Dear Reader,

In August 1990, a group of F-16 fighter pilots assigned to the 388th Tactical Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, deployed to Al Minhad Air Base in the United Arab Emirates in support of Operation Desert Shield.  The pilots of the 421st "Black Widows" and the 4th "Fightin' Fuujins" were later joined by members of the 69th "Werewolves," who were based at Moody Air Force Base in Valdosta, Georgia. Together, these pilots flew 4,052 combat missions during the most successful air campaign in military history - Operation Desert Storm.

Nearly ten years have passed since the end of the Gulf War, and the pilots who valiantly represented the 388th TFW have moved in various directions. Some are still flying the F-16, while others have left the Air Force to pursue new careers and fulfill other ambitions.

I've kept in touch with a number of pilots since the end of the war, and I've asked them to share some of their experiences with you, the viewer.  Here, on the PILOT DEBRIEF page, you will have an opportunity to learn more about the F-16 pilots who flew combat missions as representatives of the 388th TFW during Operation Desert Storm.  If you have read my book, Vipers In The Storm, you will undoubtedly recognize these pilots' names.

Sincerely,

Keith Rosenkranz
Author of " Vipers In The Storm: Diary of a Gulf War Fighter Pilot"
 

The following questions were posed to some of the pilots I flew with during Operation Desert Shield/Storm:

1. Flying the F-16 Fighting Falcon, especially in combat during Operation Desert Storm, is a thrill few individuals have experienced.  What inspired you to become a fighter pilot?
2. When did you join the Air Force, and what was your first flying assignment after completing Undergraduate Pilot Training?
3. What aircraft have you flown, and what are the different bases you have been assigned to during your Air Force career?
4. Which models of the F-16 have you flown, and how many hours do you have in the Viper?
5. What was your best assignment and why?
6. This year marks the ten year anniversary of Iraq's invasion of Kuwait and the beginning of Operation Desert Shield/Storm.  Looking back, what was the experience of combat like for you?
7. How many combat missions did you fly, and is there one particular mission that stands out more than any other?
8. What do you remember most about your time spent in the United Arab Emirates at Al Minhad AB?
9. What have you been doing since the war, and where are you now?

To learn the answers to these questions, which were provided by F-16 fighter pilots who were members of the 388th Tactical Fighter Wing during Operation Desert Shield/Storm, click on the name below.

• Kevin "Duck" Perry
• Thomas "Taz" Rackley
• Mark "Stitch" Miller
• Ken "Spike" Hull
• Marc "Stal" Stalnaker (member of the 69th TFS "Werewolves")
• Mike "Grumpy" Daniels
• Mark "Skippy" Lankford
• Mark "Rock" Clemons - Coming Soon!