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 Baggage Handlers
We carried our chemical defense gear, personal bags, protective gear, and helmet bag. Each person ended up with six or seven bags. Everybody would get their bags on the bus, take their bags off the bus, and put their bags on the ramp before getting on our C-141. Moving all that baggage got to be a running joke.
— Capt. Paul Szweda
NVG OTJ
I arrived in March. The war kicked off a week later and I started flying right away. I didn't see as many threats as I had expected. Even though I had only five hours of NVG flying when I went over, I flew all my OIF missions at night. This is a testament to the Viper as a great platform. I think everybody flew a close air support mission of some sort. I felt like the war was a lot more organized than I ever expected it to be and also a lot more restricted.
— Capt. Tim Curry
Stocked And Ready
I replenished required munitions trailers and chaff and flares on the flight line. We always kept the trailer stocked and ready. We figured everybody would come back from every mission, but we were never certain. Seeing the jets coming back without their weapons was exciting. We knew our part of the mission was carried out.
— SSgt. Rick Walker
Smoke Trail Rising
I got within a few miles of the target and saw some explosions. At first I thought the explosions were bombs going off. Then I saw a smoke trail coming at us. That got my attention. I realized that I was, no kidding, getting shot at by a SAM.
— Capt. Jason Charrier
First Time In The Left Seat
I had just finished upgrade training when OIF kicked off, so my first mission as a C-141 aircraft commander was a combat mission. We flew with three pilots. The new guy would fly with two experienced guys, including the Reservists. The third pilot sat in the jumpseat and provided another set of eyes.
— Capt. Avi Perras
 Spelling CAS
After my wingman, Capt. Eric "Bodhi" Puels, and I were released from our TST duties, we found a ground FAC who needed airborne assistance to destroy a target situated behind a tall ridgeline during the battle for Kirkuk. Army artillery was having little luck. So, we jumped in line behind a pair of F-18s and started to search for the target. The Navy pilots thought they had the target nailed, so they dropped their ordnance after getting clearance from the FAC. The FAC appreciated their efforts, but it wasn't the target he really wanted. So, we circled the wagons. The FAC did a good job of talking our eyes onto the target. Bodhi was carrying only HARMs, so he supported me as I dropped my JDAM in a visual attack on an Iraqi compound containing trucks and an unknown number of troops. The bombs went through the pipper. As I performed my safe escape maneuver, the FAC said, "Perfect! Secondaries! Lots of secondaries! You made our day." I felt pretty good about my contribution at that point. We didn't know how to spell CAS before OIF. But once the war started, we performed flawlessly.
— Lt. Col. Kevin Fowler
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