"Everything looks pretty good Colin." We talked as we looked over our own sling loads and checked the placement of the others. We quickly caught up with PZ control and talked things over. We all noticed that some of the sling loads were awfully close to the trees and some were right on large patches of dusty areas.
During our premission planning we had flown out to this particular PZ to make sure it was suitable for such a large operation as would take place here. As usual, we did a low hover down the length of the PZ and, after kicking up no dust, we decided that, other than the high trees that enclosed this entire PZ, it would be suitable.
So we had an update briefing to talk about some of the problems that we saw in the PZ and we all agreed that we could deal with the situation.
Night falls. Zero illumination! No moon tonight...the pilots and crew chiefs don their night vision goggles and get everything set for the mission. It will begin in moments.
The initial part of the mission called for an artillery raid to provide preassault fires on the proposed landing zone (LZ). The raid consisted of an advanced party (3 aircraft) carrying ammunition and a HMMWV.
We passed our light signals to let the aircraft behind us know that we had our passengers (pax) and were ready to reposition over the loads. "Redhawk 3-Bravo." We slowly came off the ground, identified our load and crept towards it. Once we were in close proximity the crew chief, SPC Jamie Skinfill, caught sight of it (she is looking out of a small cut out hole in the bottom of the aircraft--she is our eyes at this crucial time).
"The load is hooked up Sir." She told Colin as he hovered in place all while looking through the NVG's.
"Sir hold your hover, don't move." SPC Skinfill had spotted that the apex of the hook had spun upside down and was not seated properly on our cargo hook. As we hovered she had removed the hook and spun it around then re-hooked it herself. Much easier than releasing the load totally and trying to explain, over the sound of 3 aircraft in the LZ, to the hook up team what went wrong. In a few seconds the problem was fixed.
Right about this time we could see that the dust was swirling heavily and it was begining to be a problem for us. So if it was a problem for us, the first aircraft, it was definitely a problem for the subsequent aircraft more so.
The sling was tight so we began a slow and gradual climb to lift the ammunition off the ground. No problems.
Over the radio we could hear the chalk two was having a problem trying to pick up its HMMWV. It was positioned directly over the dirt and it was almost impossible for them to see.
"Look out for the trees!"
We heard someone scream over the internal radio net (actually Colin, who was on the controls and SPC Skinfill who was watching the sling load, could not hear this due to their radios being temporarily turned off).
Chalk two was sliding right towards the tall trees, they quickly slid back to the left and, when they did, they made contact with the .50 caliber weapons mount in the bed of the HMMWV, nearly crushing the soldier that was standing next to it to hook it up. The only thing they could do was to climb up...But up was where we, chalk one, were! The Pilot in Command, quickly realized that up was not the best place to go and landed the aircraft on the left side of the PZ, nearly underneath Colin and I.
On the controls was Colin Kelley. Cool under pressure and this was it--to the extreme!! The dust was so bad that I could not see anything out the right side. It swirled up and over our aircraft and covered us in a cloud. Things were getting bad down there and now up here also (remember, we are looking through night vision goggles which turn everything into a shade of green and, although they allow us to see on evne the darkest of nights, they still have no comparison to daytime sight!).
Chalk two was out of the mission. As standard procedure, when an incident occurs, that aircraft shuts down until further evaluation is made.
Chalk three was attempting to pick up its load but we could no longer, SAFELY, hover in this spot so we departed, slowly, hoping that the other aircraft would catch up--they did.
The advanced party got emplaced in a small LZ to the north and west of Normandy Drop Zone. The only way that we were able to indentify it was by the reflective markers that were lining it.
Relieved to have left the PZ...we could now hear the confusion continue as the dust continued to grow to be even more of a menace in the PZ. Six aircraft were trying to simultaneously hook up 6 artillery pieces with little luck...it was slow going. As it happened, two more aircraft thought that they made contact, minor contact, with the artillery pieces as they attempted to hook them up under conditions that were not suitable for even single ship operations.
Eventually they got all six guns out of there and found the LZ and made it to the FARP (Forward Arming and Re-fuel Point). At the FARP we thought we would be able to relax a bit..however, things were just as dusty and twice as dangerous...now we have 2 tankers of fuel to worry about hitting.
The mission continues. Everyone makes it back to the PZ and prepares for a live fire SEAD (Suppression of Enemy Air Defense). We get our heads back in the game and reasses where we stand. We are ready to continue!
All 10 aircraft (we had a spare fill in for the damaged one) receive a full compliment of infantry troops-and pass the light signals back.
This will be two flights of five aircraft each, separated by 2 minutes. Each is going to a different LZ which is being fired upon by the artillery.
"Devil Four-Zero, this is Redhawk One-One, we are Bailey, time now." I called the Fire Support Officer who was circling overhead in the command and control bird. This signified lift off and that it was time to start the clocks!
"Roger One-One, Bailey, Out." Devil 40 responded.
As we flew along our route we maintained an accuracy of + or - 30 seconds all the way until touch down in the LZ. If the accuracy was not maintained, and this was war time with live firing going on in our direction of flight things could get very interesting. This is what we trained for and we were doing it.
As we neared the LZ, we could see sparatic firing coming from the woodline on the left. The crew chief identified muzzle flashes and returned fire as the five ship armada touched down in the enemy held territory. The infantry unloaded in seconds and we lifted off while the crew chief was still providing suppressive fire for the men on the ground.
Now it was a race to get as many troops and as much of their equipment into those LZ's as soon as possible so they could continue taking the fight to the enemy.
One more turn of pax, refuel and then a turn of support TOW HMMWV's (which carry wire guided missles used to destroy enemy armor and vehicles). The HMMVs are taken to a different area south of the LZ's so they can pinch the enemy as they move in on the LZ...
"Saber 06, Redhawk One-One is Sandra at this time." We called the command and control bird to let them know that we were mission complete at this time. It wa now time for the infantyr to finish the job!
"Roger, out."
The thing that I really give credit to is the resillance our our pilots and crew chiefs who are able to think on their feet and remain clam under pressure. Our premission planning, at times, seems extensive, but when a mission begins to go to shit, it is our extensive planning that pulls us through. Having a thorough understanding of the intent of the mission is what makes it all work out.
But hey, it's just another day in double 'A'! Airborne! All the way!