWO's. Good people, all.
Good people, professional and dedicated.
My son was aviation, an HMLA Red Dogs. He was in the MALS. Worked on aviation black boxes.
Big Brass Ones
American Samurai
As the grandfather of a paratrooper who is the 4 th straight generation to Serve, Thank You to the Parks Family! ALWAYS FORWARD! I met COL Robbin Olds in the mess hall at Ubon. He was an inspiration to us then and I’m Proud to have met the Man. REDHORSE!!
I saw the article earlier as well.
One thing not noted is that of the 21 strike aircraft what were the others besides his 4 EF-16s (I think EF is the correct designator...somebody correct me if that's wrong)?
Not sure what the composition of LCOL Parks 480th EFS is, but I'd think normally it would be homogenous...i.e. one aircraft type. Maybe not, a composite squadron for such a place makes some sense. But one thing is for sure, he had only 12 aircraft. There were at least 9 more from somewhere else (likely more, what are the chances of all 12 being fully mission capable at any given time). So where did those come from? Another USAF EFS? The USAF bomber deployments? The USN as they had a carrier in the area? What support aircraft were involved (AWACS, Tankers were noted, C3 assets...)?
In any case, there was a lot of effort put into this and there likely were several hundred people who had a hand in putting this altogether. And almost certainly every single one of them is duly proud to have enabled LCOL Parks feat.
Respect, indeed!
And using older A-A missiles, the cherry on top.
Is Oman letting us use Masirah? We used to go in to meet up w/ the C-141's flying spares , replacements, supplies, mail, etc. when we were operating in the North Arabian Sea. An amazing place.
When we were pulling in one time there were two humpback whales playing. It was an amazing show. We were anchored out waiting for the C-141's to show up. I was walking down the deck by the rail and just smelled this rancid, rotting fish stench. I looked over the side, and there was one of the whales scratching its back against the hull.
...anyhow Masirah couldn't be better positioned to support this effort against the Houthis.
Once upon a time . . . I had a father-in-law who was in the Wild Weasel Squadron with their F-105s at Carswell. What a mission. Them boys were brave.
Do you remember when they parked the F-4Gs in the desert . . . and then Desert Storm began ? . . and then they had to go pull them out . . . LOL! That was when the Aardvark/SparkVark had no (and never did) have any weapons. When they were parked is when the USAF participation in the EA-18G Program began.
Good Morning on this chilly Saturday.
My shipmates, please read about “Mine Sweepers” below. The hulls are different than ours? Two types of steel used? Underwater submersibles as well.
Please recall that “Unmanned boats” were launched into a pier, no casualties but structure destroyed. This is my reason to keep reading and share with my shipmates so they can weigh in on protecting our American ports.
Not one single article about American shipbuilding did I read about. So I share Russian shipbuilding news. Minesweeping is important in the Black Sea, especially.
What I did read about is the possibility of Cartel Drugs securely strapped to upturned water crafts, necessitating the need to destroy the drugs. I’m sorry the survivors couldn’t save themselves by separating from the upturned boat. I will pray that we are blessed … Nurse Jane
“Project 12700 Alexandrit seagoing minesweepers' displacement is 890 tons, speed is 16.5 knots, and crew is 44 navy men
ST. PETERSBURG, December 5. /TASS/. At least two to three dozen more Project 12700 Alexandrit seagoing minesweepers are planned to be built at the Sredne-Nevsky Shipyard (part of Russia’s United Shipbuilding Corporation) in St. Petersburg for the Navy, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy on armament Vice Admiral Igor Mukhametshin said after the launching ceremony of the eleventh minesweeper of the Dmitry Lysov project.“